William J. Riley

William Jay Riley
Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Incumbent
Assumed office June 30, 2017
Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
In office March 31, 2010 – March 11, 2017
Preceded by	James B. Loken
Succeeded by	Lavenski Smith
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
In office August 3, 2001 – June 30, 2017
Appointed by	George W. Bush
Preceded by	C. Arlen Beam
Succeeded by	L. Steven Grasz
Personal details
Born	(1947-03-11) March 11, 1947 (age 74) Lincoln, Nebraska
Education	University of Nebraska–Lincoln (BA) University of Nebraska (JD)

William Jay Riley (born March 11, 1947 in Lincoln, Nebraska) is an inactive Senior United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.^[1]

Education and background[]

Riley received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska and earned his Juris Doctor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Law. Following graduation, he was a law clerk to Eighth Circuit Judge Donald Lay, and then he was in private practice until his appointment to the Eighth Circuit. He has also taught as an adjunct professor at the Creighton University School of Law, and at University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Law since 2006.

Federal judicial service[]

He was nominated by President George W. Bush on May 23, 2001 to a seat vacated by Judge C. Arlen Beam.^[2] He was swiftly confirmed 97-0 by the United States Senate just over two months later on August 2, 2001. He was the first Bush circuit judge nominee confirmed. He assumed senior status on June 30, 2017.

References[]

External links[]

• William J. Riley at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.