Iain D. Johnston Explained

Iain D. Johnston
Office:	Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Term Start:	September 23, 2020
Appointer:	Donald Trump
Predecessor:	Frederick J. Kapala
Office1:	Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Term Start1:	May 3, 2013
Term End1:	September 23, 2020
Predecessor1:	P. Michael Mahoney
Successor1:	Margaret J. Schneider
Birth Place:	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Education:	Rockford University (BA) UIC John Marshall Law School (JD)

Iain David Johnston^[1] (born 1965)^[2] is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and a former United States magistrate judge of the same court.

Education

Johnston earned his Bachelor of Science, cum laude, from Rockford University in 1987 and his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from UIC John Marshall Law School in 1990.^[3]

Career

Johnston served as a law clerk to Judge Philip Godfrey Reinhard of the Illinois Second District Appellate Court and then the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He was a unit supervisor for the Office of the Illinois Attorney General and in private practice at Altheimer & Gray, Holland & Knight, and Johnston Greene. He also serves as an adjunct professor at UIC John Marshall Law School.

Federal judicial service

Johnston served as a United States magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, from May 3, 2013 to September 23, 2020 when he became a district judge.^[4]

On February 5, 2020, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Johnston to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. On February 12, 2020, his nomination was sent to the Senate.^[5] President Trump nominated Johnston to the seat vacated by Judge Frederick J. Kapala, who assumed senior status on May 10, 2019. A hearing on his nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee was held on June 24, 2020.^[6] On July 30, 2020, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 17–5 vote.^[7] On September 16, 2020, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by an 81–15 vote.^[8] On September 17, 2020, his nomination was confirmed by a 77–14 vote.^[9] He received his judicial commission on September 23, 2020. He was sworn in on September 29, 2020.^[10]

Membership

He was a member of the Federalist Society from 1995 to 1998.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Voruganti . Harsh . April 10, 2020 . Judge Iain Johnston – Nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois . June 5, 2020 . The Vetting Room . en.
2. https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Iain%20Johnston%20SJQ%20-%20PUBLIC.pdf United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Iain Johnston
3. https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-announces-judicial-nominee-3/ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominee" White House, February 5, 2020
4. Web site: United States Magistrate Judge P. Michael Mahoney will Leave the Bench on May 1, 2014. United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Public Information Office. January 28, 2014. February 5, 2020.
5. Web site: Fifteen Nominations and Two Withdrawals Sent to the Senate. en-US. National Archives. whitehouse.gov. February 12, 2020.
6. https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/06/24/2020/nominations-1 United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for June 24, 2020
7. https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Results%20of%20Executive%20Business%20Meeting%20July%2030,%202020.pdf Results of Executive Business Meeting – July 30, 2020, Senate Judiciary Committee
8. https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1162/vote_116_2_00181.htm "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Iain D. Johnston to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois) United States Senate, September 16, 2020
9. https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=116&session=2&vote=00183 "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Iain D. Johnston, of Illinois, to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois) United States Senate, September 17, 2020
10. September 30, 2020. Judge Iain D. Johnston Sworn in as District Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. ilnd.uscourts.gov. May 28, 2023.