Nuffer was born in 1952 in
Portland,
Oregon. He received a
Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from
Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1975 and a
Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the
J. Reuben Clark Law School at (BYU) in 1978. He served in private practice from 1978 until 2002. He was formerly a
United States magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the District of Utah. He served in a part-time capacity while remaining a practicing
lawyer starting in 1995 and became full-time in 2003, serving until his elevation to District Judge in 2012. Since 2001 he has been an
adjunct professor at BYU. He served as president of the Utah State Bar from 2000 to 2001.
Federal judicial service On June 29, 2011, President
Barack Obama nominated Nuffer to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Utah. He would replace Judge
Dale A. Kimball, who assumed senior status in 2009. The
Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on his nomination on September 20, 2011 and reported it to the floor on October 13, 2011. On March 22, 2012, the
United States Senate confirmed Nuffer by a 96–2 vote. He received his commission on March 23, 2012. He served as Chief Judge from 2014 to 2018. He assumed
senior status on April 2, 2022. On March 1, 2018, the District of Utah established a southern region serving the southern part of the state. In April 2019, Nuffer moved to southern Utah, becoming the first district judge in Utah to reside off the
Wasatch Front. He has chambers in the St. George. The federal court leases offices and a courtroom there. ==References==