Robert James "Bob"
[Esser, William L. IV]
"Bob Conrad Sworn in as Western District Federal Judge"
, ''The Mecklenburg Bar News'', Mecklenburg County Bar, Vol. 32, No. 2, August 2005, pp. 1–2. Conrad Jr.
(born May 17, 1958)
is a
United States district judge
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
of the
. He was the District's former Chief Judge (2006–2013) and a former nominee to the
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* District of Maryla ...
to take the place of the retired
James Dickson Phillips Jr. He is a former member of the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States (2016–2020).
Conrad graduated from
Clemson University
Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enro ...
with a
Bachelor of Arts
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 1980. He received Clemson’s coveted “Norris Medal” as the outstanding undergraduate student, as well as being awarded the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
’s “Jim Weaver” Postgraduate Scholarship as the ACC’s top all-around student athlete regardless of which sport. He attended the
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law or UVA Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as part of his "academical v ...
and earned a Juris Doctor in 1983.
Early life
Conrad was born on May 17, 1958 into an Irish-
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
family and grew up on the west side of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
,
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 ...
.
The Conrad family moved to Glen Ellyn, Illinois in 1967 where he was raised. He graduated from St. Petronille Elementary School in 1972, and Benet Academy High School in Lisle, Illinois in 1976.
Conrad later graduated from
Clemson University
Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enro ...
with a
Bachelor of Arts
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 1980 and the
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law or UVA Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as part of his "academical v ...
with a
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
in 1983.
Athletic career
Judge Conrad was born into a sports driven family. His father played Division I basketball at
Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans is a Private university, private Jesuit university in New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name o ...
and competed in the NCAA tournament. He (1976) and his brother Kevin (1979) were named members of the Chicago Tribune Golden Basketball Team as one of the top high school basketball players in the Chicago area. Both went on to become Hall of Fame collegiate players at Clemson University and Dayton University respectively. Both were part of a
Benet Academy
Benet Academy ( ) is a co-educational, college-preparatory, Benedictine high school in Lisle, Illinois, United States, overseen by the Diocese of Joliet. Founded in 1886, the school was initially established in Chicago as the all-boys St. Procopi ...
High School basketball home court winning streak of over 100 consecutive games. Two of Conrad’s sons would play college basketball, Branden at the
University of South Carolina and Ryan at
Belmont Abbey College
Belmont Abbey College is a private, Catholic liberal arts college in Belmont, North Carolina. It was founded in 1876 by the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey. The school is affiliated with the Catholic Church and the Order of Saint Benedict. I ...
.
In college, he was "the point guard in 1980 for what many consider Clemson's best basketball team ever. He was one of seven players who received votes for the
Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year Award in 1979. Conrad finished his career ranked first in single season steals, second in career steals, first in single season and career charges taken, and second in single season and career assists. In 1980 he led his team in free throw percentage. He was most well-known for making 8-8 free throws in overtime in Clemson’s upset win against undefeated and No. 1 ranked
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...
.
Conrad was named a “Legend of the ACC”, was listed as one of the 25 Best Players of the First 100 Years of Clemson Basketball, became an Academic All-American, and was the inaugural recipient of Clemson’s “Bond” Ring as a Distinguished Athletic Alumnus.
Legal career
Conrad's legal career has included stints with Michie Hamlett Donato & Lowry in Charlottesville, Virginia(1983–1986),
Horn & Conrad (1986–1987), and Bush Thurman & Conrad (1987–1989). before becoming an Assistant United States Attorney (1989–2001)
In 2001, he became the United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina (2001–2004).
He was a partner with Mayer Brown (2004—2005) and became a federal district court judge in June 2005.
US Attorney
Conrad served as an
Assistant United States Attorney
An assistant United States attorney (AUSA) is an official career civil service position in the U.S. Department of Justice composed of lawyers working under the U.S. Attorney of each U.S. federal judicial district. They represent the federal gove ...
for the Western District of North Carolina from 1989 to 2001.
