Ninth Circuit / Appointed 1996 / Senior status

Sidney Runyan Thomas

Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Appointed by President William J. Clinton in 1996 and confirmed by voice vote, Sidney Runyan Thomas is a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He earned a law degree from University of Montana School of Law in 1978. Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, January 2, 1996

Appointed by
William J. Clinton, 1996
Confirmed
by voice vote
Education
Montana State 1975 · University of Montana Law 1978
Federal judicial service
YearCourtAppointed byVote
1996Ninth Circuit · succeeded Dorothy Wright NelsonClinton (D)voice

A per-senator roll-call isn’t shown for this confirmation. The Senate’s recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989; many confirmations (especially before then, and most to the lower courts) were by voice vote or unanimous consent.

Education
Sources

30 years on the Ninth Circuit. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).