Ryan D. Nelson | |
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| Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | |
| Assumed office October 18, 2018 | |
| Appointed by | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | N. Randy Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ryan Douglas Nelson (1973-06-23)June 23, 1973 (age 52) Idaho Falls,Idaho, U.S. |
| Education | Brigham Young University (BA,JD) |
Ryan Douglas Nelson (born June 23, 1973) is aUnited States circuit judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He was previously nominated to become Solicitor of theUnited States Department of the Interior, but was never confirmed.[1][2]
Nelson earned aBachelor of Arts inEnglish literature fromBrigham Young University (BYU) in 1996. He then attended BYU'sJ. Reuben Clark Law School, where he was lead articles editor of theBYU Law Review. During law school, he was alaw clerk for then-Senate Legal Counsel,Thomas B. Griffith, during theimpeachment of President Bill Clinton in 1999 and assisted with preparation for Clinton's impeachment trial.[3] He graduated in 1999 with aJuris Doctor with honors andOrder of the Coif membership.
After law school, Nelson served as a law clerk for JudgeKaren L. Henderson of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and forRichard M. Mosk andCharles N. Brower of theIran–United States Claims Tribunal inThe Hague,Netherlands. Nelson worked as an associate atSidley Austin. He argued 13 federal court of appeals cases on environmental and constitutional issues before becoming a judge.[4]
Nelson previously served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in theEnvironment and Natural Resources Division of theUnited States Department of Justice and as Deputy General Counsel for theOffice of Management and Budget. He also served as special counsel for theUnited States Senate Committee on the Judiciary and as a law clerk for the Senate Legal Counsel.[4]
From 2009 to 2018, Nelson was General Counsel ofMelaleuca, Inc.[4] In July 2017, he was nominated to be Solicitor of theUnited States Department of the Interior. In September 2017, Nelson appeared before theCommittee on Energy and Natural Resources. His nomination was then placed on the Senate Executive Calendar,[5] but it was never confirmed by the full Senate.
On May 10, 2018, PresidentDonald Trump withdrew Nelson's nomination to be Solicitor of the Department of the Interior[6] and announced his intent to instead nominate him to serve as aUnited States circuit judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On May 15, 2018, his nomination was sent to theSenate. Nelson was nominated to the seat vacated by JudgeN. Randy Smith, who subsequently assumedsenior status on August 11, 2018. On July 11, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before theSenate Judiciary Committee.[7] On September 13, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–10 vote.[8] On October 11, 2018, theUnited States Senate confirmed his nomination by a 51–44 vote.[9] He received his judicial commission on October 18, 2018.[10]
In 2025, amiddeployments of National Guard into cities across the United States by the second Donald Trump administration, Nelson questioned whether the judiciary can restrain the president from deploying the National Guard in this manner.[11]
Nelson has been a member of theFederalist Society since 1997.[12] He has served as a council member and co-chair of the General Counsel Committee for theAmerican Bar Association Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice since 2012.[12] Nelson has been a member of the Idaho Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and the Eagle Rock Inns of Court since 2010.[12] He was a member of the Republican National Lawyers Association from 2005 until 2018.[12]
Nelson was born and raised inIdaho Falls, Idaho.[13] Nelson is married to Barbara Baer and they have seven children.[13]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.| Legal offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 2018–present | Incumbent |