Ninth Circuit Reappoints Chief Bankruptcy Judge Christopher B. Latham in Southern District of California
N E W S R E L E A S E
Sept. 22, 2026
Contact: Katherine Rodriguez
mediarelease@ce9.uscourts.gov
SAN FRANCISCO — Judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit have reappointed Chief Bankruptcy Judge Christopher B. Latham of the Southern District of California to a second 14-year term effective Oct. 1, 2026. Judge Latham joined the bankruptcy bench in 2012 and maintains his chambers in San Diego.
“I am thrilled to be reappointed,” said Judge Latham. “It’s a tremendous honor to serve in this important position, and I’m very grateful for having been given the opportunity. In my second term, I will strive to continually provide the most excellent service that I can.”
At his appointment to the bench, Judge Latham was an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California. There he represented the federal government, its agencies and officers in a wide range of civil matters, including bankruptcy, eminent domain, mortgage fraud, tax and other tort claims, as well as in criminal bankruptcy fraud prosecutions. Before his time at the Department of Justice, he was an attorney at the law firm of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. He began his legal career as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Earl B. Gilliam of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
Judge Latham has been a member of several 9th Circuit Committees, including those on Space and Facilities, Judicial Security and Bankruptcy Judges Education, in addition to a seat on the Executive Committee of the Conference of Chief Bankruptcy Judges. While in practice he served on the Conference Executive Committee and was chair of the circuit’s Lawyer Representatives Coordinating Committee.
A native of Southern California, Judge Latham graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude, from the University of California at Irvine in 1986. He earned a Master of Philosophy from Yale University in 1989 and a Juris Doctor in 1992.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California reported 5,593 new bankruptcy filings in calendar year 2025, up 10.4% from CY 2024. The court is authorized four judgeships.
Bankruptcy judges serve a 14-year renewable term and handle all bankruptcy-related matters under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit have statutory responsibility for selecting and appointing bankruptcy judges in the nine western states that comprise the Ninth Circuit. The court uses a comprehensive merit selection process for the initial appointment. For reappointments, the court conducts a performance review and considers public comment evaluations.
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