USDC Northern District of California
Raised by her aunt in a small town in the Midwest, Senior U.S. District Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton learned the importance of hard work and dedication at a young age.
"I can't remember a single period of my life when I wasn't working," reflected Hamilton. She credited much of her success to the public school teachers in her town, who she said were personally invested in each student and opened up opportunities for them.