District of South Dakota / Appointed 1979 / Served to 2003
Donald James Porter
Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota
Appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 and confirmed by voice vote, Donald James Porter was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota. He earned a law degree from University of South Dakota School of Law (now Knudson School of Law) in 1943. Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, May 10, 1979
- Appointed by
- Jimmy Carter, 1979
- Confirmed
- by voice vote
- Education
- University of South Dakota 1942 · University of South Dakota Law (now Knudson School of Law) 1943
- Succeeded by
- Lawrence L. Piersol
Federal judicial service
| Year | Court | Appointed by | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | District of South Dakota | Carter (D) | voice |
A per-senator roll-call isn’t shown for this confirmation. The Senate’s recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989; many confirmations (especially before then, and most to the lower courts) were by voice vote or unanimous consent.
Education
| University of South Dakota | B.S. | 1942 |
| University of South Dakota School of Law (now Knudson School of Law) | LL.B. | 1943 |
Sources
23 years on the District of South Dakota. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).