Sidney R. Thomas
| Sidney Runyan Thomas | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | |
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Assumed office December 1, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Alex Kozinski |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | |
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Assumed office January 4, 1996 |
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| Appointed by | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Dorothy Wright Nelson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Sidney Runyan Thomas August 14, 1953 Bozeman, Montana |
| Education |
Montana State University – Bozeman (B.A.) University of Montana School of Law (J.D.) |
Sidney Runyan Thomas (born August 14, 1953) is Chief United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. His chambers are located in Billings, Montana.
Thomas was born in Bozeman, Montana. He received his Bachelor of Arts 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.
After graduating from law school, Thomas entered private practice at Moulton, Bellingham, Longo & Mather, a law firm in Billings. He became a senior partner at there, 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 to 1981 and served as an adjunct instructor in law at Rocky Mountain College from 1982 to 1995.
On July 19, 1995, President Bill Clinton nominated Thomas to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated by Judge Dorothy Wright Nelson. The United States Senate confirmed Thomas in a voice vote on January 2, 1996. Thomas's nomination had been briefly held up by Senator Conrad Burns of Montana, who wanted the nominations of Thomas and A. Wallace Tashima delayed until the passage of a bill to split the Ninth Circuit into two circuits. He received his commission on January 4, 1996. He has served as Chief Judge since December 1, 2014, succeeding Judge Alex Kozinski.
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