Life on the Bench

Abstract

This chapter covers Dorothy Wright Nelson’s transition to the federal bench. A proponent of merit selection, she worked with national leaders to open the doors for more women and minorities to become federal judges before President Carter appointed her as one of the early female federal appellate judges in the United States. She relished the opportunity to employ her ideas about court reform and alternatives to litigation at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She won awards for her progress in making mediation and other alternatives available in the federal courts. She improved efficiencies within the Ninth Circuit, helping to reduce a significant backlog of cases. She became a leader among the judges, building community within the Ninth Circuit because of the way she treated judges, lawyers, law clerks, and civil servants and the opportunities she brought them.