Susan Richard Nelson

From Judgepedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Susan Richard Nelson
Placeholder image.png
Do you have a photo that could go here? Submit it for this profile by emailing us!
Current Court Information:
United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
Title:   Judge
Position:   Seat #7
Service:
Appointed by:   Barack Obama
Active:   12/21/2010 - Present
Preceded by:   James Rosenbaum
Past post:   Magistrate Judge
Past term:   2000 - 2010
Personal History
Born:   1952
Home State:   Buffalo, NY
Bachelors:   Oberlin College, B.A., 1974
Law School:   U. of Pittsburgh School of Law, J.D., 1978

Contents

Susan Richard Nelson (b. 1952) is a federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. She was nominated to the court by Barack Obama.

Early life and education

Judge Nelson was born in 1952. She received her undergraduate degree from Oberlin College in 1974 and her J.D. degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1978. She is married to Tom Nelson and they have two sons. [1]

Professional career

Nelson was a federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. [2] She joined the court in 2000 and was reappointed on June 1, 2008. [3] She served in this position from June of 2000 until her confirmation to the federal bench. [4][5]

Nelson was an associate attorney from 1978 to 1980 with the firm of Reed, Smith, Shaw & McClay in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and from 1980 to 1983 with the firm Tyler, Cooper & Alcorn in New Haven, Connecticut. [6] In 1984, Judge Nelson joined the law firm Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. She became a partner in 1988 and worked in this capacity until her appointment as a magistrate for the District of Minnesota in 2000. [1]

Judicial career

District of Minnesota

Nelson was recommended to President Obama for a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota by U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar on November 3, 2009. [4] On April 21, 2010, Obama nominated Nelson to the court for the seat vacated by James Rosenbaum. [7] Nelson's nomination was confirmed by the Senate on December 17, 2010. [5]

Klobuchar said of the nomination: "I was honored to recommend Susan Richard Nelson to President Obama based on her unique depth and breadth of legal experience, and I’m pleased that the President officially nominated her today. Susan Richard Nelson has the integrity, intellect, and temperament to be an excellent federal judge. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I will work hard to ensure her swift confirmation." [8]

Nelson was unanimously rated "Well Qualified" by the American Bar Association. [9]

Judiciary Committee hearing

Nelson's Public Questionnaire Available Here
Questions for the Record Available Here

Nelson had a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 13, 2010. She was introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar, who said she "has the judicial temperament, personal integrity, and keen legal mind that are absolute prerequisites for excellent judges". [10] Nelson was reported by committee on June 10, 2010 and confirmed by the Senate on December 17, 2010. Nelson then received commission on December 22. [9][5]

Notable cases

Retired NFL players suit against NFLPA

  United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
     *Eller v. National Football Association Player Association Civil No. 11-2623 (SRN/JJG).
Minnesota: Retired NFL players have filed with the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to appeal the decision of US District Judge Susan Richard Nelson to dismiss their suit against the NFL Players Association. The original suit was dismissed by Judge Nelson on May 29 in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.[11]


The group is led by Hall of Fame defensive end Carl Eller, and claim that retired players lost money during last summer’s collective bargaining negotiations between the NFLPA and team owners.[12] Eller claims that the retirees were shoved out of the negotiation process to streamline the talks.[11]

Judge Nelson dismissed the original suit, ruling that the retired players had no legal right to the hundreds of millions of dollars in additional post-career benefits they claimed to have lost due to the lockout negotiations the previous year. In the decision, Judge Nelson wrote that she accepted the factual basis of the retirees’ claims, but disagreed that the current players had acted illegally during the negotiations.[13]


See also

External links

References

Federal judicial offices
Preceded by:
James Rosenbaum
District of Minnesota
2010–Current
Seat #7
Succeeded by:
NA


MinnesotaMinnesota Supreme CourtMinnesota Court of AppealsMinnesota District CourtsMinnesota Problem-Solving CourtsMinnesota Tax CourtMinnesota Workers' Compensation Court of AppealsUnited States District Court for the District of MinnesotaUnited States bankruptcy court, District of MinnesotaUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth CircuitMinnesota countiesMinnesota judicial newsMinnesota judicial electionsJudicial selection in MinnesotaMinnesotaTemplate.jpg
Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Encyclopedia:
Get involved:
Donate
Toolbox