Senate Confirms Ryan Nelson of Idaho Falls to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Senate this evening voted to confirm Ryan Nelson of Idaho Falls to serve as a judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  

“Ryan has been widely recognized by his colleagues for his judgement and legal expertise and will serve our nation well on the Ninth Circuit,” said Crapo, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  “In his new position, Ryan will respect and be a servant of the law.  He understands that a judge is responsible for interpreting and applying the Constitution and laws of the land as they are written, and not to be a maker of laws from the bench.  I congratulate Ryan on his confirmation.” 

“Throughout his diverse legal career, Ryan Nelson developed the necessary tools to serve the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals as a sound and principled jurist,” said Risch.  “A native Idahoan, Ryan will bring a valuable perspective to the Court—upholding our way of life, respecting the rule of law, and rejecting judicial activism. I want to congratulate Ryan Nelson on his confirmation.” 

Since 2009, Ryan Nelson has served as general counsel of Idaho Falls-based Melaleuca, Inc. Before joining Melaleuca, Mr. Nelson served in the Federal government as Special Counsel for Supreme Court nominations to the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee; as Deputy General Counsel to the White House Office of Management and Budget; and as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). At DOJ, Mr. Nelson argued 13 cases in the U.S. Courts of Appeals and was division counsel for 50 briefs filed in the Supreme Court. Before joining DOJ, Mr. Nelson practiced in the Washington, DC, office of Sidley Austin LLP, where he was a member of the firm’s appellate, litigation, products liability, and religious liberties practice groups. Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Nelson served as a law clerk to Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and to Judges Charles Brower and Richard Mosk of the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal at The Hague. Mr. Nelson earned his B.A. from Brigham Young University and his J.D., with honors, from BYU Law School, where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif and served as a lead articles editor of the BYU Law Review.

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