James Spencer

From Judgepedia
Jump to: navigation, search
James Spencer
Placeholder image.png
Do you have a photo that could go here? Submit it for this profile by emailing us!
Current Court Information:
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Title:   Judge
Position:   Seat #5
Station:   Richmond, VA
Service:
Appointed by:   Ronald Reagan
Active:   10/14/1986 - Present
Chief:   2004 - 2011
Preceded by:   John MacKenzie
Personal History
Born:   1949
Home State:   Florence, SC
Bachelors:   Clark College, Atlanta, Georgia, B.A., 1971
Law School:   Harvard Law, J.D., 1974
Grad. School:   Howard U., M.Div., 1985
Military service:   U.S. Army 1975-1978, Reserves 1981-1986

Contents

James Spencer is an Article III federal judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He joined the court in 1986 after being nominated by President Ronald Reagan. Spencer was the Chief Judge of the court serving as the court's lead judicial administrative officer in conjunction with the Clerk of Court from 2004 to 2011.[1]

Spencer intends to take on senior status on March 25, 2014. [2]

Early life and education

A native of South Carolina, Spencer graduated from Clark College-Atlanta with his Bachelor's Degree in 1971 and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1974 and later in 1985 earned a Master's in Divinity Degree from Howard University.[1]

Professional career

Spencer has had a varied legal career as an attorney, prosecutor, and as a Judge that has prepared him for the Federal Bench. After Law School, Spencer became a U.S. Army Captain in the JAG (Judge Advocate General) Corps from 1975 to 1978. After a honorable discharge from the US Army, Spencer joined the US Attorney's Office as an Assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia from 1978-1983 and later transferred to the Eastern District of Virginia from 1983 to 1986. Spencer also served in the US Army Reserve from 1981 to 1986 and gained experience as a Judge as a Military Court Judge handling court martial trials and other military related judicial manners. Since 1987, Spencer has served as a Adjunct professor of law at the University of Virginia Law School.[1]

Judicial career

Eastern District of Virginia

On the unanimous recommendation of Virginia's U.S. Senators Paul S. Trible, Jr. and John Warner, Spencer was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on September 9, 1986 to a seat vacated by John MacKenzie as MacKenzie went on senior status. Spencer was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 8, 1986 on a Senate vote and received commission on October 14, 1986. Spencer served as the chief judge of the court from 2004 to 2011.[1]

See also

External links

References

Federal judicial offices
Preceded by:
John MacKenzie
Eastern District of Virginia
1986–Current
Seat #5
Succeeded by:
NA


Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Encyclopedia:
Get involved:
Donate
Toolbox