Education and early career

Born in Jasper, Georgia

Jasper, Georgia

Jasper is a city in Pickens County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,684 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Pickens County...

, Edmondson received a B.A.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 from Emory University

Emory University

Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...

 in 1968, a J.D.

Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

 from the University of Georgia

University of Georgia

The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...

 in 1971, and an M.L.

Master of Laws

The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...

 in Judicial Process from the University of Virginia

University of Virginia

The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...

 in 1990.

Edmondson clerked for the Hon. Sidney Oslin Smith, Jr., U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia from 1971-1973. He was an attorney in private practice in Jasper, Georgia during 1973, and in Lawrenceville, Georgia from 1973-1986. Edmondson also taught as a law professor at the University of Georgia between 1975-1984.

Federal judicial service

On March 26, 1986, Edmondson was nominated by President Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

 to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Middle District of Alabama...

. vacated by Albert J. Henderson. Edmondson was confirmed by the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 on April 29, 1986, and received his commission on May 7, 1986. He served as chief judge from 2002 to 2009.

In 2000, Edmondson, as part of a 3-judge panel with Judges Joel Fredrick Dubina

Joel Fredrick Dubina

Joel Fredrick Dubina is the Chief Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.-Biography:Dubina was born in Elkhart, Indiana. He received a B.S. from the University of Alabama in 1970, and a J.D. from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1973.He was a law...

 and Charles R. Wilson, issued the opinion that ultimately led to Elian Gonzalez

Elián González

The custody and immigration status of a young Cuban boy, Elián González , was at the center of a heated 2000 controversy involving the governments of Cuba and the United States, González's father, Juan Miguel González Quintana, González's other relatives in Miami, Florida, and in Cuba, and Miami's...

 being sent back to Cuba to be reunited with his father.

Sources

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