Judicial Nominations - William G. Myers III (Text Only)

William G. Myers III

Nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Nomination Returned December 11, 2006

Former Solicitor of the Interior William G. Myers III of Idaho is a highly respected attorney who has extensive experience in the fields of natural resources, public lands, and environmental law. His nomination enjoys widespread support from across the ideological and political spectrum.

Mr. Myers has been nominated to the Ninth Circuit, which covers the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, as well as Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Mr. Myers has had a distinguished career as a public servant and practicing attorney.

From July 2001 to October 2003, Mr. Myers served as Solicitor of the Interior, the chief legal officer and third-ranking official at the Department of the Interior. In that capacity, he supervised over 300 attorneys in 19 offices located across the country, managed a $47 million annual budget, and provided advice and counsel to the Secretary of the Interior as well as departmental offices and bureaus. He was confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as Solicitor of the Interior by unanimous consent.
Before coming to the Department of the Interior, Mr. Myers practiced at one of the most respected law firms in the Rocky Mountain region, where he participated in an extensive array of federal litigation involving public lands and natural resources issues.
From 1992 to 1993, Mr. Myers served in the Department of Energy as the Deputy General Counsel for Programs, where he was the Department's principal legal adviser on matters pertaining to international energy, government contracting, civilian nuclear programs, power marketing, and intervention in state regulatory proceedings.
Mr. Myers served as an Assistant to the Attorney General of the United States from 1989 to 1992. In this capacity, he prepared the Attorney General for his responsibilities as chairman of the President's Domestic Policy Council.
Before entering the Justice Department, Mr. Myers served for over four years as Legislative Counsel for Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming, where he was Senator Simpson's principal adviser on public land issues.

Mr. Myers is a nationally recognized expert in natural resources and public lands law.

Mr. Myers served as Vice-Chairman of the Public Lands and Land Use Committee of the American Bar Association Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources.
In his home state, Mr. Myers has chaired the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioner's Federal Lands Task Force Working Group and the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce's State Affairs and Natural Resources Subcommittee.

Mr. Myers is an avid outdoorsman and a committed conservationist.

For the last fifteen years, Mr. Myers has served as a volunteer for the National Park Service. Over that span, he has logged at least 180 days of volunteer service in numerous national parks, performing trail work, campsite cleaning, visitor assistance, and park patrols. Mr. Myers volunteered 7 days in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, where he worked on trail rehabilitation, tore down and packed out an illegal hunting camp, and conducted backcountry patrol.
Mr. Myers began camping and fishing as a child and became an Eagle Scout at age 15.

Mr. Myers has widespread support from across the ideological and political spectrum.

Former Democratic Idaho Governor Cecil Andrus, who also served as Secretary of the Interior in the Carter Administration, supports Mr. Myers; he says that Mr. Myers possesses "the necessary personal integrity, judicial temperament, and legal experience" as well as "the ability to act fairly on matters of law that will come before him on the court."
Former Democratic Wyoming Governor Mike Sullivan, who also served as United States Ambassador to Ireland in the Clinton Administration, endorses Mr. Myers. He calls Mr. Myers "a thoughtful, well-grounded attorney who has reflected by his career achievements a commitment to excellence" and says that Mr. Myers "would provide serious, responsible, and intellectual consideration to each matter before him as an appellate judge and would not be prone to extreme or ideological positions unattached to legal precedents or the merits of a given matter."
Mr. Myers is backed by every member of Idaho's congressional delegation. In particular, Congressman Mike Simpson and Congressman C.L. "Butch" Otter write: "Without a doubt, Bill would make an outstanding Judge on the Ninth Circuit."
In 2004, Mr. Myers was endorsed by fifteen state Attorneys General, including current United States Senator Ken Salazar of Colorado as well as the Democratic Attorneys General of Oklahoma and Wyoming. These chief law enforcement officers stated that Mr. Myers "would bring to the Ninth Circuit strong intellectual skills, combined with a strong sense of civility, decency, and respect for all."
Two former Attorneys General of the United States support Mr. Myers. Former Attorney General William P. Barr states that Mr. Myers "represents the epitome of judicial temperament" and "would make a great judge," while former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh calls Mr. Myers "exceptionally well qualified to serve as a member of the Federal Judiciary."
In 2004, the Governors of Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada, five states in the Ninth Circuit, strongly backed Mr. Myers, writing that he had the "temperament and the judicial instincts to serve well on the Ninth Circuit."
Mr. Myers is supported by numerous Native American leaders, including the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tulalip Tribes, the Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, and the Chairman of the Quapaw Tribe. In its endorsement of Mr. Myers, the Board of Directors of the Tulalip Tribes specifically noted that Mr. Myers "has a balanced record" and was "experienced and knowledgeable in Federal Indian law."

STATEMENTS BY SELECT SUPPORTERS OF WILLIAM G. MYERS III

The Honorable Alan K. Simpson, Former United States Senator from Wyoming.

"I have observed Bill closely for nearly 20 years. I can wholeheartedly vouch for his legal competence and his integrity. He has not yet had an opportunity to serve as a member of the judiciary. However, based on my observations of him as an attorney, counselor, and close friend I firmly believe that he would demonstrate superb judicial temperament in the role of a federal judge."

