Pasco Bowman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Senior Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit | |
| Assumed office August 1, 2003 | |
| Chief Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit | |
| In office April 17, 1998 – April 24, 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Richard S. Arnold |
| Succeeded by | Roger Leland Wollman |
| Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit | |
| In office July 19, 1983 – August 1, 2003 | |
| Appointed by | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | J. Smith Henley |
| Succeeded by | Raymond Gruender |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Pasco Middleton Bowman II (1933-12-20)December 20, 1933 (age 91) Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Education | Bridgewater College (BA) New York University (JD) University of Virginia (LLM) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1959-1984 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | Army Judge Advocate General's Corps |
Pasco Middleton Bowman II (born December 20, 1933)[1] is an American attorney and jurist serving as aseniorUnited States circuit judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Bowman was born inHarrisonburg,Virginia and grew up inNew Market andTimberville, Virginia. He graduated from New Market High School and received aBachelor of Arts degree in English fromBridgewater College in 1955. He earned aJuris Doctor fromNew York University School of Law in 1958, where he was a Root-Tilden scholar and served as managing editor of theNew York University Law Review. He then went into private practice of law. From 1958 to 1964, with time out for military service and his Fulbright year at theLondon School of Economics, he was associated with theNew York City law firm ofCravath, Swaine & Moore.[2]
Bowman was a member of the faculty ofUniversity of Georgia School of Law from 1964 to 1970. He was thendean and professor atWake Forest University School of Law from 1970 to 1978, and a visiting professor at theUniversity of Virginia School of Law from 1978 to 1979. He was dean and professor at theUniversity of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law from July 1979 to July 1983. He attendedThe Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School at theUniversity of Virginia and enteredJudge Advocate General's Corps from 1959 to 1984.[2]
On May 24, 1983, PresidentRonald Reagan nominated Bowman to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit to fill a seat vacated by JudgeJ. Smith Henley. TheUnited States Senate confirmed Bowman on July 18, 1983, and he received his commission on July 19, 1983. He served as Chief Judge from 1998 to 1999. He assumedsenior status on August 1, 2003.[2]
Bowman completed the graduate program for judges at theUniversity of Virginia School of Law and received hisMaster of Laws from theUniversity of Virginia in 1986.
His service to the federal judiciary includes tours of duty on the Criminal Law Committee, the Federal-State Jurisdiction Committee, and the Board of Directors of theFederal Judicial Center. Notably, Bowman authored the Eighth Circuit's opinion inClinton v. Jones that held the Constitution does not protect the President from federal civil litigation involving actions committed before entering office.[3] The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment 9–0.
Conservative commentatorAnn Coulter clerked for Bowman.[4]
Judge Bowman was on the short list of candidates to fill theUnited States Supreme Court vacancy created by the retirement of JusticeLewis F. Powell Jr. in 1987.[5] Bowman was favored for Powell’s seat byNorth Carolina arch-conservativeJesse Helms.[6] However, alongside devout MormonJohn Clifford Wallace, Bowman was viewed by the Senate’s Democratic majority as the most controversial amongst the thirteen or fourteen nominees proposed by President Reagan afterRobert Bork was rejected.[7] Bowman was viewed as aggressively anti-labor and consistently opposed to the rights of women and prisoners,[8] and attracted further controversy because he stated that he believed laws againstinsider trading should be repealed.[9] White House Chief of StaffHoward Baker heard objections to Bowman fromJoe Biden andRobert Byrd on October 26, 1987,[7] and with Republicans needing Democratic support to prevent a repeat of Bork’s debacle, the seat ultimately went to JudgeAnthony Kennedy. Bowman may also have been consideredby George H. W. Bush to replace the retiredWilliam J. Brennan Jr. in 1990,[5] although he failed to make the final shortlist for Brennan’s replacement.[10]
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit 1983–2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit 1998–1999 | Succeeded by |