Albert Lee Stephens, Jr.

Who was Albert Lee Stephens, Jr.?

Albert Lee Stephens Jr. was a United States federal judge, President John F. Kennedy's first appointee to the federal court

Born in Los Angeles, California, Stephens was the son of Judge Albert Lee Stephens, Sr. formerly on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and brother of the late California Court of Appeal Associate Justice Clarke E. Stephens. A Hollywood High School graduate, he received an A.B. from the University of Southern California in 1936, and an LL.B. from the University of Southern California Law School in 1938. He was in private practice in Los Angeles from 1939 to 1943, leaving practice to serve as a U.S. Naval Reserve Lieutenant from 1943 to 1946, and then returning to private practice in Los Angeles until 1959. Stephens was appointed to the Superior Court in Los Angeles by Democratic Governor Pat Brown in 1959, holding that position until 1961.

On August 28, 1961, Stephens was nominated by President John F. Kennedy to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of California vacated by Benjamin Harrison.