Judge Laura Stuart Taylor
Judge Taylor began service as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of California in January 2008. She was Program Chair for the 2011 Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, and Conference Chair for the 2012 Conference. She has also served on the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Judges Education Committee. She was profiled in the Los Angeles Daily Journal on February 6, 2013.
Judge Taylor served as Chief Judge of the Court in San Diego from 2012-2019. She also served on the 9th Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel, and was Chief Judge of that Court until July, 2022. She was elected to the American College of Bankruptcy. She took senior status on August 1, 2023.
March 23, 2017: first session of the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel in which all three panelists were women who were also permanent members of the BAP. Pictured (L-R) are Judge Laura Stuart Taylor, Chief Judge Meredith Jury, and Judge Julia Brand.
From 1983–1995 and from 1998 to 2007, Judge Taylor was an associate and partner at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP where she practiced in the Finance and Bankruptcy practice group. For most of her career she was resident in the San Diego office. From June 2005 to November 2007, she served as the San Diego office’s Administrative Partner. From January 1995 to February 1998 Judge Taylor practiced pro bono law. She was the founder of the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program’s Special Education Project.
The Project provided pro bono legal services to disabled foster youth and low income families with disabled children. In connection with her pro bono service, Judge Taylor received the San Diego Bar Association’s Public Service Award for 1996, the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program’s Attorney of the Year Award for 1997, and the State Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Award for 1997.
Judge Taylor received her B.A. with Highest Honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her J.D. from Duke University. Judge Taylor is married to the Honorable Timothy B. Taylor, Judge of the Superior Court of the State of California. They have two adult sons.