James Madison Morton Jr. (August 24, 1869 – June 26, 1940) was a United States circuit judge of the

United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (in case citations, 1st Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * District of Maine * District of Massachusetts * ...

and previously was a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Education and career

Born on August 24, 1869, in

Fall River Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state. Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...

, Massachusetts, Morton's father,

James Madison Morton Sr. James Madison Morton Sr. (September 5, 1837 – April 19, 1923) was a justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1890 to 1913. He was appointed by Governor John Q. A. Brackett. Biography Born in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, Morton rec ...

, was a prominent Boston lawyer who eventually served on the state supreme court. Morton received an

Artium Baccalaureus Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in 1891 from Harvard University and received an

Artium Magister A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree in 1894 from the same institution. He received a Bachelor of Laws in 1894 from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

. He was in private practice in Fall River from 1894 to 1912.

Federal judicial service

Morton was nominated by President William Howard Taft on August 9, 1912, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts vacated by Judge

Frederic Dodge Frederic Dodge (April 4, 1847 – March 7, 1927) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and previously was a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District ...

. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 12, 1912, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on January 19, 1932, due to his elevation to the First Circuit. Morton was nominated by President Herbert Hoover on December 15, 1931, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge George W. Anderson. He was confirmed by the Senate on January 6, 1932, and received his commission on January 9, 1932. He assumed senior status on September 30, 1939. His service terminated on June 26, 1940, due to his death in Fall River.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morton, James Madison Jr. 1869 births 1940 deaths Harvard Law School alumni Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts United States district court judges appointed by William Howard Taft Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit United States court of appeals judges appointed by Herbert Hoover 20th-century American judges People from Fall River, Massachusetts Harvard College alumni