[
In 1999, Attorney General Janet Reno selected him to serve as Chief of the Campaign Financing Task Force ("CFTF"), investigating alleged illegal campaign contributions to both parties during the 1996 Presidential election. In making the selection, AG Reno said “Bob is one of the most respected career prosecutors in the Department of Justice.”
Conrad led a team of career prosecutors and obtained convictions against James Riady, Pauline Kanchanalak, Maria Hsia, among thirty others.][DOJ Press Release, “Attorney General Appoints Robert J. Conrad, Jr. as Interim United States Attorney,” February 28, 2001.] In pleading guilty, Riady on behalf of Lippo Bank agreed to pay $8.6 million, “the largest fine ever imposed for violation of the campaign finance laws." As part of those duties Conrad deposed the President and Vice-President of the United States in the same week. As Chief of the CFTF, he was later named Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey responsible for investigating and prosecuting alleged campaign financing violations related to the 1996 Torricelli for Senate Campaign. He formally recommended that an independent counsel be named to investigate then Vice President Al Gore for perjury.
After this assignment, an article in ''The Washington Post'' stated that Conrad was ”uniformly described by people who know him as a fair minded, career prosecutor who doesn't let politics interfere with his work.” At the end of his service as Chief of the CFTF, Reno said “Bob Conrad has done an outstanding job leading the Campaign Financing Task Force for the past year.” Defense Attorney George Laughrun described him as “one of the most ethical lawyers I know.” Another defense attorney described Conrad as “a tough minded but fair prosecutor who is scrupulously honest.”
Conrad was promoted to United States Attorney
United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...
in the same district from 2001 until 2004. During the Bush Administration, Attorney General John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft (born May 9, 1942) is an American lawyer, lobbyist and former politician who served as the 79th U.S. Attorney General in the George W. Bush administration from 2001 to 2005. A former U.S. Senator from Missouri and the 50th ...
appointed Conrad to the Attorney General's Advisory Committee as Vice Chair of the Advisory Committee on Terrorism along with Patrick Fitzgerald, and also appointed Conrad Chair of the Committee on Violent Crime.
Conrad's office was instrumental in prosecuting supporters of the Hezbollah
Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
terrorist cell
A clandestine cell system is a method for organizing a group of people (such as resistance fighters, sleeper agents, mobsters, or terrorists) such that such people can more effectively resist penetration by an opposing organization (such as l ...
in North Carolina. Conrad also prosecuted violent intimidation, including at least one cross-burning case, during which Conrad stated: “Race-motivated, cross-burning conduct is anathema to a civilized society. We are gratified that the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the notion that such conduct can be provoked.”
Governor Roy Cooper
Roy Asberry Cooper III (born June 13, 1957) is an American attorney and politician, serving as the 75th governor of North Carolina since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th attorney general of North Carolina from 20 ...
, then the North Carolina Attorney General
The Attorney General of North Carolina is a statewide elected office in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The attorney general is a constitutional officer responsible for representing state agencies in legal matters, supplying other state offici ...
, said that Conrad had ““the qualities that you wanted not only in a U.S. attorney but as a judge. He has a moral compass. He is a person of faith who knows right from wrong. He has integrity. And he respects and honors the rule of law.”
Federal Judicial Service
Conrad was nominated by President George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
to the on February 14, 2005, to a new seat authorized by 116 Stat. 1758. He was confirmed on April 28, 2005. He received his judicial commission on June 2, 2005. He became Chief Judge
A chief judge (also known as presiding judge, president judge or principal judge) is the highest-ranking or most senior member of a lower court or circuit court with more than one judge. According to the Federal judiciary of the United States, th ...
of the district in 2006 and served in that capacity until 2013.
Conrad was elected by his peers and appointed by Chief Justice Roberts to a position on the Judicial Conference of the United States
The Judicial Conference of the United States, formerly known as the Conference of Senior Circuit Judges, was created by the United States Congress in 1922 with the principal objective of framing policy guidelines for administration of judicial cour ...
. He chaired the District Court Representatives group of that Judicial Conference in 2020. From 2016 to 2020, he served on the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference. He also chaired the COVID-19 Task Force on Reconstituting the Jury Trial. Conrad currently serves on the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Criminal Rules, where he is a liaison to the Evidence Rules Advisory Committee.
