U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman, who made an unsuccessful run for the California State Assembly at age 18, says she only went to law school “to become a famous politician.” Turns out, she liked the law. After 17 years working in the county counsel’s office for the County of San Mateo, she became a superior court judge in 2001. In June 2013 President Barack Obama nominated Freeman to the Northern District bench in San Jose, and in February, she was sworn in. One pet peeve, Freeman said, is how the formality of federal court gets in the way of candid conversations with lawyers.
Q: What are the biggest differences between serving on the federal bench and being a state court judge?
