Quick Facts
GeminiBiography
Walter Thomas McGovern (born May 24, 1922) is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.
Education and career
Born in Seattle, Washington, McGovern received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington in 1949 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Washington School of Law in 1950. He was in private practice in Seattle from 1950 to 1959. He was a judge of the Municipal Court of Seattle from 1959 to 1965, on the King County Superior Court from 1965 to 1968, and on the Washington State Supreme Court from 1968 to 1971.
Federal judicial service
On March 29, 1971, McGovern was nominated by President Richard Nixon to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington vacated by Judge William James Lindberg. McGovern was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 21, 1971, and received his commission on April 23, 1971. He served as Chief Judge from 1975 to 1987, assuming senior status on September 30, 1987.
Sources
- Walter Thomas McGovern at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William James Lindberg | Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington 1971–1987 | Succeeded by Thomas Samuel Zilly |
| Preceded by William Nelson Goodwin | Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington 1975–1987 | Succeeded by Barbara Jacobs Rothstein |