Christopher McDonald (jurist)

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Christopher McDonald
Associate Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court
Assumed office
February 20, 2019
Appointed byKim Reynolds
Preceded byDaryl Hecht
Judge of the Iowa Court of Appeals
In office
September 2013 – February 20, 2019
Appointed byTerry Branstad
Personal details
Born
Christopher Lee McDonald

(1974-09-17) September 17, 1974 (age 49)
Bangkok, Thailand
EducationGrand View University (BA)
University of Iowa (JD)

Christopher Lee McDonald (born September 17, 1974) is an American judge who has served as an associate justice of the Iowa Supreme Court since 2019.

Education

McDonald was born in

Des Moines.[2] McDonald started college at the University of Iowa, but left after a year to teach policy debate at Abraham Lincoln High School in Des Moines.[3] He later received a Bachelor of Arts from Grand View University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa College of Law.[4] At Iowa Law, he was an editor of the Iowa Law Review, graduated with highest distinction as valedictorian, and was elected to the Order of the Coif.[3]

Legal career

After graduation, McDonald served as a

employment law.[3] He was then senior litigation counsel at Aviva in Des Moines from 2010 to 2012.[3]

Judicial career

State court service

McDonald served as a trial judge of Iowa's Fifth Judicial District from 2012 to 2013.[3] Terry Branstad appointed him to the Iowa Court of Appeals in 2013 and he served in that capacity until his appointment to the Iowa Supreme Court.[4]

Iowa Supreme Court

McDonald first applied for a vacancy on the Supreme Court upon the retirement of Justice Bruce B. Zager.[6] That vacancy was ultimately filled by Susan Christensen. In January 2019 McDonald once again applied, and was among three nominees sent to the governor to fill the vacancy created by Justice Daryl Hecht who retired in December 2018.[7] On February 20, 2019, Governor Kim Reynolds announced McDonald as her appointment to the Supreme Court. He is the first minority or person of color appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court.[8][1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Price, Dave (February 21, 2019). "From Thailand to the South Side of Des Moines: Iowa Judge About to Make History". whotv.com. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  2. ^ "Governor appoints first person of color to Iowa Supreme Court". February 20, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e McDonald, Christopher (2019). "State Judicial Nominating Commission Application". Scribd. Archived from the original on July 28, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Mitchell, Andy (February 21, 2019). "Law-school alum heads to Iowa Supreme Court". The Daily Iowan. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  5. ^ "Christopher McDonald". www.iowacourts.gov. Archived from the original on February 24, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  6. ^ Gruber-Miller, Stephern (July 6, 2018). "Iowa has the only all-male supreme court in the country. Could that change this year?". Des Moines Register. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  7. ^ Lynch, James Q. "Three nominated for Iowa Supreme Court vacancy". The Gazette. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  8. ^ Murphy, Erin (February 20, 2019). "First minority named to Iowa Supreme Court". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved February 24, 2019.

External links

Legal offices
Preceded by Associate Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court
2019–present 		Incumbent
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