PAAIA Congratulates Ashley Tabaddor on Her Appointment to the Los Angeles Superior Court
Washington, D.C. – The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) congratulates Afsaneh Ashley Tabaddor on her appointment as a Judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Judge Tabaddor brings to the role more than two decades of legal and public service experience across multiple branches of government. She most recently served as a Law Professor at Southwestern Law School and an Independent Policy Consultant. From 2021 to 2025, she held the position of Chief Counsel at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within the Department of Homeland Security, where she led the agency’s legal program and advised on national immigration policy.
Prior to that, Judge Tabaddor served for over 15 years as an Immigration Judge at the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, including serving in leadership roles on juvenile and mental competency dockets. She also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California and as both a Trial Attorney and Attorney Advisor at the U.S. Department of Justice earlier in her career.
A graduate of the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, Judge Tabaddor has been recognized for her leadership on issues of judicial independence, access to justice, and public integrity.
Judge Tabaddor has also been an active member of the Iranian American community. She previously served on the Board of Advisors for the Iranian American Bar Association (IABA) and has supported mentorship programs through PAAIA. In 2015, PAAIA publicly supported her legal challenge defending the impartiality of the judiciary — a matter that highlighted her steadfast commitment to fairness and the rule of law.
PAAIA congratulates Judge Tabaddor on this well-earned appointment and commends her exemplary record of service. Her continued contributions to the judiciary are a source of pride for the Iranian American community and reflect the growing impact of Iranian Americans in public life.
