John B. Owens

John Byron Owens (born 1971) is an American judge and lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Early life and education

Owens was born in Washington, D.C. in 1971, and grew up in Northern California. He is the grandson of Harold Agnew.

Owens graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts with high distinction. While an undergraduate, Owens worked as a marketing assistant for the Golden State Warriors. He then attended Stanford Law School, where he was an editor of the Stanford Law Review. He graduated in 1996 ranked first in his class with a Juris Doctor degree with distinction. Owens then worked as a trial attorney for the United States Department of Justice's Office of Consumer Litigation.

From January 2012 until April 2014, Owens was a litigation partner in the Los Angeles office of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP. On January 16, 2014 his nomination was reported out of committee by a voice vote. On March 26, 2014, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed for cloture on the nomination. On March 27, 2014, the United States Senate invoked cloture on Owens' nomination by a 54–44 vote. On March 31, 2014, Owens’ nomination was confirmed by a 56–43 vote. He received his judicial commission on April 2, 2014. Owens was officially seated and sworn in on April 25, 2014.