Justice Michael J. Streit
Justice Streit,
Johnston, was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2001.
Justice Streit was born and raised in
Sheldon, Iowa. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa in
1972 where he majored in economics with emphasis in health economics. While
attending the University of San Diego School of Law, Justice Streit was editor-in-chief of the San Diego Law Journal. He
was a member of the law review and wrote articles on securities regulation. He
has received the Distinguished Alumni award from the University of San Diego
for his service to the profession and the Iowa courts.
After graduating in 1975, Justice Streit
was licensed in the Iowa, California, and Nebraska courts. Justice Streit chose to practice law with the Morr
and Shelton law firm in Chariton, Iowa where he served farmers, businessmen,
and everyday Iowans. He also served as Assistant Lucas County Attorney and
Lucas County Attorney. Justice Streit was appointed
as a district court judge by Governor Terry Branstad
in 1983. Justice Streit served in all 16 counties of
the Fifth Judicial District. He held trials from Newton to Corydon, Des Moines
to Bedford. Governor Branstad appointed Streit to the Iowa Court of Appeals in 1996. In the five
years on the Court of Appeals Streit wrote over 600
decisions. In 2001, Governor Thomas Vilsack appointed
Justice Streit to the Iowa Supreme Court. While
serving on the court, Justice Streit has been Chair
of the Rules committee. He has also served on the Bar Admissions and
Administrative committees. He enjoys serving as liaison to the Fifth and
Seventh Judicial districts and has served in that capacity to the Eighth
Judicial district.
Justice Streit has been involved in
professional education and public speaking. Justice Streit
has served in a wide variety of capacities with a large number of groups. A
partial list includes: Board of Counselors of Drake Law School, Chair of the
New Judge Orientation Program, Chair of the New Judge Mentor Program, STOP
Violence Against Woman Coordinating Council, Iowa Supreme Court Select
Committee on Child Welfare, State Bar Annual Committee, Judicial Evaluation and
Performance Committee and the Anglo-American Exchange Program serving in the
British courts for two months. Justice Streit also
served on the Supreme Court Committee on Public Access to the Courts, Iowa
Court Information System Board, Domestic Violence Group, Judges Association
Family Law, Criminal Procedure, Gender/Racial Bias Committee, Supreme Court
Advisory Committee on Evidentiary Presumptions, Rural Justice Institute in
Montpelier, Vermont, Chariton Jaycees, Department of Human Services Forensic
Mental Health Unit Task Force, Criminal Justice Listening Post, Iowa Council
for International Understanding, Chair of the Managing Trials Effectively
group, Model Court Project, and the Iowa Court Improvement Project Training and
Education Task Force.
Justice Streit is the chair of the
Supreme Court Education Advisory Committee and was the chair of Judges
Association Education Committee. He chaired the planning committee formulating
a five year education plan for all the judges and employees of the judicial
branch aimed at improving the services provided every day to Iowans coming to
our courts. He began the Iowa Judicial Institute in 1992. The Institute
provides in-depth educational opportunities to Iowa judges at the Drake and
Iowa Law Schools each year seeking to improve the professionalism and knowledge
of judges as they serve Iowa citizens. He has taught Iowa Contract law in the
Bar Review school for new lawyers taking the bar exam. He has done this for
fifteen years. Justice Streit taught computer use to
judges and served for ten years on the Supreme Court Judicial Technology
Committee. As a founding member of the Blackstone Inn of Court he participates
in presentations of legal and ethical presentations to some of Iowa's best
attorneys.
Justice Streit has been involved with
the public speaking to numerous groups concerning our courts. These groups or
organizations include the Boy Scouts; numerous grade and school classes; Rotary
clubs; churches; bar associations of District 5B, Storey County, Johnston
County, Polk County, Districts 5A, Two, Three, Seven and eight;
Iowa Magistrates; Leadership Iowa and Ames; Jaycees; Kiwanis; undergraduate
classes at DMACC, Simpson, and Drake; Iowa and Drake Law Schools; Iowa
Correction Association; Boys State; Blackstone and C. Edwin Moore Inns of
Court; Judicature Society; Iowa Bar Association; Freedom of Speech group; Iowa
State Bar Association Know Your Constitution; County Attorney Conference;
Capitol Project 2001-2005; International Fellows Program; and elementary, high school and
Intercollegiate mock trial competitions; Justice Streit
has met and taught groups of lawyers and judges from Bosnia, Moldova, Russia,
Ukraine, Germany, China, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, and students from more than
30 countries.
Justice Streit has been a member of
the Lucas and Polk County Bar Associations, Iowa State Bar Association,
American Bar Association, District 5B Bar Association, Iowa
Judges Association, Blackstone Inn of Court, Nebraska Bar Association,
California Bar Association and National District Attorneys Association.
Justice
Streit is married and enjoys family activities
surrounding his son's scouts, soccer, baseball, and golf.
