Bridget Shelton Bade
How Judge Bade rules, drawn from 31 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Bade
Bridget Shelton Bade is a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Appointed by President Donald J. Trump, Judge Bade received a commission on April 1, 2019.
Judge Bade's practices and standing orders
The court's website lists no individual practices or standing orders of Judge Bade's own (checked October 11, 2026), so the court's local rules and general orders are the place to look (court page ↗).
Standing orders for every case in this court
Orders the court applies to all of its cases, whichever judge has them, as published on the court's website (checked October 11, 2026).
How Judge Bade decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In her Hoskins separate writing, Bade read the federal debt-collection statute’s catchall in context and would require the government to have a direct financial stake before an amount qualifies as a debt to the United States.
“In my view, and consistent with how the First and Second Circuits have interpreted the statute, a legal instrument is only a ‘source of indebtedness to the United States’ if the amount owed under that instrument will inure to the benefit of the United States.”
In her Zunum concurrence, Bade began with Rule 13(a)’s own transaction-or-occurrence text and cautioned against allowing subsidiary doctrinal tests to displace the rule’s language.
“Any subsidiary tests we may devise to answer that question cannot be allowed to take precedence over the text of the rule.”
In a relocation-benefits appeal, Bade dissented because she found testimony sufficient to support the hearing officer’s residency finding under substantial-evidence review.
“This conclusion is supported by Johnnie’s, Benny’s, and Margery’s testimony and the reasonable inferences drawn from that testimony.”
Procedural preferences
In a criminal appeal, Bade examined the conduct and evidence described in a foreign-evidence tolling application to decide whether the later charged offense fell within the order, despite a different statutory label. A limitations challenge should address the substance of the application and the order’s scope.
“we determine the identity of the offenses covered by a tolling order based on their substance, not their label.”
In a vehicle-theft negligence appeal, Bade dissented from certifying a New York duty question because she would have decided the federal preemption issue first.
“I would conclude that the negligence claims raised on appeal are preempted by federal motor vehicle safety standard 114 and would therefore not reach the state law issues.”
Cautions
In a habeas appeal, Bade dissented from equitable tolling because she found the record did not connect counsel’s or prison staff’s conduct to the late filing.
“The record belies this conclusion, and it is factually inaccurate to suggest that the conduct of either Perez’s post-conviction counsel or prison staff caused the late filing.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“adequate legal remedy in this case, we affirm the district court’s order dismissing her claims for restitution.”
“Here, we address content-based restrictions on speech and hold that AB 1687 is facially unconstitutional because it does not survive First Amendment scrutiny. We affirm the district court's grant of summary judgment. AFFIRMED.”
“This appeal requires us to decide whether Section 502(a)(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), 29 U.S.C. Section 1132(a)(3), authorizes an award of attorney's fees incurred during the administrative phase of the ERISA claims process. We hold that Section 1132(a)(3) does not authorize an award of such fees and therefore affirm the judgment of the district court.”
“We affirm in both matters.”
“AFFIRMED.”
“Conviction AFFIRMED; Sentence VACATED and REMANDED for resentencing.”
“We AFFIRM the district court's denial of Dickinson's petition for a writ of habeas corpus.”
“We AFFIRM the district court's order certifying the class, approving the settlement agreement, and awarding attorneys' fees.”
“The district court did not err by entering summary judgment for Defendants. And the district court did not abuse its discretion by denying Plaintiffs' motion for an extension of time. AFFIRMED.”
“We therefore reverse the district court's judgment in favor of the defendants on the United States' claims under Section 6324(a)(2), and remand to the district court with instructions to enter judgment in favor of the government on these claims with any further proceedings necessary to determine the amount of each defendant's liability for the unpaid taxes. REVERSED and REMANDED.”
“Accordingly, we affirm the judgments from the district court dismissing Pinson's and Sands's habeas petitions for lack of jurisdiction. AFFIRMED.”
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