KimberlyJ. Mueller

Kimberly J. Mueller is the David F. Levi Professor of the Practice of Law and Director of the Bolch Judicial Institute at Duke Law School. Before joining Duke Law, Judge Mueller served on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, first as a magistrate judge from 2003 to 2010, and then as a district judge following her 2010 appointment. She served as chief judge from 2020 to 2024, assumed senior status in September 2024, and retired in January 2026. Before her judicial appointment, Judge Mueller served in public office as a member of the Sacramento City Council, including as vice mayor. 

Judge Mueller earned her bachelor’s degree from Pomona College and her J.D. from Stanford Law School, where she served as symposium editor of the Stanford Law & Policy Review and externed for Judge David F. Levi. After law school, she practiced at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and later maintained a private practice. Judge Mueller has taught at the University of California, Davis School of Law and the McGeorge School of Law. She has written and spoken on issues relating to the judiciary and the rule of law. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute and earned a Master of Judicial Studies from Duke Law School in 2025.