James B. Loken
Encyclopedia
James B. Loken is a federal appeals court judge who has served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
since 1990.
in 1962 and his law degree from Harvard Law School
in 1965. After law school, he clerked for Judge J. Edward Lumbard
of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals from 1965 to 1966 and for Associate Justice
Byron White
of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1966 to 1967.
from 1967 to 1970. He was General Counsel
to the President's Committee on Consumer Interests in 1970 and a staff assistant to President Richard M. Nixon
from 1970 to 1972. Loken returned to private practice in Minneapolis from 1973 to 1990 with the law firm of Faegre & Benson
.
on September 10, 1990, to a seat vacated by Gerald William Heaney
. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
on October 12, and received his commission on October 17. He served as chief judge of the court from April 1, 2003 through March 31, 2010, when he was succeeded as chief judge by William Jay Riley. He is currently an active judge on the court.
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Arkansas* Western District of Arkansas...
since 1990.
Education and legal training
Loken earned his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in 1962 and his law degree from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1965. After law school, he clerked for Judge J. Edward Lumbard
J. Edward Lumbard
Joseph Edward Lumbard, Jr. was a United States federal judge.Lumbard was born in Harlem, New York City. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx. In 1920, while an undergraduate Harvard University, he was expelled by its "Secret Court" of 1920 for associating with a group of...
of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals from 1965 to 1966 and for Associate Justice
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
Byron White
Byron White
Byron Raymond "Whizzer" White won fame both as a football halfback and as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Appointed to the court by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, he served until his retirement in 1993...
of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1966 to 1967.
Professional career
Loken was in private practice in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
from 1967 to 1970. He was General Counsel
General Counsel
A general counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a corporation or government department. The term is most used in the United States...
to the President's Committee on Consumer Interests in 1970 and a staff assistant to President Richard M. Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
from 1970 to 1972. Loken returned to private practice in Minneapolis from 1973 to 1990 with the law firm of Faegre & Benson
Faegre & Benson
Faegre & Benson LLP is the largest law firm in Minnesota and one of the 100 largest firms headquartered in the United States. The firm employs more than 500 lawyers throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Faegre & Benson was established in Minneapolis in 1886 as Cobb & Wheelwright...
.
Federal judicial service
Loken was nominated to the Eighth Circuit by President George H. W. BushGeorge H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
on September 10, 1990, to a seat vacated by Gerald William Heaney
Gerald William Heaney
Gerald William Heaney served for nearly forty years as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, from his appointment by President Lyndon B. Johnson in November 1966 until his full retirement in August 2006. Heaney’s career in public service began in 1941, upon...
. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on October 12, and received his commission on October 17. He served as chief judge of the court from April 1, 2003 through March 31, 2010, when he was succeeded as chief judge by William Jay Riley. He is currently an active judge on the court.