The Los Angeles-based Jeremy Rosen has been  one of the most prominent conservative attorneys in California for years, frequently commenting on legal issues and working on prominent matters.  After consideration for the Ninth Circuit, Rosen has been tapped for the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Background

Jeremy Brooks Rosen was born in Hanover, NH on October 16, 1971.  Rosen attended Cornell University, getting a B.A. in 1993.^[1]  He then received a J.D. magna cum laude from Duke University School of Law in 1997.^[2]

After law school, Rosen clerked for Judge William Byrne on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and for Judge Ferdinand Fernandez of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  He then spent a year at Munger Tolles & Olson LLP before joining Horvitz & Levy LLP as an Associate.^[3] He became a Partner with the firm in 2008 and has served there ever since.

Additionally, since 2013, Rosen has served as Director of the Ninth Circuit Appellate Advocacy Clinic at Pepperdine University School of Law.^[4] 

History of the Seat

Rosen has been nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, to a seat vacated on October 29, 2015, by Judge Margaret Morrow’s move to senior status.  Despite the seat opening with more than a year left in the Obama Administration, the Administration did not put a candidate forward to fill the vacancy.  

Rosen had broached his interest in a judicial appointment in June 2017 with the White House.^[5]  He interviewed with the White House in August 2017 (for both the Ninth Circuit or a district court seat) and then with selection committees set up by California’s Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris.^[6]  In October 2018, Rosen was nominated by the White House to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Califronaia.

Legal Experience

Unusually for a district court nominee, Rosen has primarily worked as an appellate attorney, handling cases in a variety of legal issue areas.  As such, Rosen has not tried any cases.  Among his more prominent appeals, Rosen represented a pastor who was ousted in a church vote.^[7]  He also represented a male inmate who sought to limit observation from female prison guards while he showered and used the bathroom.^[8]

As Director of the Ninth Circuit Appellate Advocacy Clinic at Pepperdine University School of Law, Rosen also supervised law students in their legal representations.  For example, he served as a supervisor for students as they represented a Title VII plaintiff seeking relief after her complaint was dismissed for failure to pay the filing fee.^[9]

Political Activity

In addition to being a longtime member of the Federalist Society, Rosen is politically active, volunteering for a number of Republican campaigns.^[10]  For example, in 1988, Rosen volunteered for George Bush’s presidential campaign.^[11]  Similarly, Rosen supported President George W. Bush in 2004, John McCain in 2008, and Jeb Bush in 2016.^[12]

Writings & Commentary

Rosen has written extensively on the law and policy, especially discussing California’s anti-SLAPP statute (which allows defendants sued for First Amendment activity to strike the suits against them).^[13]  In other matters, Rosen has also commented on judicial nominations issues.  For example, Rosen was one of many conservatives (including Ninth Circuit Judge Dan Collins) who endorsed Judge Paul Watford, when he nominated by President Obama to the Ninth Circuit in 2011.^[14]  Watford was ultimately confirmed in 2012, despite drawing opposition from many Republican senators who saw him as a future Supreme Court nominee.

Overall Assessment

As a prominent (but still young) California appellate attorney, Rosen reminds one of other Ninth Circuit nominees such as Watford, or Judge Kenneth Lee.  However, unlike them, Rosen has been tapped for the district court.  Presumably, this is to better accord with the wishes of California’s home state senators.  That being said, while Rosen is probably one of the more acceptable choices for California’s senators when it comes to district court nominees, he may still face questions for his lack of trial court experience.  As such, some senators may be concerned that Rosen has never tried a case and may be unfamiliar with the minutiae of trial-level litigation.  Ironically, Rosen may have better luck as a nominee to the Ninth Circuit, to which his appellate experience seems better suited.

---