--- title: "Ryan Douglas Nelson | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ryan-douglas-nelson" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Ryan Douglas Nelson U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit · U.S. Circuit Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit - State: National federal courts - Role: U.S. Circuit Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 2018-present - In April 2026, Judge Nelson was charged with misdemeanor battery and malicious injury to property in Idaho’s 7th Judicial District Court after an alleged incident in a parking lot in Idaho Falls. - Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, appointed by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate in October 2018 - Deputy general counsel, Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President, 2008-2009 - Deputy assistant attorney general, Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 2006-2008 - Law clerk, Hon. Charles N. Brower and Richard M. Mosk, Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal, The Hague, 2000-2001 - Law Clerk, Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, 1999-2000 - Early legal work: Law clerk to Judge Karen L. Henderson (D.C. Circuit) and to Richard M. Mosk & Charles N. Brower of the Iran–United States Claims Tribunal Associate at Sidley Austin LLP, Washington, D.C., arguing federal appellate cases ### Education - Brigham Young University-Provo — J.D. (1999) - B.A. in English Literature, Brigham Young University (1996) J.D., Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School (1999) - Brigham Young University-Provo — B.A. (1996) ### Additional information - Special counsel, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 2009-present - As of 2026, Nelson has authored and participated in numerous Ninth Circuit cases, including United States v. - 23, 2026) and Todd Yukutake v. - Nominated May 15, 2018, to replace N. Randy Smith; confirmed Oct. - 11, 2018, by a 51–44 Senate vote; commissioned Oct. - general counsel emeritus, 2017-2018 - assistant secretary, 2013-2018 - Melaleuca, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID, 2009-2018 - Private sector: General Counsel of Melaleuca, Inc. (2009–2018) - general counsel, 2009-2017 - Government service: Deputy Assistant Attorney General, DOJ Environment & Natural Resources Division (2006–2008) Deputy General Counsel, Office of Management and Budget (2008–2009) Special Counsel, Senate Judiciary Committee (2009) - Private practice, Washington, D.C., 2001-2006 - Born: June 23, 1973, in Idaho Falls, Idaho - Date of birth: 1973-01-01 - Idaho Falls High School - Birth place: Idaho Falls, ID ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### appellate oral argument Scope: courtwide In federal courts of appeals, oral argument is allowed unless a three-judge panel unanimously finds one of Rule 34's specified grounds for dispensing with it; the clerk provides the date, time, place, and time allocation. Evidence excerpt: Oral argument must be allowed in every case unless a panel of three judges who have examined the briefs and record unanimously agrees that oral argument is unnecessary [Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-appellate-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/5373051) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/5373051) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/5373051) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/8609/ryan-douglas-nelson/) - [Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-appellate-procedure) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/8609/ryan-douglas-nelson/) - [Wikidata: Ryan Douglas Nelson](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q38287210) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ryan-douglas-nelson", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ryan-douglas-nelson", "name": "Ryan Douglas Nelson | KnowJudges", "description": "Ryan Douglas Nelson, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. 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