The Honorable Mike Simpson and C.L. "Butch" Otter, United States Representatives from Idaho

"Bill possesses a strong moral character and can be trusted with decisions of both individual and national importance. His extensive legal background gives him the qualifications he needs for this position. Bill has consistently brought a balanced approach to solving the many and varied issues we have discussed with him over the years."

The Honorable Henry J. Hyde, United States Representative from Illinois

"I fully support his nomination, as do many other people whose opinions I hold in high regard. These would include Mr. Myers' home state Senators, former Attorney Generals, and especially Alan Simpson, who is his former supervisor and my good friend. Many other people who I know have known Mr. Myers for many years and share my belief that that he will be an excellent appellate judge"

The Honorable Governors of Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, and Nevada (in 2004)

"As representatives of states within the largest Circuit Court of Appeals in the nation, we are well aware of the need for quality judges who will provide a balanced perspective to the Ninth Circuit's extraordinary caseload. Mr. Myers will bring his background and experience in western issues to his fellow colleagues on the bench. These matters are significant to western Governors, and we believe Mr. Myers has the temperament and the judicial instincts to serve well on the Ninth Circuit."

The Honorable Attorneys General of Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming (in 2004)

"In our view, his thorough understanding of relevant legal precedents, decisions, and key policy interests and his outstanding legal reasoning as Solicitor demonstrate his keen intellect, sound judgment and the skills suitable for the bench. It is also our experience that Mr. Myers has acted with the highest standard of integrity, competence, and good judgment. His ability to objectively evaluate cases with calm deliberation and thoughtful analysis is precisely what we, as government officials, lawyers and citizens, expect from our appellate judges."

The Honorable Lawrence G. Wasden, Attorney General for the State of Idaho

"Mr. Myers has gained my respect because he has always been willing to listen to the State of Idaho's concerns and provide a timely and reasoned response. His professional competence as a lawyer, his integrity, as demonstrated through his advocacy for his client and his respect for the law, and his temperament in dealing with issues that stir deep feelings throughout Idaho and the West, are traits that Mr. Myers will bring to the Ninth Circuit."

The Honorable Bill Anoatubby, Governor of The Chickasaw Nation

"Based upon Mr. Myers' work as solicitor in the U.S. Department of the Interior, we know him to be fair and impartial. He listened to our concerns and acted upon them. He is extremely well- qualified to fill the post in the 9th Circuit, and has demonstrated his ability to listen and to reason. We believe Mr. Myers will be an asset to the Court."

The Honorable Dick Thornburgh, Former Governor of Pennsylvania and Attorney General of the United States

"I believe Bill is exceptionally well qualified to serve as a member of the Federal Judiciary. During the time I worked with Bill, he demonstrated not only an outstanding legal intellect, but also good judgment and exemplary integrity. I have no doubt that these skills, along with his sound temperament and work ethic, would serve him well on the bench, should he be confirmed."

The Honorable William P. Barr, Former Attorney General of the United States

"Apart from his outstanding legal ability and intellect, Bill represents the epitome of judicial temperament. He is fair-minded, careful, and balanced. He has good judgment and the highest integrity. He would make a great judge."

The Honorable Marilyn S. Kite, Supreme Court of Wyoming

"Bill is extremely knowledgeable on the legal issues related to natural resources and public lands. His practical experience in that area provides him with a sound pragmatic base from which to analyze those issues. He often found workable solutions to clients' problems without the need for litigation. I have no doubt about his legal ability and integrity. His successful record before federal and state courts as well as regulatory agencies confirms those attributes."

The Honorable Cecil D. Andrus, Former Governor of Idaho and Secretary of the Interior

"It is my judgment that Mr. Myers possesses the necessary personal integrity, judicial temperament, and legal experience appropriate to a nominee to the federal bench, and particularly the federal Court of Appeals. Further, it is my judgment that, while Mr. Myers has been an effective advocate in the past for specific policy positions with which I may have personally disagreed, he also possesses the ability to act fairly on matters of law that will come before him on the court."

The Honorable Michael J. Sullivan, Former Democratic Governor of Wyoming

"Mr. Myers has a wealth of legal experience in the private practice, in Washington, and in the areas of public lands and the environment. These are areas of extreme importance to the country and those of us in the West, and it is my view that Bill's experience would serve the Court and the Circuit well . . . . He is, in my view, an individual who would provide serious, responsible, and intellectual consideration to each matter before him as an appellate judge and would not be prone to extreme or ideological positions unattached to legal precedent or the merits of a given matter."

The Honorable Charles D. Cuddy, Democratic State Representative from Idaho

"Since becoming an Idaho State Legislator 13 years ago, I have had the opportunity to work with Mr. Myers on federal land management issues. This committee attempted and succeeded at facilitating management policies and procedures, providing efficiency, product production, and healthy forests in an environmentally sound manner . . . . As chairperson of this committee, Mr. Myers held the discussions on a very professional level with high quality and standard, while maintaining congressional order and produced workable conclusions. Mr. Myers' capability to conduct these meetings in a positive and forward-moving manner without indicating bias convinced me that he is a very disciplined person and would work to gain conclusion based on factual evidence."

STATEMENTS BY SELECT SUPPORTERS OF WILLIAM G. MYERS III

William G. Myers III

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