Frances Marie Tydingco-Gatewood (born January 21, 1958) is an American attorney and jurist. She has served as

chief judge Chief judge may refer to: In lower or circuit courts The highest-ranking or most senior member of a lower court or circuit court with more than one judge. * Chief judge (Australia) * Chief judge (United States) In supreme courts Some of Chief ...

of the federal

District Court of Guam A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...

since 2006, having been nominated by President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

. Prior to this, she served as an associate justice on the

Supreme Court of Guam The Supreme Court of Guam is the highest judicial body of the United States territory of Guam. The Court hears all appeals from the Superior Court of Guam and exercises original jurisdiction only in cases where a certified question is submitted ...

and as trial judge on the Superior Court of Guam.

Early life and education

Tydingco-Gatewood was born on January 21, 1958, in

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

, Hawaii. She attended George Washington High School, in

Mangilao Mangilao is a village on the eastern shore of the United States territory of Guam. The village's population has decreased slightly since the island's 2010 census. Cliffs lie along much of the village's shoreline provide dramatic views, including ...

, Guam and obtained her

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in political science at

Marquette University Marquette University () is a Private university, private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It was established as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, by John Henni, the first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Ar ...

in 1980. She received her

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from the

University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law The University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law is the law school of the University of Missouri–Kansas City. It is located on the university's main campus in Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri, near the Country Club Plaza. It ...

in 1983.

Legal career

She began her legal career as a law clerk for Forest W. Hanna on the circuit court of

Jackson County, Missouri Jackson County is located in the western portion of the U.S. state of Missouri, on the border with Kansas. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 717,204. making it the second-most populous county in the state (af ...

, from 1983 to 1984. In 1984, she became the first female Chamoru assistant

Attorney General of Guam The Office of the Attorney General of Guam aims to serve, protect, and represent the government and the people by enforcing the laws of Guam and the United States. The Office is composed of the following divisions: * Administration Division * Prose ...

. She served as assistant attorney general in that office until 1988. She then worked with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office in Missouri as an assistant prosecutor from 1988 to 1990. While in the Missouri office, She was assigned to the Drug Team and Homicide Unit and served as the Trial Team Leader for the Sex Crimes Unit. Subsequently, she served as chief prosecutor for the District of Guam from 1990 to 1994 at the Office of the Attorney General.

Judicial career

Superior Court of Guam

In 1994, she was appointed by Governor Joseph F. Ada as a trial judge of the Superior Court of Guam.

Supreme Court of Guam

On September 1, 2001, she was appointed by Governor

Carl Gutierrez Carl Tommy Cruz Gutierrez (born October 15, 1941) is an American (U.S. citizen) politician who was the sixth governor of Guam, serving two four-year terms with Lieutenant Governor Madeleine Bordallo from January 2, 1995, to January 6, 2003. Guti ...

as an associate justice of the

. She was sworn in on February 8, 2002 and served in that position until October 29, 2006.

United States district and bankruptcy courts of Guam

Tydingco-Gatewood was nominated as a United States district judge of the

by President

on April 25, 2006. She was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

on August 3, 2006. Chief Judge Tydingco-Gatewood is only one of two judges in the entire federal judiciary who sits as both a district and bankruptcy judge. She was renominated on May 18, 2016, by President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

to another ten-year term on the court. On January 3, 2017, her nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the 114th Congress. She is currently sitting as a "holdover" judge and awaiting potential reappointment. On November 8, 2024, President

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

announced his intention to nominate her for a new 10-year term. Her nomination was not sent to the Senate before Biden left office.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tydingco-Gatewood, Frances 1958 births Living people 21st-century American women judges American prosecutors American women lawyers Chamorro people Guamanian judges Guamanian lawyers Marquette University alumni Missouri lawyers Lawyers from Honolulu United States district court judges appointed by George W. Bush University of Missouri School of Law alumni