Obama appoints new federal judge for Western District of Missouri

Joe Gratz

President Barack Obama has nominated a Springfield attorney and former Missouri House member for a federal judgeship.

The White House announced the nomination of 57-year-old Doug Harpool on Thursday. If confirmed,  Harpool would serve on the U.S. District Court for the 66-county Western District of Missouri.

Harpool received his law degree in 1980 from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He served in the Missouri House from 1983 to 1992 and chaired the chamber's Judiciary Committee.

In 2011, Harpool chaired a bipartisan state commission responsible for drawing new Missouri Senate districts based upon the 2010 census.

He currently practices civil law with the Springfield firm of Baird, Lightner, Millsap and Harpool .

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