James Graham Jenkins (July 18, 1834August 6, 1921) was an American lawyer and Judge. He served twelve years as a

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, appointed by President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

. Prior to that, he had been a United States district judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Education and career

Born on July 18, 1834, in

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...

, Jenkins

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

in 1855. He entered private practice in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

from 1855 to 1857. He continued private practice in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, from 1857 to 1888. He was city attorney of Milwaukee from 1863 to 1867. In 1879, he was the Democratic nominee for

Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscons ...

, but was defeated by incumbent William E. Smith.

Federal judicial service

Jenkins was nominated by President

on June 19, 1888, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin vacated by Judge

Charles E. Dyer Charles E. Dyer (October 15, 1834November 25, 1905) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Education and career Born in Cicero, New York, Dyer read law to enter the bar in 18 ...

. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on July 2, 1888, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on March 23, 1893, due to his elevation to the Seventh Circuit. Jenkins was nominated by President Cleveland on March 20, 1893, to a joint seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the United States Circuit Courts for the Seventh Circuit vacated by Judge

Walter Q. Gresham Walter Quintin Gresham (March 17, 1832May 28, 1895) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and of the United States Circuit Courts for the Seventh Circuit and previously was a United State ...

. He was confirmed by the Senate on March 23, 1893, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on February 23, 1905, due to his retirement.

Later career and death

Following his retirement from the federal bench, Jenkins resumed private practice in Milwaukee from 1905 to 1908. He was Dean of Marquette University Law School from 1908 to 1913. He died on August 6, 1921, in Milwaukee.

Electoral history

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 4, 1879

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jenkins, James Graham 1834 births 1921 deaths People from Saratoga Springs, New York Lawyers from Milwaukee Marquette University faculty Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit United States federal judges appointed by Grover Cleveland 19th-century American judges New York (state) lawyers Wisconsin lawyers United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law