Senior Judge Robert J. Bryan was appointed to the Western District of Washington in 1986. He previously served as a Superior Court Judge in Kitsap County beginning in 1967.
A native of Bremerton, Judge Bryan earned six varsity letters in basketball and track at the University of Washington. He practiced law in Bremerton from 1959 to 1967 and took a private practice hiatus from 1984 to 1986 before his federal appointment. He has served pro tem on the Washington State Court of Appeals, Supreme Court, and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He co-authored seven volumes and supplements of Washington and Ninth Circuit Pattern Jury Instructions, and taught new federal judges including current Supreme Court Justices Sotomayor and Kavanaugh. He was a founding member and first president of the Puget Sound Inn of Court, which was renamed in his honor in 2004, and he spearheaded the conversion of Tacoma Union Station into a federal courthouse.
Education
- University of Washington School of Law, J.D., 1958
- University of Washington, B.A.
Career
- Senior U.S. District Judge, Western District of Washington (1986–present)
- Judge, Kitsap County Superior Court (1967–1984)
- Private law practice, Bremerton (1959–1967; 1984–1986)
- Pro tem judge, Washington State Court of Appeals, Washington Supreme Court, and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Co-author, Washington and Ninth Circuit Pattern Jury Instructions (7 volumes)
- Founding President, Puget Sound Inn of Court (now Robert J. Bryan American Inn of Court)