U.S. District Judge William H. Alsup, known for presiding over some of the most consequential tech and public policy cases in California, signaled in a court filing Friday that he may take inactive status before the end of 2025 — though he clarified to Law360 that no final decision has been made.
The 79-year-old senior judge, a towering figure in the Northern District of California, has gained a national reputation for his blunt courtroom style, strict procedural rules, and landmark decisions, including a $9 billion copyright clash between Google and Oracle and a 2018 ruling that temporarily preserved the DACA program.
In an order related to a lawsuit brought by authors against AI startup Anthropic, Judge Alsup encouraged early settlement talks, noting that “any settlement should come sooner rather than later” if the parties want him to oversee the approval process. He added he would “likely take inactive status before the end of the year.”
Still, in an email to Law360, Alsup said the decision isn’t final: “I have not made a final decision, only that it is likely… and when it occurs, if it occurs, I’ll say more then.”
Since taking the bench in 1999 after a nomination from President Bill Clinton, Judge Alsup has handled a broad array of politically charged and technically complex litigation. He ordered the reinstatement of several federal workers this March after finding the current administration had unlawfully terminated probationary employees. In scathing remarks, he accused the Office of Personnel Management of lying about performance-based firings to skirt reduction-in-force laws.
Alsup’s courtroom has hosted numerous Silicon Valley showdowns. In a 2020 hearing, he rebuked Apple and Cisco for seeking inflated fee awards, accusing them of acting out of “G-R-E-E-D.” He also criticized DoorDash’s “hypocrisy” in requiring arbitration clauses while opposing class claims.
His influence extended to environmental litigation, including his dismissal of public nuisance suits by Oakland and San Francisco against oil majors over climate change. Alsup wrote that while climate change is real, resolving it requires a global response beyond the scope of a district judge.
Alsup’s hardline rules also stirred controversy. His standing order barring class action settlement talks before certification survived a challenge at the Ninth Circuit, despite Logitech’s argument it violated federal procedure and free speech rights. It’s that same order he allowed the Anthropic litigants to bypass.
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Alsup holds degrees from Mississippi State University and Harvard Law School. He clerked for Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas and practiced at Morrison Foerster before joining the DOJ’s Antitrust Division.
Judge Alsup assumed senior status in 2021. His potential departure would mark the end of a colorful and impactful chapter in Northern California’s federal judiciary.
