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SALT LAKE CITY — President Donald Trump nominated Howard C. Nielson Jr. on Thursday to serve as a federal judge in Utah.
Nielson, the son of former GOP Utah Congressman Howard C. Nielson, is currently a partner at Cooper & Kirk, a law firm in Washington, D.C. He has worked in the U.S. Department of Justice as counsel to the attorney general and as deputy assistant attorney general. Earlier in his career, he served as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, lauded the president's choice, calling Nielson a "first-rate talent" with broad experience and a commitment to the rule of law.
"He has sterling credentials and a solid reputation in the legal community," the senator said.
Nielson earned an undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University and law degree from the University of Chicago. He has taught constitutional litigation, national security law, foreign relations law and federal courts as a distinguished lecturer at the BYU law school.
Nielson's nomination must be confirmed by the Senate.
