Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Department - Western Division, Rm. 8B

CA Bar #: 222986 (December 2002)

Appointed By: Pres. Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

Biography

The Hon. Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong is a judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California. She was nominated to the seat by President Joe Biden on September 20, 2021. Frimpong was confirmed to the federal bench by the United States Senate on December 17, 2021.

Prior to her nomination, she presided as a judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court in California, having been appointed to the bench by former Governor Jerry Brown in 2016. Frimpong filled the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Thomas R. White (Ret.).

She received a B.A. in history and science from Harvard University in 1997. Frimpong then worked as a high school teacher at a public school in Ghana before returning to the United States to complete a J.D. at Yale Law School in 2001.

After graduating from law school, she began her legal career as a clerk to the Hon. Stephen Reinhard with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (2001 to 2002). She then joined the San Francisco law firm of Morrison and Foerster LLP as an associate. During her five years with the firm, Frimpong practiced civil and intellectual property litigation.

Then, in 2007, she joined the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., where she worked as a trial attorney for two years. During her tenure there, she handled cases involving government contracts, government personnel, and international trade disputes. Frimpong then became counsel to former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Tony West with the Civil Division of the Department of Justice in 2009. While in that capacity, she served as an advisor to the Assistant Attorney General in matters of intellectual property, immigration, international trade, consumer protection, and international law. Frimpong remained in that capacity until 2011.

She went on to serve as a deputy assistant attorney general for the Consumer Protection Branch of the Department of Justice. Then, in 2014, after briefly serving as principal deputy associate attorney general, Frimpong became counsel to then-U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., where she served as an advisor in matters involving national security, financial fraud, intellectual property, tax, immigration, and all other issues that fell under the scope of the Department of Justice.

Frimpong left the Department of Justice in 2015 to join The Millennium Challenge Corporation in Washington, D.C., a foreign aid agency run by the United States government. She served first as a corporate secretary, then as general counsel, before ultimately becoming Vice President. She remained in that capacity until her appointment to the Superior Court in 2016.

Throughout her legal career, she has sought to provide pro bono legal assistance to low-income individuals through various outreach entities.

Frimpong is a registered Democrat.

About

Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong
Party Affiliation Democrat	Democrat
Current Appointment U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Department - Western Division, Rm. 8B	U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Department - Western Division, Rm. 8B
Previous Appointment Los Angeles County Superior Court	Los Angeles County Superior Court
Education J.D., Yale Law School - 2001 B.A., Harvard University - 1997	J.D., Yale Law School - 2001 B.A., Harvard University - 1997

Court Info

Court Info
Current Court:	CA - U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Previous Court:	CA - Los Angeles County Superior Court U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Department - Western Division, Rm. 8B
Clerk phone:	+1 (669) 254-5252

Career History

Career History
Role	Employer	Where
Judicial Law Clerk	United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit with the Hon. Stephen Reinhardt	None
Associate	Morrison & Foerster LLP	San Francisco County, California
Trial Attorney	United States Department of Justice, Civil Division	Washington, D.C.
Counsel	United States Attorney General Tony West, United States Department of Justice	Washington, D.C.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General	Consumer Protection Branch, United States Department of Justice	Washington, D.C.
Counsel	United States Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., United States Department of Justice	Washington, D.C.
Corporate Secretary	Millennium Challenge Corporation	Washington, D.C.
General Counsel	Millennium Challenge Corporation	Washington, D.C.
Vice President	Millennium Challenge Corporation	Washington, D.C.
Judge	Superior Court of California	Los Angeles County, California
Judge	United States District Court for the Central District of California	Los Angeles County, California