Danielle Jo Forrest, formerly known as Danielle Jo Hunsaker (born June 24, 1977), is a

United States circuit judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. ...

of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * District ...

. Forrest was an Oregon state court judge for the Washington County Circuit Court from 2017 to 2019.

Early life and education

Forrest was born in 1977 in Roseburg, Oregon. She earned an associate degree from Ricks College (now

Brigham Young University–Idaho Brigham Young University–Idaho (BYU–Idaho or BYU–I) is a private college in Rexburg, Idaho. Founded in 1888, the college is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Previously known as Ricks Colleg ...

) in 1996. She studied at the

University of Idaho The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant and primary research university,, and the lead university in the Idaho Space Grant Consortium. The Universit ...

, graduating in 2001 with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

''cum laude''. She then attended the

University of Idaho College of Law The University of Idaho College of Law is the law school of the University of Idaho, with its main location in Moscow and a second campus in the state capital of Boise. As of the entering class of 2017–18, students may take all three years of in ...

, where she was lead articles editor for the ''Idaho Law Review''. She graduated in 2004 with a Juris Doctor degree ''summa cum laude''.

Legal career

After law school, Forrest served as a law clerk to judge

Paul Joseph Kelly Jr. Paul Joseph Kelly Jr. (born 1940) is a senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. His chambers are in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Education and career Born in Freeport, New York, Kelly received ...

of the

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (in case citations, 10th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * District of Colorado * District of Kansas * Distri ...

from 2004 to 2005 and to judge Michael W. Mosman of the

U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon The United States District Court for the District of Oregon (in case citations, D. Ore. or D. Or.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Oregon. It was created in 1859 when the state was admitted to the Union. ...

from 2005 to 2007. From 2007 to 2009, Forrest was in private practice with the law firm Stoel Rives in

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, with a brief stint in 2008 as a law clerk for judge

Diarmuid O'Scannlain Diarmuid Fionntain O'Scannlain ( ; born March 28, 1937) is a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. His chambers are located in Portland, Oregon. Early life Born in New York City, New Yo ...

of the Ninth Circuit. From 2009 to 2017, Forrest was in practice at the

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

law firm Larkins Vacura Kayser, becoming a partner in 2014. From 2011 to 2016, Forrest taught Advanced Civil Procedure as an adjunct professor at

Lewis & Clark Law School The Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College (also known as Lewis & Clark Law School), is an American Bar Association-approved private law school in Portland, Oregon. The law school received ABA approval in 1970 and joined the As ...

State court service

On November 9, 2017,

Oregon Governor The governor of Oregon is the head of government of Oregon and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. ter ...

Kate Brown Katherine Brown (born June 21, 1960) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 38th governor of Oregon since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, she served three terms as the state representative from the 13th district of the ...

announced the appointment of Forrest to the Washington County Circuit Court to the seat vacated by Suzanne M. Upton, effective immediately. She resigned her post when she was elevated to be a federal Circuit Court judge.

Federal judicial service

Forrest was one of four individuals recommended for the

by Oregon's two U.S. Senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. Wyden and Merkley had both opposed

Ryan Bounds Ryan Wesley Bounds (born 1973) is an American attorney serving as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon. Bounds had been a nominee for a position as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals ...

, President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

's previous nominee to the Ninth Circuit seat, but agreed to turn in their

blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...

s for Forrest. On August 28, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Forrest to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On September 19, 2019, her nomination was sent to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

. She was nominated to fill the seat vacated by Judge

, who assumed

senior status Senior status is a form of semi- retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of service as a federal judge must be at leas ...

on December 31, 2016. On September 25, 2019, a hearing on her nomination was held before the

Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations ...

. On October 24, 2019, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 16–6 vote. On November 5, 2019, the Senate invoked

cloture Cloture (, also ), closure or, informally, a guillotine, is a motion or process in parliamentary procedure aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. The cloture procedure originated in the French National Assembly, from which the name is taken. ' ...

on her nomination by a 75–18 vote. On November 6, 2019, her nomination was confirmed by a 73–17 vote. She received her judicial commission on November 12, 2019. Her surname in court records changed from Hunsaker to Forrest in May 2021.

Memberships

She was a member of the

Federalist Society The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies (abbreviated as FedSoc) is an American conservative and libertarian legal organization that advocates for a textualist and originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. Headquarter ...

from 2002 to 2006 and again from 2017 to present.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Forrest, Danielle J. 1977 births Living people 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century American judges 21st-century American women lawyers 21st-century American women judges Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Lewis & Clark College faculty Oregon lawyers Oregon state court judges People from Roseburg, Oregon United States court of appeals judges appointed by Donald Trump University of Idaho alumni University of Idaho College of Law alumni Brigham Young University–Idaho alumni