Richard Grace (November 8, 1868 – February 9, 1929) was an American lawyer and judge who served on the
North Dakota Supreme Court
The North Dakota Supreme Court is the highest court of law in the state of North Dakota. The Court rules on questions of law in appeals from the state's district courts.
Each of the five justices are elected on a no-party ballot for ten year te ...
from 1918 through 1922.
Early life and education
Grace was born near
Palmyra
Palmyra (; Palmyrene: () ''Tadmor''; ar, تَدْمُر ''Tadmur'') is an ancient city in present-day Homs Governorate, Syria. Archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first mention the city in the early second ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
on November 8, 1868. His early education took place in country schools. At the age of fifteen, his education was interrupted for several years following the death of his father. He later studied the preliminary requirements that allowed him to be admitted to
Bushnell College near
Peoria, Illinois. He attended Bushnell college for three years. Between 1889 and 1893 he studied law at a legal office in
Springfield
Springfield may refer to:
* Springfield (toponym), the place name in general
Places and locations Australia
* Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast)
* Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council)
* Springfield, Queenslan ...
, Illinois while working as a teacher. He moved to
Morris
Morris may refer to:
Places
Australia
*St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia
Canada
* Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry
* Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba
** Morris, Manitob ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
in 1893, and studied law at a legal office there while continuing to teach.
Legal and judicial careers
In 1895, Grace was admitted to the Minnesota Bar. He practiced law in Morris for ten years before moving to
Mohall,
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
in 1905. In Mohall he practiced law until 1916, when he defeated incumbent judge
Evan B. Goss for election to the
North Dakota Supreme Court
The North Dakota Supreme Court is the highest court of law in the state of North Dakota. The Court rules on questions of law in appeals from the state's district courts.
Each of the five justices are elected on a no-party ballot for ten year te ...
. He assumed his state judgeship at the age of 48. Grace retired as a judge after six years, returning to private practice by opening a legal office in
Bismarck, North Dakota. Grace practiced law in Bismarck for two years, before moving to
Sioux City
Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County, ...
,
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
for a year, after which time he moved to
Minot
Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Minot Air Force Base, Air Force base approximately north of ...
, North Dakota and practiced law there fore three years. He then moved back to Mohall, North Dakota, residing there until his death at the age of sixty on February 9, 1929.
References
Justices of the North Dakota Supreme Court
1868 births
1929 deaths
Lawyers from Springfield, Illinois
People from Morris, Minnesota
People from Bismarck, North Dakota
People from Sioux City, Iowa
People from Minot, North Dakota
Minnesota lawyers
North Dakota lawyers
Iowa lawyers
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