Judge Charles R. Simpson III to speak at Brandeis oath-signing ceremony

Judge Charles R. Simpson III, senior United States district judge for the Western District of Kentucky, will address incoming Brandeis School of Law students during their oath-signing ceremony Aug. 11.

The ceremony is an acknowledgement of the students’ official entry into the legal profession and their commitment to uphold the Honor Code.

Simpson earned his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Louisville in 1967 and his law degree from the Brandeis School of Law in 1970. He practiced law in Louisville until 1986, when he was appointed judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky by President Ronald Reagan.

In 1994, Judge Simpson was named the chief judge of the Western District of Kentucky and served in that capacity until 2001 -- the full seven years permitted by law.

Judge Simpson was named Outstanding Alumnus of the Brandeis School of Law in 1999. In 2000, he was selected as a Judge of the Year by the Louisville Bar Association. He was named the Outstanding Judge in the State of Kentucky by the Kentucky Bar Association in 2005.

In 2006, he received the Grauman Award, the most prestigious award presented by the Brandeis School of Law.

He is a master in the Louis D. Brandeis Inn of Court in Louisville. In that capacity, he mentors young lawyers and law students on professionalism in the practice of law.