Judge Ellefson was appointed to the bench in February of 2012. He earned his Bachelor's degree From Wartburg in 1974 and graduated with Honors from Drake Law School in 1977. Judge Ellefson Clerked for Robert G. Allbee, Chief Judge of the Iowa Court of Appeals (1977 - 1978) and Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court (1978 - 1979). Judge Ellefson practiced law in Eldora from 1979 - 1985, and in Marshalltown from 1985 - 2012. He is a member of the Blackstone Inn of Court, American Bar Association, Iowa State Bar Association, and the Marshall County Bar Association.