| Moxila A. Upadhyaya is an Indo-American magistrate judge appointed on September 7, 2022, for an eight-year term. |
| She gained recognition for presiding over former President Donald Trump's court appearance in Washington DC, where he pleaded not guilty. |
| Moxila's family relocated to Kansas City, Missouri, USA, shortly after her birth. |
| During her JD at American University’s Washington College of Law, she excelled in trial work, client representation, and was part of the Administrative Law Review. |
| She clerked for Chief Judge Eric T. Washington of the DC Court of Appeals for two years post her legal studies. |
| Joining Venable LLP next, she focused on complex commercial and administrative litigation in Washington DC. |
| In 2009, Moxila was honored with the Defender of Innocence Award for overturning a wrongful murder conviction after 19 years through the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project. |
| From 2011-2012, she was the first law clerk for Hon. Robert L. Wilkins when he served as a District Judge in the United States District of Columbia Court. |
| Returning to Venable LLP in 2013, she progressed from an associate to partner, emphasizing pro bono work for indigent clients. |
| Moxila led the Litigation Section Steering Committee of the D.C. Bar and served on the boards of the Access to Justice Foundation and Council for Court Excellence. |
| Appointed in 2021, she sits on the US District Court Committee on Grievances until December 31, 2023. |
| Moxila is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, District of Columbia Bar, and Maryland State Bar Association, and mentors with the Abramson Scholarship Foundation. |
