Jimmy V. Reyna - CONFIRMED

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

On September 29, 2010, President Obama nominated Jimmie V. Reyna, age 58, to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Mr. Reyna currently serves as a partner and director at Williams, Mullin P.C., in Washington, D.C. He is a leading international trade attorney who has significant experience in trade policy, business regulation, and compliance law. If confirmed, Mr. Reyna would become the first Hispanic ever to serve on the Federal Circuit. President Obama has said that Mr. Reyna has "performed with excellence and unwavering integrity" at every step of his career.1

Biography

Mr. Reyna was born in Tucumcari, Mexico on November 11, 1952, while his parents were serving as Baptist missionaries, and he grew up in Clovis, New Mexico. He received his B.A. in 1975 from the University of Rochester, and his J.D. in 1978 from the University of New Mexico. He and his wife Dolores Ramirez moved from New Mexico to Washington D.C. in the mid-1980s in order to care for their autistic son. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children Foundation.

Legal Experience

Mr. Reyna has had a broad range of legal experiences over his career. After graduating from law school, he worked for two years as an associate at Schaffer, Butt, Thornton & Baer in Albuquerque, where he handled insurance defense and subrogation cases. In 1982, he started his own firm, and his practice shifted to handling plaintiffs’ injury, civil rights, domestic relations, and criminal law matters, along with some insurance subrogation work. In 1986, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he joined Stewart & Stewart, a boutique international trade firm, as an associate. He subsequently became a partner in 1993. His work during this time focused on antidumping and countervailing duty cases, trade policy, trade negotiations, and trade in services. In 1998 he joined the D.C. office of Williams Mullen, where he has worked on a variety of major international trade and policy matters.

Professional Activities

Mr. Reyna has a distinguished record of leadership within the legal community. From 2006-2007, he served as President of the Hispanic National Bar Association. He has also held leadership positions on the American Bar Association’s Section of International Law, and has served in the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates. He is the author of two books on international trade law, has edited the Hispanic National Bar Association Journal of Law and Policy, and has published numerous on trade issues. He has also appeared numerous times in the press to discuss either trade issues or issues related to the Hispanic legal community.

Conclusion

The Alliance for Justice commends President Obama for nominating Mr. Reyna to the Federal Circuit. His background indicates that he will be a strong addition to the bench. We look forward to working with the President to ensure that his future nominees are also committed to upholding our nation’s core constitutional values and to ensuring equal justice for all.

» AFJ Report on Jimmy V. Reyna