Charles Ralph Simpson III

Charles Ralph Simpson III
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
Incumbent
Assumed office February 1, 2013
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
In office 1994–2001
Preceded by	Ronald Edward Meredith
Succeeded by	John G. Heyburn II
Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
In office August 4, 1986 –February 1, 2013
Appointed by	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Charles Mengel Allen
Succeeded by	David J. Hale
Personal details
Born	Charles Ralph Simpson III (1945-07-08) July 8, 1945 (age 74) Cleveland, Ohio
Education	University of Louisville (B.A.) University of Louisville School of Law (J.D.)

Charles Ralph Simpson, III (born July 8, 1945) is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.

Early Life and Education

Charles R. Simpson, III, was born in Cleveland, Ohio on July 8, 1945, the son of Charles Ralph and Anne Markel Simpson. He obtained his early education in Cleveland Heights, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky. Judge Simpson graduated from Waggener High School in Louisville in 1963, where he was named a National Merit Scholarship Finalist.

In September, 1963, Judge Simpson enrolled at the University of Louisville, where he was Editor-in-Chief of The Cardinal, the university’s student newspaper, a member of the Student Council, the University Student Senate, and Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He was tapped for membership in Pi Delta Epsilon, a national journalism honorary fraternity, and Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honorary fraternity, and was listed in Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in economics in June, 1967.

Judge Simpson began his legal education in September, 1967 when he entered the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. He received his juris doctorate degree in June, 1970.

Legal career

After graduating from law school, Judge Simpson traveled widely in Europe.

Judge Simpson later returned to Kentucky, and began the practice of law as an associate with the firm of Rubin, Trautwein & Hays in Louisville in 1971. In 1975, he left to establish and become a partner in the firm of Levin, Yussman, McConnell & Simpson. In 1977, he established himself as a sole practitioner, also in Louisville. He was engaged primarily in civil insurance defense litigation during his career in private law practice. He was also a member of the standing panel of bankruptcy trustees of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Kentucky between 1977 and 1986.

Federal Judicial Service

On June 6, 1986, President Ronald Reagan nominated Judge Simpson to be a judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky vacated by Charles Mengel Allen. His nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 2, 1986, and Judge Simpson received his commission on August 4, 1986 by President Reagan. After taking time to close out his law practice, Judge Simpson took the oath of office privately on October 15, 1986 and ceremonially at the United States Courthouse in Louisville on October 16, 1986. Judge Simpson is the 23rd Federal District Judge to preside over the western half of Kentucky since 1789, when then-President George Washington appointed the first judge to the Court.

Judge Simpson became Chief Judge of the Western District of Kentucky in 1994 and served the full seven years in that capacity permitted by law, until December, 2001.

Judge Simpson has had extensive experience serving the Judicial Conference of the United States and its committees. He was appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States to serve as a member of the Judicial Conference Committee on the Administration of the Bankruptcy System from 1996 to 2002. In 2006, Judge Simpson became a voting member of the Judicial Conference of the United States, representing the District Judges of the Sixth Circuit, which includes the states of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. He served in that position until late 2007. In 2004, the Chief Justice appointed Judge Simpson as a member of the Judicial Conference Committee on International Judicial Relations. In 2008, the Chief Justice appointed him to Chair the Committee. He served in that capacity until late 2010. As Chair, Judge Simpson coordinated the federal judiciary's relationship with foreign judiciaries and with those agencies and organizations that are involved in the expansion of the rule of law, and the administration of justice and the independence of the judiciary. Judge Simpson's involvement was reflective of his long-standing interest in working with foreign courts and judicial officers. In 2000, while Chief Judge, he established the first federal sister-court relationship, creating a formal alliance between the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky and the County Court of Pula, Croatia. The alliance stimulated exchange visits between judges of both courts. In 2004, Judge Simpson spearheaded the creation of a groundbreaking sister-bar relationship between the lawyers of the Louisville Bar Association and the Istrian Lawyers Assembly, consisting of those attorneys practicing in and around the City of Pula, Croatia.

