The U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Hernan Vera to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Tuesday in a 51-48 vote, filling a seat that has been vacant for seven years.

Vera joined the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2020 after working as a principal at Bird Marella since 2015. Before that, he spent more than 10 years with the pro bono public interest law firm Public Counsel, where he served as president and CEO. He was previously an associate and counsel with O'Melveny & Myers and a Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund staff attorney.