The Honorable Michelle L. Peterson is a University of Minnesota Law School graduate and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Seattle Pacific University.

In March 2019, Judge Peterson was appointed to the bench as a United States Magistrate Judge. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Peterson was of counsel at a national law firm, a partner at a large regional Seattle firm, and a partner at a small boutique litigation firm. Immediately before taking the bench, Judge Peterson operated her own firm, where her practice focused on white collar criminal defense, government investigations, False Claims Act litigation, civil rights, and commercial litigation.

Judge Peterson has long been an active member of the Western District of Washington Federal Bar. She served as a Ninth Circuit Lawyer Representative and co-chaired the Local Rules Committee for the Western District of Washington. In that capacity, she co-chaired a subcommittee on electronically stored information (“ESI”) that created the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington’s Model Agreement Regarding Discovery of Electronically Stored Information. Additionally, Judge Peterson was a member of the Federal Pro Bono Panel, a Criminal Justice Act panel attorney for the Federal Public Defenders Office, and the Federal Bar Association Liaison for the Western District of Washington’s Drug Reentry Alternative Model (“DREAM”). Judge Peterson is also a former President of the William L. Dwyer American Inn of Court, a former member of the Ninth Circuit Wellness Committee, and previously served on the Remote Access Working Committee during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Judge Peterson has participated in many publications and speaking events, covering broad topics such as roving wiretaps, employment ligation, e-Discovery, federal court practice, and health care fraud. Judge Peterson currently serves as the Chair of the Criminal Local Rules Committee, Co-Chair of the Court Local Civil Rules Committee, Chair of the Ninth Circuit Magistrate Judge Education Committee, Chair of the Ninth Circuit Criminal Law Committee’s pilot project for detainee access to discovery, and Co-Chair of the Local Detention Management Committee.