Morris, Brian, 1963-

Brian Matthew Morris (born September 5, 1963) is an American attorney and judge who is the Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana. He is a former Justice of the Montana Supreme Court, having been elected in 2004. Morris successfully retained his position in the 2012 election. He is also a former fullback for the Stanford Cardinal football team.

Born in Butte, Montana, to John and Joan Morris, Brian Morris graduated from Butte Central Catholic High School, where he was an All-State athlete, who competed in football, track, and basketball. As a senior in the 1981–1982 academic year, he led the football team to the 1981 state championship game and set school records by rushing 1,640 yards and making 236 carries for 1,732 total yards. In track, he was the 1982 state champion in both intermediate and high hurdles in the high school's first state championship in track.

After completing his law degree, Morris was a law clerk to Judge John T. Noonan, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Completing his clerkship with Noonan, Morris then was a law clerk to Chief Justice of the United States William Rehnquist. As a former clerk for Chief Justice Rehnquist, Morris is the only member of the Montana State Bar to have been a Supreme Court law clerk.

In 1995, he joined the Iran – United States Claims Tribunal at the World Court, The Hague, Netherlands, to be a legal assistant. Returning to Montana, Morris was in private practice in Bozeman from 1995 until 1999. He went on to be a legal officer at the United Nations Compensation Commission in Geneva, Switzerland.

Again returning to Montana in 2001, Morris was the Solicitor of the Department of Justice until Montana voters elected him to the Montana Supreme Court in November 2004.

On March 11, 2013, U.S. Senator Max Baucus announced that he would recommend that President Barack Obama nominate Morris to fill the vacancy on the United States District Court for the District of Montana caused by Judge Sam Haddon taking senior status, the vacant seat being located in Great Falls. The recommendation was made after a number of candidates were considered by a nine-member Judicial Nominating Commission appointed by Senator Baucus and Senator Jon Tester. On May 23, 2013, President Obama formally nominated Morris to the judgeship. His nomination was reported to the floor by the United States Senate Judiciary Committee on September 19, 2013. Cloture was voted on and agreed to on December 12, 2013 by a vote of 57–40. He was confirmed by the United States Senate in a vote of 75–20 later that same day. He received his judicial commission on December 17, 2013. He became Chief Judge on March 19, 2020.