Dana L. Christensen

Dana Lewis Christensen
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana
Assumed office
March 19, 2013
Preceded by Richard F. Cebull
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana
Assumed office
December 6, 2011
Appointed by Barack Obama
Preceded by Donald W. Molloy
Personal details
Born Dana Lewis Christensen
(1951-03-23) March 23, 1951
New York City, New York
Education Stanford University (B.A.)
University of Montana School of Law (J.D.)

Dana Lewis Christensen (born May 23, 1951) is the Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana.

Early life and education

Born in New York City,[1] Christensen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1973 from Stanford University and a Juris Doctor in 1976 from the University of Montana School of Law.[2][3]

Professional career

Christensen has worked in private practice at various firms in Montana since 1977. He has been a civil litigator and a named partner at a firm in Kalispell, Montana since 1996.[2] Among other things, he worked in the area of insurance defense.[4][3]

Federal judicial service

On May 4, 2011, President Obama nominated Christensen to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Montana that was vacated by Judge Donald W. Molloy, who assumed senior status in August 2011.[5] Christensen's nomination was reported from the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on October 6, 2011. The Senate confirmed his nomination on December 5, 2011 by voice vote. He received his commission on December 6, 2011. He became Chief Judge on March 19, 2013.[3]

In late August 2018, Christensen placed a 14-day hold on grizzly bear hunting in Wyoming and Idaho after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lifted federal protections for grizzlies in Yellowstone National Park areas in 2017.[6] On September 24, 2018, Christensen released a 48-page ruling restoring the protections and cancelling the hunts altogether, citing that Fish & Wildlife's analysis of the threats to grizzly bears was lacking and that they "failed to make a reasoned decision" in considering the impact of delisting the Yellowstone grizzlies from protected species status.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Dana L. Christensen". lawyers.com. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  2. 1 2 The White House: Office of the Press Secretary (May 4, 2011). "President Obama Nominates Six Judges to United States District Courts". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 "Christensen, Dana Lewis - Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.
  4. ↑ Scott, Tristan (February 12, 2011). "Kalispell attorney Dana Christensen nominated to replace Judge Molloy". Missoulian. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  5. ↑ The White House: Office of the Press Secretary (May 4, 2011). "Nominations Sent to the Senate". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  6. ↑ Associated Press. "Judges halts first grizzly bear hunt in over 40 years in Wyoming, Idaho". NBC News. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  7. ↑ Stelloh, Tim. "Federal judge restores grizzly protections, canceling bear hunt". NBC News. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
Legal offices
Preceded by
Donald W. Molloy		 Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana
2011–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Richard F. Cebull		 Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana
2013–present
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