--- title: "Margaret M. Morrow | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/margaret-m-morrow-2324" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Margaret M. Morrow U.S. District Court for the Central District of California · U.S. District Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California - State: California - Role: U.S. District Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, C.D. California, 1998-present - President and CEO of Public Counsel, the nation’s largest pro bono law firm, expanding access to justice for low‐income communities (2016–2021) - 1974–1987: Partner at Kadison, Pfaelzer, Woodard, Quinn & Rossi ### Education - J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1974 - A.B. cum laude from Bryn Mawr College in 1971 ### Additional information - Morrow assumed senior status on October 29, 2015 - Joined the court on February 24, 1998, after a nomination by President Bill Clinton - Confirmed: February 11, 1998; commissioned February 24, 1998 - Central District of California Morrow was nominated to the United States District Court for the Central District of California by former President Bill Clinton on January 7, 1997, to a seat vacated by Richard Gadbois Morrow was confirmed by the Senate on February 11, 1998, and she received her commission February 24, 1998 - Private practice attorney in California — 1974–1998 - Private practice, Los Angeles, CA, 1974-1998 - Nominated: January 7, 1997, by President Bill Clinton to replace Richard A. Gadbois Jr - 1987–1996: Co‐founder of Quinn, Kully and Morrow, later merged into Arnold & Porter - Leadership: President of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (1988) and the first woman President of the State Bar of California (1993–1994) - Began practicing law in Los Angeles in 1974 - Born October 29, 1950, in Columbus, Nebraska - Date of birth: 1950-01-01 - Margaret Mary Morrow is a retired American federal judge and legal leader, best known for her 18 years on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and her later role as - handling civil and criminal matters, including high-profile cases in employment law, insurance coverage, and arbitration - Presided over significant cases in intellectual property, securities fraud, technology, and other complex areas - Bar Leadership: Pioneered women’s leadership in California’s legal profession - ADR Leadership: Developed and oversaw the Central District Court’s Alternative Dispute Resolution program for 10 years - Notable cases include Dr. Sam Chachoua v - Cedars‐Sinai Medical Center, Vidal Sassoon v - Procter & Gamble, and United States v - Reed Slatkin - Birth place: Columbus, NE ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2324/margaret-m-morrow/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2324/margaret-m-morrow/) - [U.S. District Court for the Central District of California current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2324/margaret-m-morrow/) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2324/margaret-m-morrow/) - [Morrow, Margaret M. | Federal Judicial Center](https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/morrow-margaret-m) - [Margaret Morrow - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Margaret_Morrow) - [Wikidata: Margaret M. Morrow](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6759666) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/margaret-m-morrow-2324", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/margaret-m-morrow-2324", "name": "Margaret M. Morrow | KnowJudges", "description": "Margaret M. Morrow, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-09", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/margaret-m-morrow-2324#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/margaret-m-morrow-2324#judge", "name": "Margaret M. 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Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.