Perkins Coie Partner Nominated To Court -- Gould Tapped For 9Th Circuit

Ronald M. Gould, a partner in the Seattle law firm of Perkins Coie, has been nominated to an open seat on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Gould, 51, of Mercer Island, said this morning he was pleased by the nomination.

"I feel very honored by President Clinton's decision to nominate me," he said. "I'm looking forward to giving the Senate all the information they like."

"I am very pleased that Ron has won the confidence of the president," said U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. "He certainly deserves it. He has an impeccable legal resume and has been a tremendous community asset."

The nomination was announced by the White House and Murray's office.

If confirmed by the Senate, Gould would replace Robert Beezer, who has taken senior status at the court. Gould's seat would be in Seattle.

Gould, in 1993, was appointed a trustee of Bellevue Community College by Washington Gov. Mike Lowry. From 1994-1995, he was president of the Washington State Bar Association.

While president of the bar, he said one of his goals was to strengthen the bar's discipline department.

The nomination comes some two months after Murray and U.S. Sen. Slade Gordon, R-Wash., pushed for a hearing on the nomination of Seattle attorney Margaret McKeown to the 9th Circuit bench. That hearing is still pending.

Gould, a Missouri native and member of Perkins Coie since 1975, practices banking, antitrust and other commercial litigation.

He joined the firm after working as a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Courts Justice Potter Stewart.

Gould is active in Boy Scouts and is a chief counsel to the Seattle organization. He is also a board member of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, he received his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1973.

In 1987, Gould won the Seattle-King County Bar Association's award for distinguished service. ------------------------------------------- Susan Gilmore's phone message number is 206-464-2054. Her e-mail address is: sugi-new@seatimes.com