After graduating law school, Estudillo began his legal career at Jeffers, Danielson, Sonn & Aylward in
Wenatchee. From 2002 to 2005, he was an attorney with Scheer and Zehnder in the
Seattle office, where his practice focused on complex
civil litigation. From 2005 to 2015, he was a solo practitioner at Estudillo Law Firm PLLC, where he focused on
immigration law and general
civil litigation. In 2015, he was appointed by
Washington Governor Jay Inslee to serve as a judge for the
Grant County Superior Court from September 1, 2015 until his elevation as a federal judge in 2021, preceded by Evan Sperline and succeeded by Anna Gigliotti.
Federal judicial service On April 29, 2021, President
Joe Biden nominated Estudillo to serve as a
United States district judge for the
United States District Court for the Western District of Washington to the seat vacated by Judge
Ronald B. Leighton, who assumed
senior status on February 28, 2019. On June 9, 2021, a hearing on his nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee. On July 15, 2021, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 15–7 vote. On September 14, 2021, the Senate invoked
cloture on his nomination by a 52–42 vote. Later that day, his nomination was confirmed by a 54–41 vote. He received his judicial commission on October 7, 2021. He was sworn in on October 15, 2021. He became the chief judge on September 3, 2022, succeeding
Ricardo S. Martinez. == See also ==