Meta is the latest tech giant to land in her courtroom. Meet Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, district judge of the US District Court for the Northern District of California, attends a panel discussion at the annual American Bar Association (ABA) Antitrust Spring Meeting in Washington, DC, on April 2, 2025. Drew Angerer | Afp | Getty ImagesIt's been a crazy four months for Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. The judge in the Northern District of California spent late April and much of May in her downtown Oakland courtroom, overseeing the high-profile battle between Elon Musk and Sam Altman. Now, the 61-year-old Gonzalez Rogers is gearing up for week two of a trial that could go a long way in determining the fate of Meta's advertising business, as California Attorney General Rob Bonta leads a coalition of state AGs in litigating what's being hailed as social media's "Big Tobacco moment."In between the two trials, Gonzalez Rogers was named chief judge of the court, 15 years after being nominated to serve there by then-President Barack Obama. She replaced Judge Richard Seeborg, who held the role for five years, and takes over at a time when tech companies are bigger and more powerful than ever and artificial intelligence is driving more high-stakes fights int...