Vijay C. Gandhi appointed as Federal Magistrate Judge in California
19th April 2010, Washington

Today, Vijay Gandhi was sworn in as a Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Judge Gandhi is the first Indian American federal judge in the Central District and only the second Indian American federal judge in the United States. At age 38, Judge Gandhi is also one of the youngest federal judges currently serving in the Central District. Judge Gandhi will sit in Los Angeles and will preside over matters arising from all three Divisions of the Court. The Central District is the largest district in the nation, serving more than 19 million people.

“We are exceptionally proud of Judge Gandhi for his accomplishments, especially given his steadfast commitment to the South Asian community,” said Joseph J. Centeno, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. “He will be an outstanding magistrate judge.”

Judge Gandhi was formerly a litigation partner at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP. He practiced law for nearly 12 years at the firm, as an associate from 1998 to 2006, and as an equity partner, thereafter. He also worked on a full-time basis as a volunteer Deputy District Attorney and first-chaired multiple jury trials as a prosecutor. Judge Gandhi has been repeatedly recognized as a “Rising Star Lawyer” in the “Super Lawyers” Edition of Law & Politics Magazine. He is also a prolific writer and speaker on securities and business litigation, and co-authored a book about securities law claims.

Prior to joining Paul Hastings, Judge Gandhi clerked for the Honorable Kenneth M. Hoyt, U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of Texas. Judge Gandhi received his J.D. degree from the University of Southern California Law School, where he graduated Order of the Coif and received multiple American Jurisprudence awards. Judge Gandhi is also a Past President and Lifetime Member of the South Asian Bar Association of Southern California, an affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).