William Curtis Bryson

Who is William Curtis Bryson?

William Curtis Bryson is a Senior United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He is also serving a 7-year term as a judge on the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, until 2018, and on September 1, 2013, became the presiding judge of that court.

Born in Houston, Texas, Bryson received his A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1969 and his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1973. After graduating from law school, Bryson clerked for Judge Henry J. Friendly at the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Following his clerkship with Judge Friendly, he clerked for Justice Thurgood Marshall at the United States Supreme Court.

At the Department of Justice he served successively as Assistant to the United States Solicitor General, from 1978 to 1979; Chief, Appellate Section of the Criminal Division, from 1979 to 1982; Special Counsel, Organized Crime and Racketeering Section in the Criminal Division from 1982 to 1986; Deputy U.S. solicitor general, from 1986 to 1994; and Deputy associate U.S. attorney general in 1994.

On June 22, 1994, Bryson was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit vacated by Howard Thomas Markey. Bryson was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 28, 1994, and received his commission the following day. Bryson took senior status on January 7, 2013.