Hawkins was nominated by President Bill Clinton on July 13, 1994, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated by Judge Thomas Tang.
hˈɔːkɪnz wʌz nˈɑːmᵻnˌeɪɾᵻd baɪ pɹˈɛzɪdənt bˈɪl klˈɪntən ˌɔn dʒuːlˈaɪ θˈɜːtiːn, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti fˈoːɹ, tʊ ɐ sˈiːt ɔnðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts kˈoːɹt ʌv ɐpˈiːlz fɚðə nˈaɪnθ sˈɜːkɪt vˈeɪkeɪɾᵻd baɪ dʒˈʌdʒ tˈɑːməs tˈæŋ.