Helen W. Nies
Encyclopedia
Helen Wilson Nies was chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
from 1990 to 1994. President Jimmy Carter
named Judge Nies to the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals
(CCPA) in 1980, and she transferred to the Federal Circuit when that court succeeded in October 1982 to the jurisdiction of the CCPA.
A native of Birmingham, Alabama
, she graduated from the University of Michigan
in 1945 and from University of Michigan Law School
in 1948, where she was awarded Order of the Coif
. She moved to Washington that year to work at the Justice Department
and she later was a counsel in the Office of Price Stabilization. Before her court appointment, she was a partner in a Washington D.C. law firm where she specialized in trademark law. She died on her 71st birthday of head injuries
sustained in a bicycle accident at Henlopen Acres, Delaware
.
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
-Vacancies and pending nominations:-List of former judges:-Chief judges:Notwithstanding the foregoing, when the court was initially created, Congress had to resolve which chief judge of the predecessor courts would become the first chief judge...
from 1990 to 1994. 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...
named Judge Nies to the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals
United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals
The United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals is a former United States federal court which existed from 1909 to 1982 and had jurisdiction over certain types of civil disputes.-History:...
(CCPA) in 1980, and she transferred to the Federal Circuit when that court succeeded in October 1982 to the jurisdiction of the CCPA.
A native of Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, she graduated from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1945 and from University of Michigan Law School
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
in 1948, where she was awarded Order of the Coif
Order of the Coif
The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. A student at an American law school who earns a Juris Doctor degree and graduates in the top 10 percent of his or her class is eligible for membership if the student's law school has a chapter of the...
. She moved to Washington that year to work at the Justice Department
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
and she later was a counsel in the Office of Price Stabilization. Before her court appointment, she was a partner in a Washington D.C. law firm where she specialized in trademark law. She died on her 71st birthday of head injuries
Head injury
Head injury refers to trauma of the head. This may or may not include injury to the brain. However, the terms traumatic brain injury and head injury are often used interchangeably in medical literature....
sustained in a bicycle accident at Henlopen Acres, Delaware
Henlopen Acres, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 139 people, 69 households, and 42 families residing in the town. The population density was 544.2 people per square mile . There were 198 housing units at an average density of 775.2 per square mile...
.