LOS ANGELES — Martin Estrada was sworn in as the United States Attorney for the Central District of California today.
Estrada, 45, was sworn in by Chief Circuit Judge Philip S. Gutierrez in a private ceremony this morning.
Estrada now oversees the largest U.S. Attorney’s Office outside of Washington, D.C. The firm, 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 Estrada was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 13, he was appointed by President Joe Biden for a four-year term.
“I am deeply honored to return to the United States Attorney’s Office and have the opportunity to serve the people of this district,” said Estrada. “As head of this office, my focus will be on protecting our community, upholding the rights of everyone in this district and upholding the rule of law. I will also work to continue to develop the Office’s relationships with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as with our partners in the community. Working together, we will always put the people of this district first.”
Before becoming a US 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 equality.
Estrada is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He was also an Associate Professor for Loyola Law School’s Ninth Circuit Appellate Clinic, part of the Alarcón Advocacy Project, where his teams achieved success for clients in need.
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 Division and International Organized Crime Coordinator. He prosecuted a wide range of criminal offenses, including the country’s largest extortion prosecution, targeting members and associates of Eurasian organized crime; one of the country’s largest bank fraud and identity theft prosecutions, with more than $8 million stolen from elderly victims; and a major public corruption case in which a federal court official illegally leaked confidential information who gave leads to organized crime figures before law enforcement could apprehend them.
Estrada received the Department of Justice’s prestigious Director’s Award for Superior Performance and other recognition for his work as a prosecutor.
Estrada graduated with honors from Stanford Law School and received his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Irvine, where he graduated magna cum laude. Estrada served as clerk for US District Judge Robert J. Timlin of the Central District of California and Judge Arthur L. Alarcón of the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
