After graduating from law school at the University of Texas, Judge Nelson moved to Oregon and embarked on a truly trailblazing career. She worked as a public defender and in private practice.
Then, she connected with Mercedes Deiz, the first Black woman admitted to the Oregon State Bar and the first woman of color to be an Oregon Judge. A seed was planted, and Judge Nelson began to consider her own service as a judge.
She would soon become the second African American woman to serve as a judge in Oregon. Then, in 2018, she became the first African American justice on the Oregon Supreme Court. Then, in 2023, she became the first African American woman to serve on the U.S. District Court here in Oregon.
If you travel down the road to Happy Valley, Oregon, you will even find Adrienne C. Nelson High School.
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