Courtroom Conversation with U.S. Ninth Circuit Judge John B. Owens

On April 9, 2026, the San Diego Chapter of the Federal Bar Association was honored to feature U.S. Ninth Circuit Judge John B. Owens as part of its ongoing Courtroom Conversations series. As the first Circuit Judge to participate in a Courtroom Conversation, Judge Owens offered insights earned from his years of practice in this district and beyond as part of a lively conversation with his former law clerk Natasha Phillips.

Early in the conversation, Judge Owens admitted that he did not always dream of becoming a judge. Before law school, he worked for the Golden State Warriors, and he became a lawyer in hopes of becoming in-house counsel for a professional sports team. By the time he graduated first in his class from Stanford Law School, he changed his mind and followed a different career track. He clerked for Judge J. Clifford Wallace on the Ninth Circuit, then for Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court. He then joined the Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Litigation before joining O’Melveny & Myers LLP as a litigation associate.

Judge Owens spent several years as an Assistant United States Attorney before being named Deputy Chief of Major Frauds in 2008. Then, in 2010, he was elevated to Chief of the Criminal Division. It is not until he spent time in the Southern District of California that Judge Owens realized he might want to be a judge. Once he saw the quality of the Southern District’s bench, he decided that he wanted to join that esteemed group. According to Judge Owens, his opportunity to join the Ninth Circuit came unexpectedly. He expected to apply repeatedly and initially hoped to become a district judge. He told the audience that his path to the bench was built out of a combination of luck and persistence.

After discussing his path to the bench, Judge Owens offered words of wisdom to attorneys practicing both in district court and before the Ninth Circuit. Through his time on the bench, Judge Owens has had to read so many filings that he has given up on reading for leisure. To make sure a judge pays full attention to every argument, concise briefing is key. To that end, and to make information easier to digest, Judge Owens urged practitioners to include visual aids within a brief where appropriate. If an exhibit has been properly introduced to the record, or if a visual aid can more effectively present evidence like a corporate org chart, those images can break up the monotony of a brief and help the panel remain fully engaged with an attorney’s arguments.

Judge Owens also emphasized the importance of the district-court record. In virtually any appeal, the most important thing is what happened before the district judge. He reminded the trial attorneys in the audience that every important detail must be in the record. If it is not in the record, either as a transcript or in an exhibit that was added to the docket, it is as if it did not happen. He also encouraged attorneys on appeal, where the record is already set, to know the record cold by the time they arrive at oral argument.

Judge Owens ended the event by reminding attorneys about the importance of work-life balance. He noted that during his time as a practicing attorney, he found that the attorneys who spent more late nights at the office often performed worse than the attorneys who paced themselves. He suggested setting up plans to give yourself an “out”—whether it’s dinner plans or time set aside for the gym. There is always an excuse to keep working, but a sustainable career is more important.

The San Diego Chapter of the FBA thanks Judge Owens and his chambers staff for sharing their time with us, as well as Natasha Phillips for moderating the event. We also thank Judge Huie and his Courtroom Deputy, Loraine Odierno, who graciously allowed us to hold the event in Judge Huie’s courtroom. Special thanks, also, to the Chapter’s VP of Professional Advancement, Rachel Eaton, for organizing this event.