David Stras

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David Stras
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Assumed office
January 31, 2018
Appointed by Donald Trump
Preceded by Diana E. Murphy
Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
In office
July 1, 2010 – January 31, 2018
Appointed by Tim Pawlenty
Preceded by Lorie Gildea
Succeeded by Paul Thissen
Personal details
Born David Ryan Stras
(1974-07-04) July 4, 1974 (age 44)
Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
Children 2
Education University of Kansas, Lawrence (BA, MBA, JD)

David Ryan Stras (born July 4, 1974)[1][2] is a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He is a former Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.[3]

Early life and education[edit]

Stras was born in 1974 in Wichita, Kansas.[4][5] He received a Bachelor of Arts with highest honors and an Master of Business Administration from the University of Kansas where he became a member of Theta Chi Fraternity. In 1999, he earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas School of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Criminal Procedure Edition of the Kansas Law Review.[6][7]

Career[edit]

Stras clerked for Judges Melvin Brunetti on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and J. Michael Luttig on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Stras then worked at the D.C. office of Sidley Austin Brown & Wood for one year, after which he clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas of the United States Supreme Court.[7]

Stras was a professor of law at the University of Minnesota Law School from 2004 to 2010, teaching and writing in the areas of federal courts and jurisdiction, constitutional law, criminal law, and law and politics. He won the law school's Stanley V. Kinyon Tenure Track Teacher of the Year Award in 2006. While he was on the faculty of University of Minnesota Law School, he was also a counsel at Faegre & Bensen.[8] Stras also served as co-director of the Institute for Law and Politics.[7] He has contributed to research on such topics as judicial pensions and life tenure for judges. Stras has also studied judicial appointments and the politics of courts. He is a member of the Federalist Society.[9]

Stras was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court by Governor Tim Pawlenty, with his term beginning on July 1, 2010.[7] He was sworn in on July 12, 2010, in a public ceremony.[10] Stras was elected to a six-year term in 2012. Prior to his appointment, he was a frequent guest on legal topics at Minnesota Public Radio. He is believed to be the first Jewish justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court.[11] He was on President Donald Trump's list of potential Supreme Court justices.[12]

Federal judicial service[edit]

On May 8, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Stras to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated by Judge Diana E. Murphy who took senior status on November 29, 2016.[13][14] On September 5, 2017, Minnesota Senator Al Franken announced that he would not return his blue slip for Stras.[15] On November 29, 2017, a hearing was held on his nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[16]

On January 3, 2018, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.[17] On January 5, 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intent to renominate Stras to a federal judgeship.[18] On January 8, 2018, his renomination was sent to the Senate.[19] On January 18, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 13–8 vote. On January 30, 2018, David Stras's nomination to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the 8th Circuit was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 56–42.[20] He received his judicial commission on January 31, 2018.

Personal life[edit]

Stras and his wife, Heather, have two children.[4] His grandmother is a Holocaust survivor from Hungary and his grandfather is a Holocaust survivor from Germany.[21]

Electoral history[edit]

2012
Minnesota Supreme Court Primary Election Results, August 14, 2012[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan David Stras (incumbent) 139,218 48.83%
Nonpartisan Tim Tinglestad 83,975 29.45%
Nonpartisan Alan Nelson 61,942 21.72%
Plurality 55,243 19.38%
Total votes 285,135 100.00%
Runoff election
Minnesota Supreme Court Election Results, November 6, 2012[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan David Stras (incumbent) 1,141,951 55.95%
Nonpartisan Tim Tinglestad 890,301 43.62%
Nonpartisan Write-ins 8,687 0.43%
Majority 251,650 12.33%
Total votes 2,040,939 100.00%

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Voruganti, Harsh (June 14, 2017). "Justice David R. Stras – Nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit". The Vetting Room. Retrieved December 16, 2017. 
  2. ^ Minnesota Lawyer Staff (October 5, 2012). "Minnesota Supreme Court, Seat 4: Stras v. Tingelstad". The Minnesota Lawyer. Retrieved December 16, 2017. 
  3. ^ Liptak, Adam (May 7, 2017). "Trump to Announce Slate of Conservative Federal Court Nominees". The New York Times. Retrieved May 8, 2017. 
  4. ^ a b "Minnesota Supreme Court, Seat 4: Stras v. Tingelstad". Minnesota Lawyer. October 5, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2014. 
  5. ^ "Professor Stras Named to Minnesota Supreme Court Bench". University of Minnesota Law School. May 13, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2014. 
  6. ^ "Biographies of the Justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court". Minnesota State Law Library. Archived from the original on January 5, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2014. 
  7. ^ a b c d "Judge Profile: Associate Justice David R. Stras". Minnesota Judicial Branch. Retrieved February 22, 2014. 
  8. ^ Severino, Carrie (May 7, 2017). "Who is Justice David Stras?". National Review. Retrieved September 25, 2017. 
  9. ^ Sherman, Mark (November 17, 2016). "Justice Thomas: Honor Scalia by reining in government". Albuquerque Journal. Associated Press. Retrieved June 19, 2017. 
  10. ^ "Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea, Justice David R. Stras Sworn In During Public Ceremony". Minnesota Judicial Branch. July 13, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2014. 
  11. ^ Cohen, Mark (July 19, 2010). "Is Stras the first Jewish Minnesota high court justice?". MinnLawyer Blog. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved February 22, 2014. 
  12. ^ COLVIN, JILL. "TRUMP UNVEILS LIST OF HIS TOP SUPREME COURT PICKS". Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 19, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2016. 
  13. ^ Adler, Jonathan H. (May 7, 2017). "Here come Trump's judges: President to put forward more strong judicial nominees". Washington Post. Retrieved May 8, 2017. 
  14. ^ "Congressional Record". www.congress.gov. 
  15. ^ Lucas, Scott (September 5, 2017). "Franken opposes Trump judicial nominee, setting up procedural clash". Politico. Retrieved September 25, 2017. 
  16. ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for November 29, 2017
  17. ^ "Congressional Record", United States Senate, January 3, 2018
  18. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Renomination of 21 Judicial Nominees", White House, January 5, 2018
  19. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate Today", The White House, January 8, 2018
  20. ^ https://www.dailypress.senate.gov/?p=20581
  21. ^ Bryan, Erin Elliott (October 10, 2012). "A Jew on Minnesota's high court". American Jewish World. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2014. 
  22. ^ "2012 Primary Election Results". Office of the Secretary of State of Minnesota. August 14, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2018. 
  23. ^ "2012 General Election Results". Office of the Secretary of State of Minnesota. November 6, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2018. 

External links[edit]

Legal offices
Preceded by
Lorie Gildea 		Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
2010–2018 		Succeeded by
Paul Thissen
Preceded by
Diana E. Murphy 		Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
2018–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Stras&oldid=851779951"