Leonard Terry Strand (born July 14, 1965) is a 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 T. Strand
Strand in 2019
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa
In office
February 12, 2017 – February 12, 2024
Preceded byLinda R. Reade
Succeeded byC. J. Williams
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa
Assumed office
February 12, 2016
Appointed byBarack Obama
Preceded byMark 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 byC. J. Williams
Personal details
Born (1965-07-14) July 14, 1965 (age 59)
Sioux City, Iowa, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Iowa (BA, JD)

Education

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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 Journal of Corporation Law.[1]

Career

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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

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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 Barack 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 assumed 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, 2016, the United States Senate confirmed his nomination by a 93–0 vote.[8] He received his commission on February 12, 2016.[3] Strand's investiture occurred on April 21, 2016.[9] He served as the chief judge from February 12, 2017 to February 12, 2024.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "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". whitehouse.gov. 21 July 2015 – via National Archives.
  3. ^ a b c Leonard T. Strand at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  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. 21 October 2015.
  7. ^ "United States Senate Judiciary Committee: Results of Executive Business Meeting – November 5, 2015" (PDF).
  8. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation Leonard Terry Strand, of South Dakota, to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Iowa)". www.senate.gov.
  9. ^ "United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, Investiture of Judge Leonard T. Strand April 21, 2016" (PDF).
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Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa
2016–present
Incumbent
Preceded by Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa
2017–2024
Succeeded by