As a magistrate judge, Upadhyaya has presided over preliminary and limited matters for cases, including the arraignment in the federal prosecution of Donald Trump related to the 2020 election.
[3][4] After graduating, she clerked for Eric Washington[2] before working as a litigation lawyer and later becoming a partner at Venable LLP.
[2] She was appointed as a magistrate judge on September 7, 2022,[2] and works at the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington D.C.
Since her appointment, she has served as a magistrate judge for several proceedings involving people charged with alleged offences committed during the January 6 United States Capitol attack.
[3] The prosecution of Donald J. Trump on charges related to alleged interference in the 2020 presidential election was assigned to Judge Tanya S. Chutkan before the arraignment, on August 1, 2023.