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 "excerpt": "James L. Graham, born 1939 in Columbus, Ohio, is a senior United States district judge of the Southern District of Ohio, appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986.",
 "snippet": "James L. Graham, born 1939 in Columbus, Ohio, is a senior United States district judge of the Southern District of Ohio, appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986.",
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 "markdown": "# James L. Graham\n\nJames L. Graham (born 1939) is an American jurist serving as a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio since 2004.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)</sup> He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 and served as chief judge of the court from 2003 to 2004.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)</sup>\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)</sup> |\n| Appointed by | Ronald Reagan<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)</sup> |\n| Confirmed | September 25, 1986, by voice vote<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)</sup> |\n| Senior status | August 31, 2004<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)</sup> |\n| Born | 1939, Columbus, Ohio<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)</sup> |\n| Education | B.A., Ohio State University, 1962; J.D., Ohio State University College of Law (now Michael E. Moritz College of Law), 1962<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)</sup> |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nGraham was born in 1939 in [Columbus, Ohio](https://www.edgepedia.org/columbus-ohio).<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)</sup> He received a [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) degree from [Ohio State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/ohio-state-university) in 1962 and a Juris Doctor from the Ohio State University College of Law, now the Michael E. Moritz College of Law, in the same year.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)</sup>\n\n## Legal career\n\nGraham was in private practice in Columbus, Ohio, from 1962 to 1986.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)</sup>\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident [Ronald Reagan](https://www.edgepedia.org/ronald-reagan) nominated Graham on August 15, 1986, to a judgeship on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)</sup> The Senate confirmed him by voice vote on September 25, 1986, and he received his commission on September 26, 1986; the court's official biographical sketch, however, lists his appointment to the Southern District of Ohio as November 17, 1986.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.ohsd.uscourts.gov/BioGraham)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)</sup> He served as chief judge of the court from 2003 to 2004 and assumed senior status on August 31, 2004.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)</sup>\n\n## Notable cases\n\nAccording to a compilation of published opinions in the CourtListener corpus, Graham authored 156 published opinions for the district court between 1986 and 2011.<sup>[2](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/james-graham)</sup> His most-cited opinion in that corpus is *Fulson v. City of Columbus*, which was cited 187 times across the corpus.<sup>[2](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/james-graham)</sup> The same compilation reports that of 248 of Graham's decisions reviewed on the merits by the [United States courts of appeals](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-courts-of-appeals), 202 were affirmed, 26 were reversed or vacated, and 20 were affirmed in part and reversed in part; the compilation describes this as a historical count of matched appellate outcomes rather than a complete record.<sup>[2](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/james-graham)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Federal Judicial Center, Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: James L. Graham](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381436)\n2. [James L. Graham: Judge, Southern District of Ohio, JudicialFinder](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/james-graham)\n3. [BioGraham (ohsd.uscourts.gov)](https://www.ohsd.uscourts.gov/BioGraham)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States district court judges › Surnames F to G*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Sep 29, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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 "credit": "\"James L. Graham\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/james-l-graham. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.",
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 "speakable": "James L. Graham, born 1939 in Columbus, Ohio, is a senior United States district judge of the Southern District of Ohio, appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986."
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