Eastern District of Virginia / Appointed 1986 / Served to 2017
James Randolph Spencer
Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 and confirmed by voice vote, James Randolph Spencer was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1974. Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, October 8, 1986
- Appointed by
- Ronald Reagan, 1986
- Confirmed
- by voice vote
- Education
- Clark College (now Clark Atlanta) 1971 · Harvard Law School 1974
- Succeeded
- John Ashton MacKenzie
- Succeeded by
- M[ary] Hannah Lauck
Federal judicial service
| Year | Court | Appointed by | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Eastern District of Virginia · succeeded John Ashton MacKenzie | Reagan (R) | 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
| Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University) | B.A. | 1971 |
| Harvard Law School | J.D. | 1974 |
| Howard University | M.Div. | 1985 |
Sources
30 years on the Eastern District of Virginia. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).