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Biography
James L. Foreman (1927 – June 3, 2012) was a United States federal judge.
Born in Metropolis, Illinois, Foreman was in the United States Navy from 1945 to 1946. He received a B.S. from the University of Illinois in 1950, and a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1952. From 1952 to 1972, he was in private practice in Metropolis, Illinois. He was the assistant state attorney general of Illinois from 1953 to 1960, and then a state's attorney of Massac County, Illinois until 1964.
On February 16, 1972, Foreman was nominated by President Richard Nixon to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Illinois vacated by William G. Juergens. Foreman was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 2, 1972, and received his commission on March 7, 1972. He served as chief judge from 1978 until March 31, 1979, when the districts of Illinois were reorganized and he was reassigned by operation of law to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. He then served as chief judge of his new district until 1992, assuming senior status on June 1, 1992 and retired May 12, 2007. He died on June 3, 2012.