David Sutherland Nelson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Sutherland Nelson
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| Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts | |
| In office September 27, 1991 – October 21, 1998 |
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| Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts | |
| In office March 23, 1979 – September 27, 1991 |
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| Appointed by | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Seat established by 92 Stat. 1629 |
| Succeeded by | Reginald C. Lindsay |
| Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court | |
| In office 1973–1979 |
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| Appointed by | Francis Sargent |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Sutherland Nelson
December 2, 1933 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Died | October 21, 1998 (aged 64) Framingham, Massachusetts |
| Education | Boston College (BS, JD) |
David Sutherland Nelson (December 2, 1933 – October 21, 1998) was an important United States federal judge. He served on the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. This court handles cases that involve federal laws.
Contents
Early Life and Education
David S. Nelson was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He went to Boston College and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1957. Later, he studied law at Boston College Law School. He received his law degree (called a Juris Doctor) in 1960.
A Career in Law and Teaching
After finishing law school, Nelson worked as a private lawyer in Boston. He did this from 1960 to 1973. He also enjoyed teaching. He was a professor at Boston University School of Public Communications. He taught there from 1966 to 1973.
He also taught law at two famous universities. He was an instructor at Harvard Law School from 1969 to 1980. He also taught trial advocacy at the Boston University School of Law from 1973 to 1992. Trial advocacy is about how to argue cases in court.
Protecting Consumers and Serving the State
From 1971 to 1973, Nelson worked for the state of Massachusetts. He was the Chief of the Consumer Protection Division. This job meant he helped protect people from unfair business practices. He made sure businesses treated customers fairly.
After that, he became a judge for the state. He served as a justice on the Massachusetts Superior Court from 1973 to 1979. This court handles many different types of cases in Massachusetts.
Becoming a Federal Judge
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter chose David S. Nelson for a very important job. He nominated him to be a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The United States Senate approved his nomination. He officially became a federal judge on March 23, 1979.
A Historic Appointment
This appointment was very special. David S. Nelson was the first African American person to become a federal judge in Massachusetts. This was a big step forward for justice and equality.
He served as a federal judge until 1991. At that time, he took on "senior status" because of a health issue. A senior judge still works but has a reduced workload. He continued to serve in this role until he passed away on October 21, 1998, in Framingham, Massachusetts.
