Larry J. Eisenhauer, LW’74, was elected chief judge for the Iowa Court of Appeals in February 2012. Eisenhauer has served on the court of appeals since 2001 and is the seventh chief judge since the state legislature established the court of appeals in 1976. He replaces a fellow Drake Law graduate, Rosemary Sackett, LW’63, who retired in January.
“I am honored that the judges of the court of appeals elected me chief judge,” Eisenhauer said in a release issued by the Iowa Supreme Court. “Iowans are fortunate to have a court of appeals made up of thoughtful and hardworking judges supported by a dedicated staff. I am privileged to be a part of it.”
Eisenhauer served in the United States Army for two years, including a tour in Vietnam, before attending Drake Law School. After graduating in 1974, he practiced law privately until 1985, and then served as a juvenile referee from 1985 to1993. He went on to serve on the district court bench from 1994 to 2001. During his career, he has served on a number of judicial committees and organizations.
In 2005, he served as an international judge for the United Nations mission in Kosovo, and he received the Iowa Judges Association Award of Merit in 2008.