David Stras Explained

David Stras
Office:Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Appointer:Donald Trump
Term Start:January 31, 2018
Predecessor:Diana E. Murphy
Office1:Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
Appointer1:Tim Pawlenty
Term Start1:July 1, 2010
Term End1:January 31, 2018
Predecessor1:Lorie Gildea
Successor1:Paul Thissen
Birth Name:David Ryan Stras
Birth Date:4 July 1974
Birth Place:Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
Children:2
Education:University of Kansas (BA, JD–MBA)

David Ryan Stras (born July 4, 1974) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He is a former justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.[1]

Early life and education

Stras was born in 1974 in Wichita, Kansas.[2] [3] He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts with highest honors. He then jointly attended the University of Kansas's School of Law and School of Business, receiving a JD–MBA in 1999. As a law student, Stras was editor-in-chief of the Criminal Procedure Edition of the Kansas Law Review. He received his Juris Doctor degree with Order of the Coif honors.[4] [5] [6]

Legal career

Stras was a law clerk for Judge Melvin Brunetti of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1999 to 2000, then for Judge J. Michael Luttig of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 2000 to 2001. After spending a year in private practice at the Washington, D.C. office of Sidley Austin, Stras clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court from 2002 to 2003.

Stras was a fellow at the University of Alabama School of Law from 2003 to 2004. From 2004 to 2010, he was a professor of law at the University of Minnesota Law School, 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 on the faculty of University of Minnesota Law School, he was also a counsel at Faegre & Bensen.[7] Stras also served as co-director of the Institute for Law and Politics. 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.[8]

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty appointed Stras to the Minnesota Supreme Court with his term beginning on July 1, 2010. He was sworn in on July 12 in a public ceremony.[9] Stras was elected to a six-year term in 2012. Before his appointment, he was a frequent guest on legal topics at Minnesota Public Radio. He is believed to be the first practicing Jewish justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court.[10] He was on President Donald Trump's list of potential Supreme Court nominees.[11]

Federal judicial service

Nomination and confirmation

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 assumed senior status on November 29, 2016.[12] [13] On September 5, 2017, Minnesota Senator Al Franken announced that he would not return his blue slip for Stras.[14] On November 29, 2017, a hearing was held on his nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[15]

On January 3, 2018, his nomination was returned to the president under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.[16] On January 5, Trump announced his intent to renominate Stras to a federal judgeship.[17] On January 8, his renomination was sent to the Senate.[18] On January 18, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 13–8 vote.[19] On January 29, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 57–41 vote.[20] On January 30, the Senate confirmed Stras's nomination by a 56–42 vote.[21] He received his judicial commission on January 31.

Notable opinions

Personal life

Stras and his wife, Heather, have two children. His paternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors, his grandmother from Hungary and grandfather from Germany.[29]

Selected scholarly works

Electoral history

2012

See also

External links

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: Liptak. Adam. Trump to Announce Slate of Conservative Federal Court Nominees. The New York Times. May 7, 2017. May 8, 2017.
  2. Web site: Minnesota Supreme Court, Seat 4: Stras v. Tingelstad . Minnesota Lawyer . October 5, 2012 . February 22, 2014.
  3. Web site: Professor Stras Named to Minnesota Supreme Court Bench . . May 13, 2010 . February 22, 2014.
  4. Web site: Biographies of the Justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court . Minnesota State Law Library . February 22, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140105045051/http://mn.gov/lawlib/judgebio.html . January 5, 2014 .
  5. Web site: Judge Profile: Associate Justice David R. Stras . Minnesota Judicial Branch . February 22, 2014.
  6. Web site: Senate Judiciary Committee Questionnaire – David Stras.
  7. News: Severino. Carrie. Who is Justice David Stras?. September 25, 2017. National Review. May 7, 2017.
  8. News: Sherman. Mark. Justice Thomas: Honor Scalia by reining in government. June 19, 2017. Albuquerque Journal. Associated Press. November 17, 2016.
  9. Web site: Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea, Justice David R. Stras Sworn In During Public Ceremony . Minnesota Judicial Branch . July 13, 2010 . February 22, 2014.
  10. Web site: Is Stras the first Jewish Minnesota high court justice? . MinnLawyer Blog . July 19, 2010 . February 22, 2014 . Cohen, Mark . https://web.archive.org/web/20131207033529/http://minnlawyer.com/minnlawyerblog/2010/07/19/is-stras-the-first-jewish-minnesota-high-court-justice/ . December 7, 2013.
  11. News: COLVIN. JILL. TRUMP UNVEILS LIST OF HIS TOP SUPREME COURT PICKS. May 18, 2016. Associated Press. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160519104509/http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GOP_2016_TRUMP_SUPREME_COURT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-05-18-14-08-40. May 19, 2016.
  12. News: Adler. Jonathan H. . Jonathan H. Adler . Here come Trump's judges: President to put forward more strong judicial nominees. May 8, 2017. Washington Post. May 7, 2017.
  13. Web site: Congressional Record. www.congress.gov.
  14. Web site: Lucas. Scott. Franken opposes Trump judicial nominee, setting up procedural clash. Politico. September 5, 2017. September 25, 2017.
  15. Web site: Nominations | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. 2023-01-12. www.judiciary.senate.gov. November 29, 2017 . en.
  16. Web site: Congressional Record | Congress.gov | Library of Congress.
  17. President Donald J. Trump Announces Renomination of 21 Judicial Nominees. 2023-01-12. trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov.
  18. Nominations Sent to the Senate Today. 2023-01-12. trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov.
  19. Web site: Results of Executive Business Meeting – January 18, 2018. January 18, 2018. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. November 19, 2022.
  20. Web site: On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: David Ryan Stras to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit). January 29, 2018. United States Senate. November 19, 2022.
  21. Web site: On the Nomination (Confirmation David Ryan Stras, of Minnesota, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit). January 30, 2018. United States Senate. January 30, 2018.
  22. Web site: Montemayor. Stephen. Federal appeals court rules for St. Cloud couple seeking to deny same-sex wedding film services. 2022-01-11. Star Tribune.
  23. Web site: Liddell v. Special School District, Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit 2023 . Google Scholar . 2024-01-27.
  24. Web site: United States v. Jackson, Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit 2023 . Google Scholar . 2024-01-27.
  25. Web site: RED RIVER VALLEY SUGARBEET GROWERS ASSOCIATION v. Regan, Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit 2023 . Google Scholar . 2024-01-27.
  26. Web site: ARKANSAS STATE CONFERENCE NAACP v. ARKANSAS BOARD OF APPORTIONMENT, Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit 2023 . Google Scholar . 2024-01-27.
  27. News: Corasanti . Nick . November 20, 2023 . Federal Court Moves to Drastically Weaken Voting Rights Act . The New York Times .
  28. Web site: MISSOURI EX REL. BAILEY v. THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit 2024 . Google Scholar . 2024-01-27.
  29. Web site: A Jew on Minnesota's high court . American Jewish World . October 10, 2012 . February 22, 2014 . Bryan, Erin Elliott . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140302021816/http://ajwnews.com/archives/14824 . March 2, 2014 .