Other Activities and Memberships

Judge Simpson has traveled extensively, meeting and speaking to foreign judges, law students and attorneys. He has been a guest lecturer in law at the following institutions: Krasnoyarsk State University (Russia); Russian Legal Academy (Moscow); University of Ljubljana (Slovenia); Moscow State University; Russian Academy of Justice (Moscow); Ivanovo State University (Russia); Volgograd Academy of State Service (Russia); Rostov Judicial Academy (Rostov-on-Don, Russia); Krasnodar Law Academy (Russia); University of Rijeka (Croatia); University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Faculdades Metropolitanas Paulistas University (Sao Paulo, Brazil); Brazilian Society of Public Law (Sao Paulo); Kyiv Mohyla Legal Academy (Ukraine); University of Latvia (Riga); Riga Graduate School of Law (Latvia); Bahçeşehir University (Istanbul, Turkey); College of Law of the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; El Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Penales (Mexico City); University of Cheikh Anta Diop (Dakar, Senegal); Ecole Supèrieure de Commerce (Dakar, Senegal); International School of Management (Dakar, Senegal); East China University of Politics and Law (Shanghai, China); Fudan University (Shanghai, China), Far Eastern Federal University Faculty of Law (Vladivostok, Russia), and Peking University School of Transnational Law (Shenzhen, China).

A long-time member of the Louisville Bar Association, Judge Simpson served its Board of Directors in 1981, 1992, and 1993. Judge Simpson is a Master in the Louis D. Brandeis Inn of Court in Louisville. In this capacity, he mentors young lawyers and law students on professionalism in the practice of law. In 2019, he began a two year term as President of the Inn. He has also served as secretary-treasurer and vice president of the Inn. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Louisville Bar Foundation, the charitable arm of the Louisville Bar Association, from 2000 until 2005. He also served on the University of Louisville Law Alumni Council from 2000 until 2006.

In addition to the Kentucky Bar Association, the Louisville Bar Association and the Federal Judges Association, Judge Simpson is a member of the Federal Circuit Bar Association. Judge Simpson has represented the federal judges of the Sixth Circuit as a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Judges Association. Judge Simpson has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board from 2007 to 2009, 2011 to 2013, and 2017 to 2021. He was also an At Large Director from 2014 to 2017. He has chaired the Legislative Liaison Committee from 2013 to 2021. The Federal Judges Association is the professional organization for federal judges who were appointed by a President of the United States under Article III of the United States Constitution.

The International Association of Judges, headquartered in Rome, is the world-wide professional organization of the judiciary. Judge Simpson served as an officer of the International Association of Judges from 2014 to 2018.

Personal life

Judge Simpson has also been active in civic affairs. He was City Attorney and City Clerk for two cities where he lived in the suburbs of Louisville. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Louisville from 1982 until 1989. He served as counsel to the County Judge/Executive of Jefferson County, Kentucky between 1978 and 1984, and as Jefferson County Alcoholic Beverage Control Administrator in 1983-84.

Judge Simpson is married and has three children and five grandchildren.

Honors and Awards

Judge Simpson has received many awards. In 1996, he was inducted into the Waggener High School Alumni Association's Hall of Fame. In 1999, he was named Outstanding Alumnus of the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. In 2000, Judge Simpson was selected as Judge of the Year by the Louisville Bar Association. The Kentucky Bar Association named Judge Simpson the Outstanding Judge in the State of Kentucky for the year 2005. He was the recipient of the 2006 Grauman Award presented by the University of Louisville School of Law. This is the most prestigious award presented by the University of Louisville School of Law. It recognizes a lifetime record of leadership and service to the legal profession and the community.

Sources

• Charles Ralph Simpson III at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges , a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center .

Legal offices
Preceded by Charles Mengel Allen	Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky 1986–2013	Succeeded by David J. Hale
Preceded by Ronald Edward Meredith	Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky 1994–2001	Succeeded by John G. Heyburn II