CA Bar #: 177944 (November 1995)
Appointed By: Judges of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
The Hon. Nathanael M. Cousins is a magistrate on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. He was appointed to the bench by the judges of the Northern District of California on July 5, 2012, filling a seat vacated by the Hon. Bernard Zimmerman.
Prior to his appointment, Cousins was an assistant United States attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, a position to which he was named in 2008. Before that, he spent time as a trial attorney with the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice (2003 to 2008). One of his most notable cases involved the prosecution of global price-fixing cartels in memory chip markets.
Cousins earned a B.A. in political science from Stanford University in 1992. He then completed a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, in 1995.
After graduating from law school, Cousins began his legal career as an associate at Greenberg, Glusker, Fields, Claman & Machtinger. He remained with the firm until 1996, at which time he was hired as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. F.A. Little, Jr., of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. Then, in 1997, he relocated to Chicago, Illinois, where he joined Kirkland & Ellis. During his tenure there, he handled both civil and criminal litigation, specializing in civil rights, antitrust, class action, securities fraud, and consumer fraud matters. He also served as a pro bono class counsel for the inmates of an Illinois state prison.
Cousins was born in Palo Alto, California. When not presiding over cases, he has taught antitrust, legal writing, and appellate advocacy at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He has also coached basketball and soccer.
He is registered as a Democrat.
| Party Affiliation Democrat | Democrat |
| Current Appointment U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Department - Courtroom 5 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Department - Courtroom 5 |
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Education
J.D., University of California, Hastings College of the Law - 1995 B.A., Stanford University - 1992 |
J.D., University of California, Hastings College of the Law - 1995 B.A., Stanford University - 1992 |
| Official Website www.cand.uscourts.gov | www.cand.uscourts.gov |
| Current Court: | CA - U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California |
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| Clerk phone: | +1 (408) 535-5343 |
| Role | Employer | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Associate | Greenberg, Glusker, Fields, Claman & Machtinger | Los Angeles County, California |
| Judicial Law Clerk | United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana | None |
| Trial Attorney | United States Department of Justice | San Francisco County, California |
| Partner | Kirkland & Ellis | Cook County, Illinois |
| Assistant U.S. Attorney | Office of the United States Attorney for Northern District of California | San Francisco County, California |
| Magistrate | United States District Court for the Northern District of California | None |
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