She was the associate deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from 1989 to 1992, and a judge on that agency's environmental appeals board from 1992 to 1995, when she returned to the Justice Department as deputy assistant attorney general in the Environment and Natural Resources division.

[2] On October 22, 1998, Firestone was appointed judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims by President Bill Clinton.

[2] On October 22, 2013, Nancy Firestone retired from active service on the United States Court of Federal Claims, effectively assuming senior status in that capacity.

[3] She received a hearing on her re-nomination before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee for June 4, 2014.

[5] On December 16, 2014, her nomination was returned to the President due to the sine die adjournment of the 113th Congress.