Richard Stearns

Richard Stearns

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Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts

Tenure

1993 - Present

Years in position

31

Education

Bachelor's

Stanford University, 1968

Graduate

Oxford University, Balliol College, 1971

Law

Harvard Law, 1976

Personal

Birthplace

Los Angeles, Calif.

Contact

Official website

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Richard Gaylore Stearns (b. 1944) is a federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. He joined the court in 1993 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton. At the time of appointment, Stearns was an Associate justice for the Superior Court of Massachusetts.

Education

A native of California, Stearns graduated from Stanford University with his bachelor's degree in 1968 and also graduated with a master's degree from Oxford University's Balliol College in 1971 and also graduated from Harvard Law School with his J.D. degree in 1976.

Professional career

• 1990-1993: Associate justice, Superior Court of Massachusetts
• 1982-1990: Assistant U.S. attorney, District of Massachusetts
• 1976-1982: Norfolk County (Massachusetts) District Attorney's Office
• 1975-1976: Speech writer, Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
• 1972-1973: Special assistant, U.S. Senator George McGovern

Judicial career

District of Massachusetts

On the unanimous recommendation of U.S. Senators John Kerry and Ted Kennedy, Stearns was nominated by President Bill Clinton on October 27, 1993, to a seat vacated by John McNaught. Stearns was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 20, 1993, on voice vote and received commission on November 24, 1993.

See also

• United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts

External links

• Judge Stearns Biography at the Federal Judicial Center

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts 1993-Present	Succeeded by -

Massachusetts courts

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Federal courts:

First Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Massachusetts • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Massachusetts

State courts:

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court • Massachusetts Appeals Court • Massachusetts Superior Courts • Massachusetts District Courts • Massachusetts Housing Courts • Massachusetts Juvenile Courts • Massachusetts Land Courts • Massachusetts Probate and Family Courts • Boston Municipal Courts, Massachusetts

State resources:

Courts in Massachusetts • Massachusetts judicial elections • Judicial selection in Massachusetts