Leonard Terry Strand

Leonard Terry Strand (born July 14, 1965) is the Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa and a former United States Magistrate Judge of the same court.

Leonard Terry Strand
Strand in 2019
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa
Incumbent
Assumed office February 12, 2017
Preceded by	Linda R. Reade
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa
Incumbent
Assumed office February 12, 2016
Appointed by	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Mark W. Bennett
Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa
In office June 7, 2012 – February 12, 2016
Succeeded by	C. J. Williams
Personal details
Born	July 14, 1965 Sioux City, Iowa
Education	University of Iowa (B.A.) University of Iowa College of Law (J.D.)

Education

Strand was born on July 14, 1965, raised in Sioux City, Iowa, and graduated from West High School as valedictorian.[1] He received a Bachelor of Arts degree, with high distinction and Phi Beta Kappa, in 1987 from the University of Iowa.[1] He received a Juris Doctor, with highest distinction, first in his class, and Order of the Coif, in 1990 from the University of Iowa College of Law.[1] During law school, he worked at Vinson & Elkins in Houston and Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman in Cedar Rapids and also contributed to the The Journal of Corporation Law.[1]

Legal career

After graduating from law school, Strand joined Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman as an associate. He was a partner at the firm from 1996 to 2012. During his service with the firm, he specialized in commercial litigation and employment law and served on the firm's management committee.[1] He was also briefly an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association.[1]

Federal judicial service

From June 7, 2012, to February 12, 2016, Strand served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Iowa.[2][3]

On July 21, 2015, President Obama, at the recommendation of Senator Chuck Grassley,[4] nominated Strand to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, to the seat vacated by Judge Mark W. Bennett, who took senior status on June 4, 2015.[5] He received a hearing before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee on October 21, 2015.[6] On November 5, 2015 his nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote.[7] On February 11 the United States Senate confirmed his nomination by a vote of 93–0.[8] He received his commission on February 12, 2016.[3] Strand's investiture occurred on April 21, 2016.[9] He became Chief Judge on February 12, 2017.[3]

References

1. "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 30, 2018.
2. "President Obama Nominates Judge Leonard Terry Strand to Serve on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa". 21 July 2015.
3. "Strand, Leonard Terry – Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.
4. "Grassley Recommends Two Outstanding Iowans for Federal Judgeships – Chuck Grassley". www.grassley.senate.gov.
5. "PN675 – Nomination of Leonard Terry Strand for The Judiciary, 114th Congress (2015–2016)". www.congress.gov. 11 February 2016.
6. "United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary". www.judiciary.senate.gov.
7. "United States Senate Judiciary Committee: Results of Executive Business Meeting – November 5, 2015" (PDF).
8. "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 114th Congress – 2nd Session". www.senate.gov.
9. "United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, Investiture of Judge Leonard T. Strand April 21, 2016" (PDF).

External links

• Leonard Terry Strand at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• Leonard T. Strand at Ballotpedia