Document - Judicial Selection in the States

Judicial Biographies
District 4
James M. Richardson
District Judge
Year of Appointment: 1986
Background and Education:
Judge Richardson was born on
Independence Day in Jefferson,
Iowa, in 1950. He spent his
childhood in the Scranton area,
where his parents operated
a small dairy farm and his
father was employed as a farm
implement mechanic. He
graduated as valedictorian of
Scranton Consolidated Schools
in 1968. He completed his
undergraduate degree at the University of Northern Iowa
in 1972, and graduated from law school, with distinction,
from the University of Iowa in 1975.
Career: From 1975 to his appointment district judge in
1986, Judge Richardson was a law partner with Barron
& Richardson, a general private practice involving all
aspects of the law, including trial work, probate, real
estate, corporate, banking, domestic relations, and
income tax. Judge Richardson’s clients were primarily
individuals and business entities located in the Audubon,
Carroll, and Guthrie County areas. He also served as city
attorney for Audubon from 1975 to 1978, Bayard from
1982 to 1986, and Coon Rapids from 1980 to 1986. Judge
Richardson served as the Fourth Judicial District Drug
Court Judge from 2003 to 2005. Since his appointment
to district judge, the district has handled the largest
volume of cases in the state per judge for 20 years.
Judge Richardson has continually worked toward his
goal of protection and service to the citizens of Iowa,
and has attempted at all times to solve problems by the
application of the law to the facts.
As an attorney and as a judge, he has never been
disciplined or cited for breach of professional ethics.
Community Activities: Judge Richardson served as
president of the Audubon Chamber of Commerce in
1978, and was a board member of the Audubon Industrial
Development. He has been a volunteer coach and
academic lecturer for Audubon Community Schools since
1975.
Professional Activities: Since 1975, Judge Richardson
has been a member of the Audubon County, Southwest
Iowa, Iowa State, and American Bar Associations. He
was president of the Audubon County Bar Association
from 1980-1986, and was vice president of the Southwest
Iowa Bar Association in 1985 and president in 1986. He
served on the Iowa State Bar Review Committee in 1984
through 1986 and the Bench Bar Committee from 2002
to 2006, co-chairing the committee from 2003 to 2006.
Judge Richardson has been a member of the Iowa Judges
Association since 1986, and served on the board of
directors from 1998 to 2002, as secretary-treasurer from
2003 to 2004, as president-elect in 2004 through 2005,
and as president from 2005 to 2006. From 1998 through
2002, Judge Richardson was on the Client Security and
Attorney Disciplinary Committee of the Supreme Court of
Iowa, and was chairman from 1996 to 2002.
Family: Judge Richardson is married and has three
children. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church in
Audubon.
29 Voter Information