Judge Nelms is in his fifth year as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division. Before taking the bench, Judge Nelms was a partner with the Dallas film of Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, where he served as a litigator in the firm's bankruptcy section. Judge Nelms joined Carrington Coleman after serving for six years in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps.

Judge Nelms received a J.D. with high honors from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1978 and a B.A. with high honors from Texas Tech University in 1975.

Judge Nelms is a frequent speaker at functions sponsored by the State Bar of Texas, the University of Texas School of Law, Texas Tech University School of Law, John C. Ford American Inn of Court, and the Dallas and Tarrant County Bar Associations.

He is teaching Texas Ranger Bankruptcy in Spring of 2013.