William Denman (judge)

William Denman (November 7, 1872 – March 9, 1959) was a United States federal judge.

Born in San Francisco, California, Denman received a degree in literature from the University of California, Berkeley in 1894, and an LL.B. from Harvard Law School in 1897. He entered private practice in San Francisco in 1898, and was an assistant professor and lecturer at the Hastings College of the Law of the University of California from 1902-1906.

On January 10, 1935, Denman was nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated by William Ball Gilbert. Denman was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 29, 1935, and received his commission on February 1, 1935. He served as chief judge from 1948 to 1957, and assumed senior status on July 3, 1957. He continued to serve in that capacity until his death.

Sources

• William Denman at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.

Research resources

• Guide to the William Denman Papers at The Bancroft Library