While a judge on the bench of the Western District of North Carolina, Conrad was involved in the local and state bar serving as Vice-President of the N.C. Bar Association (2011–12), member and Chair of the Memorials Committee of the Mecklenburg County Bar (2015–2021), and member of the Ayscue Professionalism Committee of that bar association (2019–2021).
Noteworthy Judicial Cases
In April 2010, six alleged members of the gang MS-13 were tried before Judge Conrad in two separate trials. In the first case, six defendants were tried on forty criminal charges, including three defendants who were alleged to be responsible for the deaths of four people. Sixty witnesses testified in the case, of whom three entered witness protection. The jury found the six defendants guilty on thirty six counts. In the second trial MS-13 gang member Alejandro Enrique Ramirez Umaña was charged with murder after he allegedly killed two brothers who “disrespected” him in a restaurant. Umaña attempted to bring a knife into the courtroom, and he allegedly attempted to kill witnesses and informants while he was awaiting trial. A jury convicted Umaña of murder and voted unanimously to impose the death penalty.
In September 2010, Judge Conrad sat by designation on a panel of the Fourth Circuit that heard the appeal of Derek Tice, one of the “Norfolk Four” who had been convicted for a 1997 rape and murder. Following his conviction another man, Omar Ballard, confessed to committing the crime and had his DNA matched to the crime scene. The panel affirmed that Tice was entitled to a writ of habeas corpus and that his conviction should be overturned.
In July 2011 Judge Conrad presided over a trial involving a lawsuit against TASER International Inc. for the wrongful death of a minor. When 17-year-old Darryl Green was killed after being struck in the chest and shocked by a TASER product in a North Carolina supermarket in March 2008, the jury in the case found a $10 million judgment against the TASER company. Judge Conrad reduced the amount to $5.49 million in light of the “relatively thin” evidence and prior settlements in the case. However, the Fourth Circuit determined that the amount needed to be reduced even further because the Plaintiff had not sufficiently proven specific damages.
In September 2011 Judge Conrad issued an order prohibiting the US Airways pilots union from cancelling or delaying flights in their effort to force US Airways into contract negotiations. Judge Conrad ordered the US Airline Pilots Association to refrain from "instigating, authorizing or encouraging" the interference with US Airways operations and instructed pilots to resume their normal schedules and work practices.
In 2014 Conrad expressed frustration at the mandatory minimum sentencing laws that required him to sentence Corvain Cooper, a 34-year-old black man, to life in prison for money laundering, tax evasion, and conspiracy to sell marijuana. Conrad stated at sentencing that he was “not comfortable with imposing a mandatory minimum life sentence on a 34-year-old individual without some discretion” to consider sentence-reducing factors, but stated that the law tied the Court’s hands. Conrad had previously spoken out against such mandatory minimum sentence laws, testifying at a February 2009 Sentencing Commission Public Hearing that “ultimately the goal of uniformity must yield to the imperative of doing justice in individual cases.” After President Barack Obama declined to issue a pardon in Cooper’s case, President Donald Trump commuted Corvain Cooper’s sentence in January 2021.
Failed Nomination to Court of Appeals
On July 17, 2007, Judge Conrad was nominated by President George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* District of Maryla ...
vacated by Judge James Dickson Phillips Jr. in 1994. Conrad was nominated in the place of the prior candidate Terrence Boyle.
Although he had the support of North Carolina's two Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
senators, Elizabeth Dole
Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford Dole (née Hanford; born July 29, 1936)Mary Ella Cathey Hanford, "Asbury and Hanford Families: Newly Discovered Genealogical Information" ''The Historical Trail'' 33 (1996), pp. 44–45, 49. is an American attorn ...
and Richard Burr
Richard Mauze Burr (born November 30, 1955) is an American businessman and politician who is the senior United States senator from North Carolina, serving since 2005. A member of the Republican Party, Burr was previously a member of the United ...
