{ "id": "ep2zn85gv9", "slug": "william-f-nielsen", "title": "William F. Nielsen", "updated": "2026-10-25", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law" }, { "id": "society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3", "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-n-to-p", "label": "Surnames N to P", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-n-to-p" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-n-to-p", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Surnames N to P", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-n-to-p", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-n-to-p", "label": "Surnames N to P", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-n-to-p" } ] } ], "excerpt": "William F. Nielsen, or William Fremming Nielsen, is an American jurist on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, appointed in 1991.", "snippet": "William F. Nielsen, or William Fremming Nielsen, is an American jurist on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, appointed in 1991.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-n-to-p", "markdown": "# William F. Nielsen\n\nWilliam Fremming Nielsen (born 1934) is an American jurist He assumed inactive senior status (semi-retired federal judgeship allowing reduced caseload) on May 30, 2003, and no longer actively serves on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736) He was appointed by President George H. W. Bush in 1991. [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736) He served as chief judge of the court from 1995 to 2000. [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n| --- | --- |\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736) |\n| Appointed by | George H.W. Bush [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736) |\n| Confirmed | May 9, 1991 (voice vote) [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736) |\n| Senior status | May 30, 2003 [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736) |\n| Born | 1934, Seattle, Washington [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736) |\n| Education | B.A., University of Washington, 1956; LL.B., University of Washington School of Law, 1962 [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nNielsen was born in 1934 in Seattle, Washington. [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736) He earned a [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) degree from the University of Washington in 1956 and a [Bachelor of Laws](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-laws) degree from the University of Washington School of Law in 1962. [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736)\n\n## Legal career\n\nNielsen served in the [United States Air Force](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-air-force) as a first lieutenant from 1956 to 1959. [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736) After law school, he clerked for Judge Charles L. Powell of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington from 1963 to 1964. [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736) He then engaged in private practice in [Spokane, Washington](https://www.edgepedia.org/spokane-washington), from 1964 until his appointment to the federal bench in 1991. [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident George H.W. Bush nominated Nielsen to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington on March 21, 1991. [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736) The Senate confirmed him by voice vote on May 9, 1991, and he received his commission on May 14, 1991. [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736) He served as chief judge of the district from 1995 to 2000. [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736) He assumed senior status on May 30, 2003. [1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736)\n\n## Notable cases\n\nNielsen authored 22 published opinions for the Eastern District of Washington between 1992 and 2007, according to a compilation of published opinions in the CourtListener corpus. [2](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/william-nielsen) His most-cited opinion in that compilation was *Auvil v. CBS*, which drew 42 inbound citations across the corpus. [2](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/william-nielsen)\n\nThe same compilation reports that 50 of Nielsen's decisions were reviewed on the merits by the [United States courts of appeals](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-courts-of-appeals), of which 40 were affirmed, 8 were reversed or vacated, and 2 were affirmed in part and reversed in part. [2](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/william-nielsen) The compilation notes that this is a historical count of appellate outcomes for cases it could match, not a judgment of the judge and not a complete record. [2](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/william-nielsen)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges, Federal Judicial Center](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1385736)\n2. [William Fremming Nielsen, JudicialFinder](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/william-nielsen)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States district court judges › Surnames N to P*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Sep 29, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/william-f-nielsen", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/william-f-nielsen.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"William F. Nielsen\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/william-f-nielsen. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[William F. Nielsen](https://www.edgepedia.org/william-f-nielsen)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/william-f-nielsen](https://www.edgepedia.org/william-f-nielsen). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"William F. Nielsen\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/william-f-nielsen. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "William F. Nielsen, or William Fremming Nielsen, is an American jurist on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, appointed in 1991." }