Biography

Born in San Pedro, California, Nelson received an A.B.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 from the University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, Los Angeles

The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...

 in 1950, a J.D.

Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

 from University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law

UCLA School of Law

The UCLA School of Law is the law school of the University of California, Los Angeles. It has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1950. It joined the Association of American Law Schools in 1952.- History :...

 in 1953, and an LL.M. from the University of Southern California Law School

University of Southern California Law School

The University of Southern California Law School , located in Los Angeles, California, is a law school within the University of Southern California...

 in 1956. She was a Research associate fellow, University of Southern California Law School from 1953 to 1956. She was in private practice in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

 from 1954 to 1957. She was a member of the faculty of University of Southern California Law School from 1957 to 1980. She was an Instructor from 1957 to 1958. She was an Assistant professor from 1958 to 1961. She was an Associate professor from 1961 to 1967. She was an Associate dean from 1965 to 1967. She was an Interim dean from 1967 to 1969. She was a Professor from 1967 to 1980. She was a Dean from 1969 to 1980. She was an Adjunct professor of law, University of Southern California Law School from 1980 to the present.

Federal Court

Nelson is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...

. Nelson was nominated by President Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...

 on September 28, 1979, to a new seat created by 92 Stat. 1629. She was confirmed by the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 on December 19, 1979, and received her commission on December 20, 1979. She assumed senior status

Senior status

Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...

 on January 1, 1995.

Personal life

She is an active member of the Baha'i faith

Bahá'í Faith

The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....

 and served in the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of United States for many years.

She started and popularized mediation in US courts.

Sources