Ronald Murray Gould

Ronald Murray Gould (born 1946) is an American jurist who has served as an active circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit since his appointment in 1999. His career spans private practice, academia, and federal judicial service, and he has participated in a number of notable appellate decisions involving constitutional rights, criminal procedure, and election law.

Early life and legal career

Gould was born in 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri. He pursued undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Following his undergraduate work, he attended the University of Michigan Law School and received his Juris Doctor in 1973.

After law school, Gould entered the federal clerkship system. From 1973 to 1974 he served as a law clerk for Judge Wade H. McCree of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He then clerked for Justice Potter Stewart of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1974 to 1975, gaining experience at both appellate and supreme-court levels.

In 1975 Gould began a long tenure in private practice with the Seattle‑based firm Perkins Coie. Over the next two decades he advanced within the firm, ultimately becoming a partner by the time of his judicial nomination. During this period he also contributed to legal education as an adjunct professor at the University of Washington School of Law from 1986 to 1989. His professional leadership extended to service as president of the Washington State Bar Association.

While practicing law, Gould was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The progression of the disease eventually resulted in loss of use of his arms and legs, leading him to rely on a wheelchair for mobility. Despite these challenges, he has continued to perform judicial duties with assistance from technology, clerical staff, and other support mechanisms. Gould is identified as Jewish.

Federal appellate service

President William J. Clinton nominated Gould to the Ninth Circuit on January 26 1999 to fill the vacancy created by Judge Robert Beezer’s departure. The United States Senate confirmed his appointment by voice vote on November 17 1999, and he received his commission five days later, on November 22 1999. He occupies the seat designated as CA91203 and has remained an active circuit judge on the Ninth Circuit since that time.

During his tenure on the appellate bench, Gould has sat on panels addressing a broad spectrum of federal issues, ranging from environmental regulation to civil rights, criminal law, and election statutes. His service reflects the geographic diversity of the Ninth Circuit, which encompasses western states and territories with varied legal landscapes.

Jurisprudence and legacy

Judge Gould’s judicial record includes several opinions and dissents that have attracted attention for their treatment of constitutional protections and procedural matters. In July 2013 he authored a dissent when the panel denied an en banc rehearing of a case upholding a ban on Greenpeace’s protest activities against offshore drilling. Joined by Judges Stephen P. M. Pregerson, Andrew J. Perry, Michael W. Wardlaw, William C. Fletcher, and Milan Smith, Gould argued that the majority’s conclusion threatened First Amendment freedoms, writing that it would “undermine the freedom of an organization to ‘stimulate [its] audience with spontaneous and emotional appeals for unity and action in a common cause.’”

In August 2019 Gould participated in a three‑judge panel that held a prisoner suffering from gender dysphoria possessed a right under the Eighth Amendment to receive sex reassignment surgery. The opinion was joined by Judge Margaret McKeown and district judge Robert Lasnik, who sat by designation. Although the full Ninth Circuit declined an en banc rehearing, eight judges—appointed by Republican presidents—dissented from that denial.

Later in September 2019 Gould dissented from a Ninth Circuit ruling that the government could not invoke the state secrets privilege to block two subpoenas. The Supreme Court subsequently reversed the circuit’s decision in *United States v. Zubaydah*, thereby affirming Gould’s position on the limits of executive secrecy claims.

Gould authored the majority opinion in September 2022 upholding Washington State’s ban on conversion therapy for minors. The United States Supreme Court denied review of that case in December 2023, leaving the Ninth Circuit’s decision intact.

In October 2023 he revived a lawsuit challenging an Arizona statute that prohibited abortions of fetuses with “fetal abnormalities.” Although *Roe v. Wade* had been overturned, the plaintiffs argued that the law was vague and caused economic harm to healthcare providers by forcing them to err on the side of non‑performance.

In November 2023 Gould joined a 7‑4 majority that issued a temporary injunction against Idaho’s abortion ban because it lacked exceptions for medical emergencies. The Supreme Court later agreed to hear the case, vacated the Ninth Circuit’s injunction in January 2024, and then reinstated the circuit’s order in June 2024 in *Moyle v. United States*.

February 2025 saw Gould, with Judge Wardlaw, strike down two Arizona proof‑of‑citizenship voting laws—one restricting presidential voters who could not prove citizenship and another limiting mail voting for those unable to provide such proof.

In July 2025 Gould issued a nationwide injunction blocking an executive order from the Trump administration that sought to end birthright citizenship for certain individuals. The following month, he ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may not detain persons based on race, language, accent, occupation, or geographic location.

Across these decisions, Judge Gould has demonstrated a consistent engagement with issues of individual liberty, procedural fairness, and the scope of governmental authority. His opinions often reflect careful statutory interpretation and an emphasis on protecting constitutional rights, particularly those related to speech, bodily autonomy, and equal protection. While his judicial philosophy is not formally labeled, his written work reveals a willingness to scrutinize executive actions and legislative measures that may encroach upon established legal protections.

Gould’s career also illustrates the capacity of a federal judge to maintain an active docket despite significant physical disability. His continued participation in complex appellate litigation underscores both personal resilience and the institutional accommodations available within the judiciary for judges with disabilities.

Overall, Ronald M. Gould’s contributions to the Ninth Circuit encompass a blend of scholarly legal analysis, attention to civil liberties, and pragmatic adjudication of emerging issues in federal law. His service adds to the broader jurisprudential development of one of the nation’s largest appellate courts, shaping legal precedent on matters that affect millions across the western United States.