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Larry A. Burns

Experience

326 federal jury trials. The cases San Diego still talks about.

Public corruption, cartel RICO, class actions, a national receivership, and a special assignment from the Ninth Circuit.

Selected matters

Public corruption — U.S. v. Cunningham

Presided over the bribery prosecution of then-Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham, among the highest-profile federal cases in San Diego history, and sentenced him to more than eight years in prison.

Arellano Félix cartel prosecutions

Oversaw the RICO cases that largely dismantled Tijuana’s Arellano Félix organization, including the life sentence of Francisco Javier Arellano Félix.

Tucson shooting — special assignment

Selected by the Ninth Circuit to preside when the entire Arizona federal bench recused itself after the 2011 attack that wounded Rep. Gabby Giffords and killed six, including Chief Judge John Roll.

Receivership of a major Ponzi scheme

Supervised the receivership of San Diego’s largest Ponzi scheme. Investors ultimately recouped more than 95% of their investments.

Mount Soledad Cross litigation

Presided over the long-running First Amendment litigation concerning the Mount Soledad veterans’ memorial.

National tobacco & antitrust dockets

Tried complex civil matters including national tobacco litigation against R.J. Reynolds and precedential antitrust cases applying Bell Atlantic v. Twombly.

Matters listed are a matter of public record from Judge Burns’s judicial service. They are offered to illustrate the range of his docket, not as a prediction of result in any private proceeding.

United States Courthouse, San Diego

Visiting judge

Tried cases across the country. Sat by designation on the Ninth Circuit.

Throughout his judicial career he served as a visiting trial judge in civil and criminal cases nationwide, and authored eight reported appellate decisions while sitting with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

  • New York City
  • Tampa
  • Jacksonville
  • Phoenix
  • Tucson
  • Boise
  • Coeur d’Alene
  • Salt Lake City
  • Guam

Honors & publications

Recognition from both sides of the bar.

Co-author of the Ninth Circuit Criminal Handbook (LexisNexis), a digest of federal criminal law and procedure now in its 14th edition.

  1. Justice Antonin Scalia Award for Excellence on the Bench, Federalist Society, San Diego Lawyers Chapter (2025)
  2. Outstanding Jurist Award, San Diego County Bar Association (2022)
  3. Exemplary Service Award, Federal Bar Association, San Diego Chapter (2022)
  4. Dedicated Service Award, Federal Bar Association, San Diego Chapter (2021)
  5. Distinguished Alumni Award, University of San Diego School of Law (2019)
  6. Judicial Service Award, Thomas Jefferson School of Law Alumni Association (2016)
  7. Distinguished Achievement Award, Point Loma Nazarene University (2006)
  8. Judge of the Year, San Diego Consumer Trial Lawyers (2002)
  9. Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers (inducted 1997)
  10. Advocate, American Board of Trial Advocates (inducted 2002)
  11. Director’s Award for Superior Performance, U.S. Department of Justice (1991)
  12. Outstanding Assistance to Crime Victims, National Award, U.S. Department of Justice (1990, 1992)
“The clocks stopped when Larry Burns stood to deliver his closing arguments.”

A fellow prosecutor · Recalled by Chief Judge Sabraw

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