Betty Binns Fletcher

Betty Binns Fletcher (born 1923) is an American lawyer and judge. She has served as a federal judge on the San Francisco-based United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit since 1979.

Early life and education

Fletcher was born in Tacoma, Washington. She attended Stanford University and graduated at the age of 19 in 1942, having completed one year of her law degree in addition to her bachelor's degree. More than a decade later, she resumed her law education at the University of Washington School of Law, where she finished among the top of her class in 1956.

Private practice

As a practicing lawyer, Fletcher earned a reputation for pragmatism and brilliance. When she was made a partner at Preston Gates & Ellis (now Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis) she became the first woman to become a partner at a major Pacific Northwest law firm. Fletcher's clients included former Supreme Court Associate Justice William O. Douglas. She was instrumental in expanding the firm's presence in Asia.

Fletcher is an active member of the Washington State Bar Association and served as chair of the King County Bar Association in Seattle. She was instrumental in lowering barriers to women and other minorities in the practice of law in the state.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Fletcher was nominated by President Jimmy Carter on July 12, 1979, to a new seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She was confirmed by the Senate on September 26, 1979.

On the bench, Fletcher has written opinions in areas such as employment discrimination, environmental law, Indian law, water rights, and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Fletcher took senior status in 1998 after her son William A. Fletcher joined the Ninth Circuit bench.