Sidney Runyan Thomas
Encyclopedia
Sidney Runyan Thomas is a federal judge
on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
.
Judge Thomas was interviewed by President Barack Obama
for possible nomination to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens
on the Supreme Court.
. He received his Bachelors degree from Montana State University
in 1975 and his Juris Doctor
with honors from the University of Montana School of Law in 1978. He was appointed as a student member of the state Board of Regents of Higher Education in 1974 and reappointed in 1976.
, Montana
. He became a senior partner at Moulton Bellingham, where he specialized in commercial litigation, as well as government, bankruptcy and media law.
Thomas also served as the standing bankruptcy trustee for all bankruptcy cases filed in the Billings Division of the United States District Court for the District of Montana
from 1978 until 1981, and served as an adjunct instructor in law at Rocky Mountain College
from 1982 to 1995.
nominated Thomas to his current seat on the Ninth Circuit. The United States Senate
confirmed Thomas in a voice vote on January 2, 1996. Thomas's nomination had been briefly held up by then U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns
of Montana, who had wanted the nominations of Thomas and judicial nominee A. Wallace Tashima
delayed until the passage of a bill to split the Ninth Circuit into two.
Judge Thomas authored the opinion in Nadarajah v. Gonzales, a 2006 civil rights case.
Judge Thomas is the 'en banc coordinator' for his highly divisive court, with parliamentarian type duties that can impact the outcome of any case. "I've never known one of his rulings to be challenged," the Ninth Circuit's Chief Judge, Alex Kozinski
, has said. "I think it's a tribute to his evenhandedness that he's been on the job for many years, and nobody wants a different en banc coordinator."
Associate Justice John Paul Stevens
. On April 29, 2010, the Associated Press
reported that President Obama interviewed Judge Thomas at the White House for possible nomination to the vacancy in the Court to be left upon Justice Stevens's upcoming retirement. Thomas also interviewed with Vice President Joe Biden
. President Obama eventually nominated Solicitor General Elena Kagan
.
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
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...
.
Judge Thomas was interviewed by President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
for possible nomination to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from December 19, 1975 until his retirement on June 29, 2010. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest member of the Court and the third-longest serving justice in the Court's history...
on the Supreme Court.
Early life and education
Judge Thomas was born in Bozeman, MontanaBozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
. He received his Bachelors degree from Montana State University
Montana State University - Bozeman
Montana State University – Bozeman is a public university located in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's land-grant university and primary campus in the Montana State University System, which is part of the Montana University System...
in 1975 and his Juris Doctor
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...
with honors from the University of Montana School of Law in 1978. He was appointed as a student member of the state Board of Regents of Higher Education in 1974 and reappointed in 1976.
Professional career
After graduating from law school, Thomas entered private practice at Moulton, Bellingham, Longo & Mather, a law firm in BillingsBillings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. He became a senior partner at Moulton Bellingham, where he specialized in commercial litigation, as well as government, bankruptcy and media law.
Thomas also served as the standing bankruptcy trustee for all bankruptcy cases filed in the Billings Division of the United States District Court for the District of Montana
United States District Court for the District of Montana
The United States District Court for the District of Montana is the United States District Court whose jurisdiction is the state of Montana...
from 1978 until 1981, and served as an adjunct instructor in law at Rocky Mountain College
Rocky Mountain College
Rocky Mountain College , located in Billings, Montana, is a private comprehensive college offering more than 25 liberal arts- and professionally oriented majors. In fall 2009, the college had 894 enrolled students...
from 1982 to 1995.
Ninth Circuit nomination and service
On July 19, 1995, President Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
nominated Thomas to his current seat on the Ninth Circuit. 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...
confirmed Thomas in a voice vote on January 2, 1996. Thomas's nomination had been briefly held up by then U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns
Conrad Burns
Conrad Ray Burns is a former United States Senator from Montana. He is only the second Republican to represent Montana in the Senate since the passage in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.While in...
of Montana, who had wanted the nominations of Thomas and judicial nominee A. Wallace Tashima
A. Wallace Tashima
Atsushi Wallace Tashima is the third Asian American and first Japanese American in the history of the United States to be appointed to a United States Court of Appeals.-Early life:...
delayed until the passage of a bill to split the Ninth Circuit into two.
Judge Thomas authored the opinion in Nadarajah v. Gonzales, a 2006 civil rights case.
Judge Thomas is the 'en banc coordinator' for his highly divisive court, with parliamentarian type duties that can impact the outcome of any case. "I've never known one of his rulings to be challenged," the Ninth Circuit's Chief Judge, Alex Kozinski
Alex Kozinski
Alex Kozinski is Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, an essayist, and a judicial commentator.-Biography:...
, has said. "I think it's a tribute to his evenhandedness that he's been on the job for many years, and nobody wants a different en banc coordinator."
2010 Supreme Court vacancy
Unnamed senior White House officials listed Judge Thomas to be among the approximately 10 individuals considered as a replacement for retiring U.S. Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
Associate Justice John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from December 19, 1975 until his retirement on June 29, 2010. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest member of the Court and the third-longest serving justice in the Court's history...
. On April 29, 2010, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported that President Obama interviewed Judge Thomas at the White House for possible nomination to the vacancy in the Court to be left upon Justice Stevens's upcoming retirement. Thomas also interviewed with Vice President Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
. President Obama eventually nominated Solicitor General Elena Kagan
Elena Kagan
Elena Kagan is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 7, 2010. Kagan is the Court's 112th justice and fourth female justice....
.