Senior Judge James H. Carter
Judge Carter,
Cedar Rapids, served on the Iowa Supreme Court from 1982 to 2006.
He was born
in Waverly and spent his childhood in Clarksville.
Judge
Carter received his bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa in 1956 and
his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1960. During law school, he served on the Iowa Law
Review as Notes Editor. He graduated
from law school, Order of Coif.
Following
graduation, he was a law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Henry N.
Graven. Judge Carter worked in private
practice with the law firm of Shuttleworth and Ingersoll in Cedar Rapids. He served as a district court judge from
1973 to 1976. In 1976, he was appointed
to the Iowa Court of Appeals where he served until his appointment to the Iowa
Supreme Court.
Judge Carter
is married and has two children.
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Senior Judge Jerry L. Larson
Judge Larson, Harlan, served on the Iowa Supreme Court from
1978 to 2008. He was the longest-serving
member of the bench in Iowa Supreme Court history.
Judge
Larson, who was born and raised in Harlan, received his bachelor's degree in
1958 and law degree in 1960 from the University of Iowa. While at law school,
he was Editor of the Iowa Law Review.
Following
his graduation from law school, he was a law clerk for U.S. 8th Circuit Court
of Appeals Federal Judge M.D. Van Oosterhout.
Later, Judge
Larson practiced law in Harlan with his father and served two terms as Shelby
County Attorney. In 1975, he was appointed a district court judge. He served on
the district bench until his appointment to the Iowa Supreme Court.
As a member
of the Iowa Supreme Court, Judge Larson played a key role in developing the
court's rules for expanded media coverage of Iowa's courts. These rules have
served as a model for other states.
Judge Larson is married. He has four children, two of whom
are district judges, two stepchildren and twelve grandchildren.
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Senior
Judge Louis A. Lavorato
Judge Louis A. Lavorato, Des Moines, served on the Iowa
Supreme Court from 1986 to 2006. He was
Chief Justice from 2000 to 2006.
He received his undergraduate degree and his law degree from
Drake University. He was first in his class at Drake Law School, Assistant
Editor of the Drake Law Review, and graduated Order of Coif with honors in
1962.
Following law school, Judge Lavorato worked in private
practice in the firm of Williams, Hart, Lavorato, and Kirtley, West Des
Moines. He was appointed to the
district court in 1979. He was Chief
Judge of the Fifth Judicial District from 1983 to 1986. Governor Terry Branstad appointed him to the
supreme court in 1986.
While on the supreme court, Judge Lavorato chaired the
court's subcommittee that reviewed the work of the Equality in the Courts Task
Force. He also chaired the judicial
branch team that oversaw the design and construction of the Judicial Branch
Building.
Judge Lavorato received a doctor of laws from Drake
University Law School in 2003, the Award of Merit of the Iowa Judges
Association in 1996, the Drake University Law School Outstanding Alumnus Award
in 1994 and the Judicial Achievement Award from the Association of Trial
Lawyers of Iowa in 1985.
Judge Lavorato is married.
He has five children, two of whom are attorneys, and four grandchildren.