Adrienne Nelson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Adrienne Nelson
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon
Incumbent
Assumed office February 23, 2023
Appointed by	Joe Biden
Preceded by	Michael W. Mosman
Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
In office January 2, 2018 – February 23, 2023
Appointed by	Kate Brown
Preceded by	Jack Landau
Succeeded by	Aruna Masih
Personal details
Born	Adrienne Camille Nelson 1967 (age 57–58) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Education	University of Arkansas (BA) University of Texas at Austin (JD)

Adrienne Camille Nelson (born in 1967) is an American lawyer and judge. She is currently a federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. She started this important job in 2023. Before that, she was a justice on the Oregon Supreme Court from 2018 to 2023. She also served as a judge for the Multnomah County Circuit Court from 2006 to 2018.

Early Life and Education

Adrienne Nelson was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1967. She grew up in the southwestern part of Arkansas. She finished high school at Gurdon High School in Gurdon, Arkansas, in 1985.

When she was in high school, her mother took legal action. This was to make sure Adrienne could be the valedictorian of her class. A valedictorian is the student with the highest grades. Her school had first chosen another student with lower grades.

Nelson went to the University of Arkansas. She graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She studied English literature and criminal justice. She earned very high honors, called summa cum laude. After that, she studied law at the University of Texas School of Law. She earned her law degree, called a Juris Doctor, in 1993.

Legal Career and Community Work

After law school, Nelson moved to Portland, Oregon, in 1993. She wanted to be closer to her mother, who had moved there. For two years, she worked as an analyst for an insurance company.

Then, she became a lawyer in private practice. From 1996 to 1999, she worked as a public defender. This means she helped people who could not afford a lawyer. She worked for Multnomah Defenders Inc., a non-profit law firm. Later, from 1999 to 2004, she worked for a law firm called Bennett, Hartman, Morris & Kaplan LLP.

From 2004 to 2006, Nelson was a senior attorney. She worked for Student Legal and Mediation Services at Portland State University. She also taught law as an adjunct professor at Lewis & Clark Law School from 2002 to 2005.

Nelson has been a member of important legal groups. She was part of the American Bar Association House of Delegates. She also served on the ABA Commission on Disability Rights. She has received awards for her work. In 2003, she got the Oregon Women Lawyers Judge Mercedes Deiz Award. In 2007, she received the Oregon State Bar President's Public Service Award. She has also led the Multnomah Bar Foundation and the Oregon State Bar Foundation Board.

In 2021, a new school in Happy Valley, Oregon, was named after her.

Judicial Service

Serving on the Oregon Circuit Court

In February 2006, Governor Ted Kulongoski chose Adrienne Nelson to be a judge. She became a judge on the Multnomah County Circuit Court. She took the place of Judge Sidney Galton. She was re-elected to this position in 2012 for another six-year term.

Joining the Oregon Supreme Court

In January 2018, Governor Kate Brown appointed Nelson to the Oregon Supreme Court. She replaced Justice Jack Landau, who retired. Nelson's first term on the Supreme Court ended in January 2019. However, she was elected to a full six-year term in November 2018.

Adrienne Nelson made history when she joined the Oregon Supreme Court. She was the first African-American person to serve on this court. She was also the first African-American to serve on any state appellate court in Oregon.

Becoming a United States District Judge

On July 14, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Nelson for a new role. He chose her to be a United States district judge. This position was for the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. She was nominated to fill the seat left by Judge Michael W. Mosman.

Her nomination was reviewed by the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. A hearing was held on October 12, 2022. On December 1, 2022, the committee voted to approve her nomination. On February 14, 2023, the Senate voted to move forward with her nomination. The next day, on February 15, 2023, the Senate confirmed her by a vote of 52 to 46. She officially received her judicial commission on February 23, 2023.

Adrienne Nelson is the first African-American woman to serve on the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.

Important Cases

On December 10, 2024, Judge Nelson made an important decision. She issued an order to stop a planned merger. This merger was between two large grocery companies, Kroger and Albertsons. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wanted to block the merger. They argued that combining the two companies would reduce competition. This means it could hurt consumers by leading to higher prices.

See also

• List of African-American federal judges
• List of African-American jurists
• List of Oregon judges