Judge Blane, West Des Moines, was appointed to the bench in 1995. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he attended Drake University where he earned his undergraduate degree in 1970 and his law degree in 1973. Before his judicial appointment, he served as an assistant Polk County attorney, first assistant United States attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, and practiced in a private firm in Des Moines. Judge Blane is a member of the Polk County Bar Association as well as the Iowa Judges Association, and serves on the Iowa Supreme Court Rules Committee. Judge Blane is married and has two sons.