He is the son of Clarence Addison Brimmer Jr., a former federal judge in Wyoming.

[3] Born in Rawlins, Wyoming, Brimmer received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard College in 1981 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1985.

He became an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Colorado in 2001, becoming chief of the major crimes section in 2006, and served as chief of the special prosecutions section from 2006 to 2008.

[4] On July 10, 2008, Brimmer was nominated by President George W. Bush to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Colorado vacated by Lewis Babcock.

Brimmer was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 26, 2008, and received his commission on October 14, 2008.