This history of federal courts in Southern Iowa combines the stories of the District’s judges with the stories of their most significant and interesting cases. In the process, the book necessarily provides a reminder of changes in our society from the around 1850 to the present, with the cases discussed changing in subject matter from slavery and railroad expansion to draft-card burning and anti-war protests to employment discrimination and controversies over criminal sentencing laws and policies. The judges themselves change also, not in their integrity and commitment to justice but in their backgrounds, with one-room schools, informal study of law and military service giving way to diverse career paths and early experience as law clerks to then-sitting judges. The profiles of the more recent judges include their thoughts on why they became lawyers and judges plus their insights into how courts have changed during their careers.The book also touches on the establishment of federal courts and of the Southern District; the development of new judicial roles such as magistrate judge and bankruptcy judge; the expansion of court staff to include, for example, law clerks and eventually pro se staff attorneys; and the changing relationship between the court and court reporters. Additional sections of the book provide basic background on court “players” such as the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, probation, and the federal public defender. To help preserve the record of the Southern District, the book includes lists of the names of persons who have held some of these positions at various times.Finally, the book does not ignore the courthouses where the Southern District has regularly held session over the years, offering a photograph and at least some description of nine different buildings in six southern Iowa cities.