Bradley Nelson Garcia

Bradley Nelson Garcia (born 1986) is an American attorney who serves as a United States circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Appointed by President Joseph R. Biden, he took office in May 2023 and became the first Latino to sit on that court. Prior to his judicial service, Garcia built a career that combined elite academic training, federal clerkships, private‑practice appellate work, and a brief tenure in the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel.

Early life and legal career

Garcia was born in 1986 in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He pursued undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in international studies and economics in 2008. While at Johns Hopkins, he held a leadership role as president of the campus chapter of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

Following his undergraduate education, Garcia attended Harvard Law School. There he contributed to the Harvard Law Review as an editor and graduated magna cum laude with a Juris Doctor in 2011. His academic record positioned him for prestigious clerkships that would shape his early legal experience.

From 2011 to 2012, Garcia served as a law clerk to Judge Thomas B. Griffith of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He then clerked for Associate Justice Elena Kagan of the United States Supreme Court from 2012 to 2013, gaining exposure to the nation’s highest court and its decision‑making processes.

After completing his clerkships, Garcia entered private practice at O'Melveny & Myers in 2013. Over the ensuing years he advanced to partnership in 2020, focusing on appellate advocacy across a broad spectrum of legal areas. His client roster included major corporations such as Google, Warner Bros., and the Ford Motor Company. In that capacity Garcia argued more than a dozen appeals before federal and state appellate courts, and he appeared before the Supreme Court in a 2021 immigration case, United States v. Palomar‑Santiago.

Garcia’s practice also encompassed criminal law, corporate matters, insurance coverage disputes, patent rights, and issues of federal jurisdiction. Notable litigation work included representing El Paso County, Texas, in a suit challenging the diversion of Department of Defense funds for border‑wall construction; advocating for a Pennsylvania inmate seeking improved mental‑health treatment, which resulted in a unanimous Third Circuit panel decision favorable to the prisoner; and serving as co‑counsel in cases involving the Armed Career Criminal Act, abortion‑related statutes, and insurance coverage disputes arising from the COVID‑19 pandemic. In 2020 he was counsel of record in June Medical Services, LLC v. Russo, a challenge to Louisiana’s admitting‑privileges requirement for physicians performing abortions.

In February 2022 Garcia left private practice to join the United States Department of Justice as a deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel. He served in that capacity until his judicial appointment in 2023, providing legal advice on matters of federal law and executive authority.

Federal appellate service

President Joe Biden nominated Garcia to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on June 15, 2022, to fill the vacancy created when Judge Judith W. Rogers assumed senior status on September 1, 2022. The nomination was reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a hearing was held on July 27, 2022. During that hearing Republican senators questioned Garcia about his prior involvement in cases concerning gun rights and abortion access.

The committee reported his nomination out of committee on September 15, 2022 with a 12–10 vote. The nomination was returned to the president under Senate Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 on January 3, 2023, and President Biden renominated Garcia later that same day. On February 2, 2023 the Judiciary Committee again reported his nomination, this time by an 11–9 vote.

The full Senate considered Garcia’s confirmation in May 2023. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed a cloture motion on May 9, 2023; the Senate invoked cloture on May 11, 2023 by a vote of 54–41. Later that day the Senate confirmed Garcia by a vote of 53–40. He received his judicial commission on May 16, 2023 and entered active service on the D.C. Circuit.

Garcia’s appointment marked a historic milestone as he became the first Latino judge to serve on the District of Columbia Circuit, an influential appellate court that frequently addresses issues of federal administrative law, constitutional interpretation, and matters of national significance.

Jurisprudence and legacy

As a relatively new member of the D.C. Circuit, Garcia’s judicial record is in its early stages. Nevertheless, his prior experience as an appellate litigator and former clerk at both the circuit and Supreme Court levels informs his approach to adjudication. His background includes extensive work on complex civil litigation, regulatory challenges, and constitutional questions, suggesting a breadth of expertise that aligns with the D.C. Circuit’s docket.

Garcia’s participation in high‑profile cases before joining the bench reflects an engagement with substantive legal issues that continue to shape federal jurisprudence. For example, his involvement in immigration litigation before the Supreme Court demonstrates familiarity with statutory interpretation and executive authority in the context of national borders. Similarly, his representation of a county contesting the reallocation of defense funds for a border wall underscores experience with separation‑of‑powers disputes and congressional appropriations authority.

In criminal law matters, Garcia’s advocacy concerning the Armed Career Criminal Act required nuanced analysis of violent felony definitions and sentencing guidelines—areas that frequently surface before appellate courts. His work on abortion‑related statutes, notably June Medical Services v. Russo, placed him at the intersection of reproductive rights and state regulatory power, topics that remain central to contemporary constitutional discourse.

Garcia’s brief tenure in the Office of Legal Counsel further contributed to his understanding of executive branch legal reasoning and the role of the OLC in providing authoritative interpretations of federal law to government agencies. This experience is particularly relevant on a court where many cases involve challenges to agency actions and administrative regulations.

While his judicial opinions have yet to accumulate a substantial body of precedent, Garcia’s appointment contributes to the diversification of the federal judiciary both demographically and professionally. As the first Latino judge on the D.C. Circuit, he expands representation on a court that often serves as a stepping stone to the Supreme Court and influences nationwide legal policy.

Observers note that his combination of elite academic credentials, clerkships at the highest levels, extensive appellate practice, and service within the Justice Department equips him with a multifaceted perspective on the law. Over time, Garcia’s decisions will help shape the development of federal appellate jurisprudence in areas ranging from administrative law to constitutional rights, reflecting both his personal legal background and the broader responsibilities of the D.C. Circuit.

In sum, Bradley Nelson Garcia’s career trajectory—from Maryland upbringing through top‑tier education, prestigious clerkships, a distinguished private‑practice record, and service in the Department of Justice—culminated in his historic appointment to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. His ongoing contributions as a circuit judge will be observed within the context of an evolving federal judiciary that continues to address complex legal challenges facing the nation.