Judge Frank Q. Nebeker
1930 - 2024
Judge Frank Q. Nebeker was nominated by President George H.W. Bush and appointed to the United
States Court of Veterans Appeals in October 1989.
Judge Nebeker devoted his entire adult life to government service. A native of Utah, he held an associate
degree in history from Weber College, a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Utah,
and a law degree from American University.
During his law school years, Judge Nebeker worked as a correspondence secretary in the White House.
He began his legal career in 1956 as a trial attorney in the Internal Security Division of the Department of
Justice. Two years later, he became an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia,
serving from 1962 to 1969 as the Chief of the Appellate Division. His reputation as an appellate counsel
led to his appointment in 1969 as an Associate Judge on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, where
he served until his retirement in 1987.
Judge Nebeker's retirement was short. From 1987 to 1989, he served as the Director of the Office of
Government Ethics, responsible for developing and monitoring the rules which govern the conduct of
those in the Executive Branch. When Congress provided for judicial review of veterans benefits decisions
and created the U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals (now the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims), Judge
Nebeker was appointed to be the Court's first Chief Judge. He served in that role from October 16, 1989,
when the Court began operations, until November 2000, when he became a Recall-Eligible Senior Judge.
Judge Nebeker periodically performed recall service until December 2022, when he fully retired from the
Court. He also served as a Senior Judge on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals until fully retiring
from that Court in December 2021.
Judge Nebeker was active for many years in the organization and presentation of education programs for
attorneys and appellate judges throughout the country.
Judge Nebeker passed away on January 4, 2024.
