Education
Fisher attended University High School, earned his Bachelor of Arts at the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1961, and his law degree from Stanford Law School in 1966, where he was president of the Stanford Law Review.
Fisher attended University High School, earned his Bachelor of Arts at the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1961, and his law degree from Stanford Law School in 1966, where he was president of the Stanford Law Review.
One of his professors at Stanford was Joseph Tyree Sneed, who would later be one of Fisher"s colleagues on the Ninth Circuit. He clerked for Judge J. Skelly Wright of the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals from 1966 to 1967. He then clerked for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court William J. Brennan from 1967 to 1968.
Fisher was in private practice from 1968 to 1997 in Los Angeles, California. He also served as a special assistant to California Governor Jerry Brown in 1975.
Fisher then served as President of the Los Angeles Police Commission from 1995 to 1997 and Associate Attorney General from 1997 to 1999. Fisher was nominated by Bill Clinton for the seat vacated by David R. Thompson on the Ninth Circuit on March 15, 1999.
He was confirmed by the United States. Senate in a 69-29 vote on October 5, 1999 and received his commission on October 12, 1999. He took senior status on April 1, 2013.
He was a member of the Los Angeles City Civil Service Commission from 1984 to 1989 and was Deputy General Counsel to the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department in 1990.