The Hon. Rita F. Lin is a judge for the Superior Court of San Francisco County in California. She was appointed by former governor Jerry Brown on June 27, 2018, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Ksenia Tsenin.
Lin earned a B.A. from Harvard College. She then received a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
She began her legal career as a judicial clerk for the Hon. Sandra Lynch of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in 2003. She joined Morrison and Foerster as an associate the following year, eventually becoming a partner in 2012. During her tenure at Morrison and Foerster, Lin was a member of the Financial Services Group of the Litigation Department. She handled complex civil cases, specializing in the defense of financial services companies against consumer class actions.
Then, in 2012, she moved to the Office of the United States Attorney of the Northern District of California. She worked as an assistant U.S. Attorney until her appointment to the bench.
Lin gained national attention for her pro bono work as co-counsel against the Defense of Marriage Act, which was declared unconstitutional in the United States District Court in California.
She is registered as a Democrat.
In her spare time, Lin enjoys oil painting.