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LOS ANGELES – Martin Estrada was sworn in today as the United States Attorney for the Central District of California.
Estrada, 45, was sworn in by Chief United States District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez in a private ceremony this morning.
Estrada now oversees the largest United States Attorney’s Office outside of Washington, D.C. The office, which currently employs approximately 270 attorneys, serves approximately 20 million residents in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.
After being confirmed by the United States Senate on September 13, Estrada was given a four-year appointment by President Joe Biden.
“I am deeply honored to return to the United States Attorney’s Office and have the opportunity to serve the people of this district,” Estrada said. “As the leader of this office, I will be focused on protecting our community, safeguarding the rights of every individual in this district and upholding the rule of law. I will also work to further develop the office’s relationships with federal, state and local law enforcement and with our community partners. Working together, we will always put the people of this district first.”
Prior to becoming the United States Attorney, Estrada was a partner at the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson where he focused on trials, complex litigation and investigations. There, in addition to representing corporate clients, Estrada handled high-impact pro bono matters in the areas of education, immigration and equal justice.
Estrada is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He also was an Adjunct Professor for Loyola Law School’s Ninth Circuit Appellate Clinic, part of the Alarcón Advocacy Project, where his teams achieved success for indigent clients.
From 2007 to 2014, Estrada was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California. As a federal prosecutor, Estrada served as Deputy Chief of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and as the International Organized Crime Coordinator. He prosecuted a broad array of criminal violations, including the nation’s largest racketeering prosecution targeting members and associates of Eurasian organized crime; one of the country’s largest bank fraud and identity theft prosecutions, in which more than $8 million was stolen from elderly victims; and a major public corruption matter involving the illegal leaking of sensitive, under-seal information by a federal court clerk who tipped off organized crime figures before law enforcement could arrest them.
For his work as a prosecutor, Estrada received the U.S. Department of Justice’s prestigious Director’s Award for Superior Performance as well as other recognitions.
Estrada graduated with distinction from Stanford Law School and earned his undergraduate degree in history from the University of California, Irvine, where he graduated magna cum laude. Estrada served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Robert J. Timlin of the Central District of California and Judge Arthur L. Alarcón of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.