James Boasberg
Chief Judge of the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
James E. Boasberg has served as Chief Judge of the US District Court for the District of Columbia since March 2023. His judicial career includes federal district court, local trial court and foreign-intelligence court service.
Last refreshed: 22 October 2026 · Appears in 2 active topics
How will Boasberg handle the election officials’ protection case before polling day?
Timeline for James Boasberg
Took the case on 21 October
US Midterms 2026: Democrats sue Trump over his jail repostDismissed an Iranian-Swedish national's visa-delay suit
Iran Conflict 2026: Visa delay suit dismissed in WashingtonBackground
James E. Boasberg is Chief Judge of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, a federal trial court. He joined that court in 2011 and became chief judge in March 2023. Before his federal appointment, he served on the District of Columbia Superior Court, handling civil, criminal and domestic-violence matters.
His earlier legal career included private practice and work as an assistant US Attorney in Washington, where he specialised in homicide prosecutions. He also served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, including a period as its presiding judge. Boasberg studied history at Yale and Oxford before earning his law degree at Yale.
Reference
Who is James E. Boasberg?
What did James Boasberg do before joining the federal district court?
When did James Boasberg join the federal district court?
When did James Boasberg become chief judge?
When was Momeni v. Rubio decided?
What did James Boasberg decide in Momeni v. Rubio?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 22 October 2026. Editorial standards.