, Judge Conrad ran into immediate opposition from Senate Democrats and liberal groups such as People for the American Way and the Alliance for Justice
Alliance for Justice (AFJ) is a progressive judicial advocacy group in the United States. Founded in 1979 by former president Nan Aron, AFJ monitors federal judicial appointments. AFJ represents a coalition of 100 politically leftist groups that ...
. These groups expressed concerns over both Conrad's writings prior to his confirmation as a district court judge and his rulings later as a judge.
Conrad had referred to Planned Parenthood
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Reve ...
's OB/GYN
Obstetrics and Gynaecology (also spelled as Obstetrics and Gynecology; abbreviated as Obs and Gynae, O&G, OB-GYN and OB/GYN) is the medical specialty that encompasses the two subspecialties of obstetrics (covering pregnancy, childbirth, and t ...
s as "abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
ists" in 1988. He also wrote that "Planned Parenthood knowingly kills unborn babies, not fetuses
A fetus or foetus (; plural fetuses, feti, foetuses, or foeti) is the unborn offspring that develops from an animal embryo. Following embryonic development the fetal stage of development takes place. In human prenatal development, fetal develo ...
, as a method of post conception contraception
Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...
." Additionally, he claimed that Planned Parenthood had done nothing to reduce teen pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy, also known as adolescent pregnancy, is pregnancy in a female adolescent or young adult under the age of 20. This includes those who are Legal adult, legally considered adults in their country. The WHO defines adolescence as the ...
rates and should not receive funding for its contraception services.[Conrad, Robert J. Jr. "Planned Parenthood, A Radical, Pro-Abortion Fringe Group", ''Charlotte Observer'', 14 June 1988, 19A.] In 1999, Conrad wrote "Habitually Wrong" which was published in the ''Catholic Dossier''. In it, he heavily criticized Sister Helen Prejean
Helen Prejean ( ; born April 21, 1939) is a Catholic religious sister and a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty.
She is known for her best-selling book, '' Dead Man Walking'' (1993), based on her experiences with t ...
's book '' Dead Man Walking''. He referred to the book as "liberal drivel" and to Sister Prejean as a "Church-hating nun." He contended that, "This surprisingly shallow book wallows in worn-out liberal shibboleths and dated anecdotes."
Senator Patrick Leahy
Patrick Joseph Leahy (; born March 31, 1940) is an American politician and attorney who is the senior United States senator from Vermont and serves as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate. A member of the Democratic Party, ...
D-VT, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
, used Judge Conrad's comments on Prejean to justify why he refused to schedule a hearing for Conrad. He said that Conrad was "anti-Catholic", which enraged Senate Republicans. The Republicans countered that Conrad, himself a Catholic, had merely criticized Prejean for "the near total contempt hedisplayed for the Roman Catholic Church." In short, Conrad was defending the Catholic Church from the anti-Catholic comments he believed the nun to have made.
Separately, People for the American Way argued that Judge Conrad's short tenure on the district court had not served to put to rest the concerns raised by his pre-judicial record. To the contrary, this activist group stated that he "'consistently ruled against plaintiffs alleging employment discrimination,' he appear dhostile to the rights of criminal defendants, and, sitting by designation
A visiting judge is a judge appointed to hear a case as a member of a court to which he or she does not ordinarily belong. In United States federal courts, this is referred to as an assignment "by designation" of the Chief Justice of the Unite ...
on the Fourth Circuit, he joined an anti-environmental ruling overturning a district court decision that the Army Corps of Engineers had violated the Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters; recognizing the responsibiliti ...
in approving a permit for the discharge of material from mountain-top mining."
Supporters of Judge Conrad responded by citing Judge Conrad’s life-long commitment to public service, the support of both home state Senators, his well-qualified ABA rating, and the fact that the Senate had unanimously confirmed him twice before (as U.S. Attorney and United States District Court Judge) as evidence to belie any concerns mounted by these opposition groups. His advocates also noted Attorney General Reno’s commendation of Conrad as “one of the most respected career prosecutors in the Department of Justice.”
Nonetheless, Conrad would never get a hearing in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and his nomination lapsed with the end of the Bush administration. President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
chose to nominate James A. Wynn Jr. to the seat in 2009.
