President Obama Nominates Two to the United States District Court

WASHINGTON- Today, President Obama nominated Thomas Owen Rice and Judge David Ogden Nuffer to United States District Court judgeships.
 
“I am honored to nominate these distinguished individuals to serve on the United States District Court bench,” said President Obama.  “They have both demonstrated an unwavering commitment to justice throughout their careers, and I am confident they will continue to serve the American people with integrity.”
 
Judge David Ogden Nuffer:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Utah
Judge David Ogden Nuffer is a United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Utah, a position he has held on a full-time basis since 2003 and held on a part-time basis from 1995 to 2003.  From 1979 to 2002, he was a named partner at Snow Nuffer (formerly known as Snow, Nuffer, Engstrom, Drake, Wade, and Smart), where his practice focused on civil litigation, real estate development, and representation of local municipalities.  Judge Nuffer served as the President of the Utah State Bar from 2000 to 2001.   He received his J.D. cum laude in 1978 from the J. Reuben Clark Law School and his B.A. cum laude in 1975 from Brigham Young University.  
 
Thomas Owen Rice:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
Thomas Owen Rice serves as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, a position he has held since 1987.  Rice has served as the First Assistant United States Attorney since 2006 and previously was Chief of the Criminal Division from 2003 to 2006 and Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division from 2000 to 2003.  From 1986 to 1987, Rice worked as a Trial Attorney in the Tax Division of the United States Department of Justice.  In 1986, he was a law clerk at the law firm of Delay, Curran, Thompson & Pontarolo.  Rice received his J.D. magna cum laude in 1986 from Gonzaga University School of Law and his B.B.A. in 1983 from Gonzaga University.