John S Unpingco at a glance
- Current role
- Former U.S. District Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Guam · Federal
- Judicial service
- Former
John S Unpingco
Former U.S. District Judge · District Court of Guam
Service record and verification
Judicial service and assignments
- District Court of Guam · U.S. District Judge · Former · through April 30, 2004 · Assignment source ↗
Appointment and verification
- Source authority
- CourtListener / Free Law Project
Biography
Professional career
- John Sablan Unpingco was a distinguished federal judge and public servant, best known as the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for Guam from 1992 to 2004
- Unpingco was affiliated with the University of Guam for decades, starting in 1976 as an instructor and later as an associate professor in the School of Business and Public Administration
- Prosecutor, United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps
- Judge, District Court, D. Guam, ?-present
- He was remembered for his leadership, dedication to justice, and service to Guam’s legal and academic communities
Education
- New York University, New York City — J.D.
- Georgetown University — LL.M.
- M.B.A. — New York University
- Saint Louis University — B.A.
- St. Louis University — magna cum laude — B.A.
Additional information
- Judge Unpingco died suddenly on October 11, 2023, at age 73.
- Establishing Guam’s first full-time U.S. Magistrate Judge position in 2004, after years of advocacy for the role
- Appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1992, Unpingco served on the federal bench for 11 years.
- Command Counsel, Naval Warfare Center, China Lake, California
- Before his judicial role, Unpingco was a U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General, Command Counsel at the Naval Warfare Center in China Lake, CA, and later Administrator of the Guam Office of Veterans Affairs
- He mentored many students who went on to careers in government and business
- The University of Guam, the District Court of Guam, and local leaders alike honored his contributions University of Guam
Sources
Identity source checked June 30, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
U.S. District Court for the District of Guam current judicial profile
Identity source · HTML · CourtListener / Free Law Project · Source checked August 2, 2026
View U.S. District Court for the District of Guam current judicial profile ↗CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · CourtListener / Free Law Project · Source checked August 2, 2026
View CourtListener judicial biographical directory ↗Court mourns the loss of former District Judge John S. Unpingco | District Court of Guam | <span style="font-size:12px">the Federal Court for Guam</span>
Identity source · HTML · www.gud.uscourts.gov · Source checked August 2, 2026
View Court mourns the loss of former District Judge John S. Unpingco | District Court of Guam | <span style="font-size:12px">the Federal Court for Guam</span> ↗www.gud.uscourts.gov
Identity source · HTML · www.gud.uscourts.gov · Source checked October 6, 2026
View www.gud.uscourts.gov ↗