Advocacy Teacher
Judge Conrad has shown a commitment to excellence in trial advocacy. He has been a member of the faculty of the National Trial Advocacy College at the University of Virginia School of Law,—"the country's premier trial advocacy program for lawyers"—since 2000.
In 2015, Judge Conrad received the prestigious William J. Brennan Award William J. Brennan, Jr., who authored the opinion in '' New York Times Co. v. Sullivan'', has several awards named in his honor, which are presented to individuals for dedication to public interest and free expression. Awards named after William J ...
from the National Trial Advocacy College. The Brennan Award was established in 1987, with Justice Brennan's unsurpassed contributions to the United States legal system and, in particular, to the enhancement of trial advocacy skills. The honorees – judges, public officials, and private practitioners – are selected on the basis of 1) their outstanding skills as trial lawyers and members of the judiciary, and 2) their outstanding contributions to advocacy education and to the legal profession.
Conrad also is an adjunct professor at Wake Forest School of Law, and teaches trial advocacy at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, SC.
Conrad has expressed a particular interest in jury trials. He has authored several articles including "The Vanishing Criminal Jury Trial: From Trial Judges to Sentencing Judges," "Jury Trials in a Pandemic Age," and "Judging a Book: Conrad Reviews 'The Jury Crisis.'"
Virginia Revival Model Courtroom
Conrad is the foremost proponent of a courtroom design concept known as the Virginia Revival Model or VRM. The principal features of this courtroom design, adopted from the customary eighteenth century Commonwealth of Virginia county courthouse, is a center-based (rather than a side-based) jury box, with jurors positioned underneath the judge looking out toward the witness and gallery, the witness box placed in the center of the well directly facing the jury and judge, and with counsel tables on each side of the witness box. Conrad has argued that this design puts the jury in the center of the trial and allows them to better see the witness’ face, enhancing the jury’s ability to gauge the witness’ credibility and assisting the jury’s role as fact-finders.
In 2021, the newly constructed wing of the Charles R. Jonas Courthouse in Charlotte, NC features a Virginia Revival Model courtroom, marking the first time such a courtroom has been constructed outside the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Community Involvement
Judge Conrad has served for years as a volunteer youth basketball coach for both boys and girls.
Conrad is known to invest in young people, including former gang members he once prosecuted. Brian Mack, a former member of a violent gang, testified at Judge Conrad’s judicial investiture: “from the day I was released from prison, he contacted me to make sure that I stayed in the right path. He's been more than a mentor to me. He's been a friend.”
Conrad also serves on the Board of Trustees of Belmont Abbey College
Belmont Abbey College is a private, Catholic liberal arts college in Belmont, North Carolina. It was founded in 1876 by the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey. The school is affiliated with the Catholic Church and the Order of Saint Benedict. I ...
where he is a member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Student Experience Committee.
Personal life
Conrad is Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
.[Hillyer, Quin]
"The Lowdown on the Slowdown"
, ''The American Spectator'', 19 June 2008. He and his wife Ann have five children and the grandparents of ten grandchildren.
Book
In 2021, Conrad published ''John Fisher and Thomas More: Keeping Their Souls While Losing Their Heads'' (2021), recounting the stories of Bishop John Fisher and Thomas More, who were executed by King Henry VIII. In Conrad's account, “ ore and Fisherwere not adamantine followers of self-will but servants of the one true God who spoke through his Word and his Church. Their shared conviction was that... God was truth, and that his Church was a truth-telling institution.”
See also
*George W. Bush judicial appointment controversies
During President George W. Bush's two term tenure in office, a few of his nominations for federal judgeships were blocked by the Senate Democrats either directly in the Senate Judiciary Committee or on the full Senate floor in various procedura ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conrad, Robert James
1958 births
Living people
Assistant United States Attorneys
Clemson University alumni
University of Virginia School of Law alumni
Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina
United States district court judges appointed by George W. Bush
21st-century American judges
United States Attorneys for the Western District of North Carolina
Lawyers from Chicago