"Jim Gritzner has extensive trial experience and is fully qualified to serve on the District Court. His reputation for being fair and evenhanded is something we expect of all judges," said Grassley, who serves on the Judiciary Committee and recommended Gritzner to the President.
President Bush nominated Gritzner in July 2001. Gritzner has been a lawyer in private practice in Des Moines since 1982. He served as a member of the Iowa Board of Parole from 1980 to 1982. From 1985 to 1990, he was the primary prosecutor for the Committee on Professional Ethics and Conduct of the Iowa State Bar Association and the Client Security and Attorney Disciplinary Commission of the Iowa Supreme Court. Gritzner is a graduate of Drake University Law School. He has a master's degree from the University of Northern Iowa and a bachelor's degree from Dakota Wesleyan University.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa has three active judges. Gritzner was nominated for a full-time spot on the bench that was created when Judge Charles Wolle announced he would assume senior judge status, which allows Wolle to handle a smaller caseload.