Northern District of Illinois / Appointed 1982 / Served to 2018

Paul Edward Plunkett

Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1982 and confirmed by voice vote, Paul Edward Plunkett was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1960. Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, December 10, 1982

Appointed by
Ronald Reagan, 1982
Confirmed
by voice vote
Education
Harvard 1957 · Harvard Law School 1960
Federal judicial service
YearCourtAppointed byVote
1982Northern District of Illinois · succeeded James Benton ParsonsReagan (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
Sources

35 years on the Northern District of Illinois. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).