Idaho U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch Thursday praised the nomination of an Idaho Falls attorney to serve as a judge on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The White House nominated Ryan Nelson to take the seat of Judge Randy Smith, who announced he will take senior status later this year. Crapo, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will consider Nelson’s nomination, cited Nelson’s extensive experience in appellate work, while Risch says Nelson has the necessary tools to serve the 9th Circuit as a sound and principled jurist.
Since 2009, Ryan Nelson has served as general counsel of Idaho Falls-based Melaleuca. Before joining that company, 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 Department of Justice.
Before joining DOJ, Nelson practiced in a Washington, DC, law firm, where he was a member of the firm’s appellate, litigation,
The Senate Judiciary Committee is responsible for scheduling Nelson’s hearing, which has yet to be determined. (Mike Crapo’s office)
