The U.S. Senate today confirmed the nomination of Adrienne C. Nelson, an associate justice on the Oregon Supreme Court, to serve as a federal district court judge.
The 52 to 46 vote was bipartisan, though just barely, with Democrats voting to confirm Nelson and Republicans largely voting in opposition. President Joe Biden nominated Nelson last summer.
Nelson is the first Black woman jurist in Oregon to become a federal judge.
In remarks on the Senate floor yesterday, Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden said Nelson was valedictorian of her Arkansas high school, but was not recognized because of the color of her skin.
“The lawsuit that followed in her name ensured that no student could be denied any accomplishment based on their race," said Wyden. "And that victory activated a lifelong legal mind and civil rights champion.”
“I approach each case with an open mind and treat everyone fairly, impartially, because to the litigants their case is the most important case in the world,” Nelson told the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee during a hearing last October. “I try to communicate all decisions clearly, so that they can be understood. And if I’m so fortunate to be confirmed, I would continue to do that.”
Nelson’s departure from the Oregon Supreme Court gives Governor Tina Kotek the opportunity to name her first appointment to the state’s highest court.
While justices and judges are elected in Oregon, they typically begin their term with a gubernatorial appointment.
Prior to being named to the Oregon Supreme Court in 2018 by then Gov. Kate Brown, Nelson spent more than a decade as a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge. She also worked in private practice and as a public defender for Multnomah Defenders Inc., one of two nonprofit public defense firms in Portland.
This week, the U.S. Senate confirmed Biden’s 100th judicial nominee, something Democrats see as key to rebalancing the judiciary after President Donald Trump’s more than 200 appointments to federal courts including three justices to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Through a spokesperson, Nelson declined to comment following Wednesday’s vote.
Copyright 2023 Oregon Public Broadcasting
KLCC's Karen Richards contributed to this story.