David H. Coar

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David Herndon Coar (born August 11, 1943)[1] is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

David H. Coar
Coar in 2014
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
In office
August 12, 2009 – December 31, 2010
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
In office
October 7, 1994 – August 12, 2009
Appointed byBill Clinton
Preceded byIlana Rovner
Succeeded byJohn Z. Lee
Personal details
Born (1943-08-11) August 11, 1943 (age 80)
Birmingham, Alabama
EducationSyracuse University (BA)
Loyola University Chicago School of Law (JD)
Harvard Law School (LLM)

Education and career edit

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Coar received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Syracuse University in 1964, a Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 1969, and a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School in 1970. He was a United States Marine Corps Sergeant in 1965. and United States Marine Corps Reserve Sergeant from 1965 to 1971. He was a Legal intern for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in New York City from 1970 to 1971. Coar entered private practice in Mobile, Alabama from 1971 to 1972, then in Birmingham from 1973 to 1974. He was an Associate professor and associate dean of the DePaul University College of Law from 1974 to 1979 and from 1982 to 1986. He was a United States Trustee for the Northern District of Illinois from 1979 to 1982. He was a visiting professor of law at the College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe Law School in 1985 and was the first Black person to teach at the law school.[2] Coar served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Illinois from 1986 to 1994.

Federal judicial service edit

On August 16, 1994, Coar was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois vacated by Ilana Rovner. Coar was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 6, 1994, and received his commission on October 7, 1994. He assumed senior status August 12, 2009 and retired December 31, 2010.

Post judicial service edit

In 2013 he was named to co-lead a commission with Benjamin K. Miller to draw a path to Bond Court reform for the state of Illinois. The next year the commission issued a comprehensive report detailing the problems of the system and gave forty recommendations for reform.[3]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Third Congress, Second Session, on Confirmation of Appointees to the Federal Judiciary, August 17, 18, 25; September 14 and 21, 1994. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1996. p. 1003.
  2. ^ Greene, Jeroyd (April 1974). "1974 - First Black Faculty Appointment, JeRoyd X. Greene". Black History at W&M Law.
  3. ^ "Essential Components for Bond Court Reform". Chicago Council of Lawyers.

External links edit

Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
1994–2009
Succeeded by