Jackson Leroy Adair
Appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937 and confirmed by voice vote, Jackson Leroy Adair was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. He earned a law degree from University of Michigan Law School in 1911. Rulings & record ↓ Sources ↓
- Lived
- 1887–1956
- Appointed by
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1937
- Confirmed
- by voice vote
- Education
- University of Michigan Law School 1911
- Succeeded
- James Earl Major
- Succeeded by
- Frederick Olen Mercer
Federal judicial service
| Year | Court | Appointed by | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Southern District of Illinois succeeded James Earl Major | F.D. Roosevelt (D) | Voice vote |
Party letters show the appointing president’s party, not the judge’s own. A voice vote means the chamber approved aloud. No senator-by-senator tally is recorded.
Confirmation vote
Voice vote
The Senate approved this confirmation aloud, with no senator-by-senator tally recorded. Recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989.
Education
| University of Michigan Law School | LL.B. | 1911 |
Before the bench
Professional career before and outside the federal bench, as recorded by the Federal Judicial Center.
| Private practice, Muskogee, Oklahoma | 1912-1914 |
| City attorney, Quincy, Illinois | 1915-1916 |
| State's attorney, Adams County, Illinois | 1916-1920, 1924-1928 |
| Private practice, Adams County, Illinois | 1920-1924 |
| State senator, Illinois | 1928-1932 |
| U.S. representative from Illinois | 1933-1937 |
Judicial Record
In our data, Adair authored 6 published opinions for the court (1939–1955). Most cited: United States v. Brokaw (50 citations).
A selective record from published opinions in the CourtListener corpus, not every ruling; most unpublished district orders are not included. Counts and rankings are objective and recomputable: how we count. We describe the record, not the judge.
Recent & notable rulings
| Year | Case | Citation | Cited |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | United States v. Brokaw | 60 F. Supp. 100 | 50 |
| 1939 | In Re Mid America Co. | 31 F. Supp. 601 | 36 |
| 1943 | United States v. Wezel | 49 F. Supp. 16 | 7 |
| 1955 | Ar-Tik Systems, Inc. v. McCullough | 133 F. Supp. 807 | 6 |
| 1939 | Pelelas v. Caterpillar Tractor Co. | 30 F. Supp. 173 | 6 |
| 1954 | Carius v. New York Life Insurance Company | 124 F. Supp. 388 | 3 |
Showing the 6 most-cited of 6 authored opinions in our data. “Cited” is inbound citations across the CourtListener corpus. Case links open the ruling’s full text (CourtListener) or its page here; read the methodology and verify against the primary source.
Questions & answers
- Who appointed Jackson Leroy Adair?
- President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Jackson Leroy Adair to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois in 1937.
- Was Jackson Leroy Adair appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?
- Jackson Leroy Adair was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
- What was Jackson Leroy Adair's confirmation vote?
- Jackson Leroy Adair was confirmed by voice vote on April 20, 1937. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.
- Which court was Jackson Leroy Adair on?
- Jackson Leroy Adair was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.
Sources
Each fact on this page traces to a primary public record.
- FJC Biographical Directory
- CourtListener bulk data (Free Law Project): authored opinions & citation counts
How we source & reconcile data → Data & Sources
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18 years on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Data as of 2026-09-14. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).