David R. Herndon, District Judge in the District Court for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, was confirmed by the Senate on October 21, 1998, pursuant to nomination by President William J. Clinton. His federal tenure followed seven years as an Associate Judge in the Third Judicial Circuit, Madison County, Illinois. Prior to that, Herndon worked as a trial attorney, specializing in plaintiff’s personal injury cases, with an emphasis on FELA litigation, for fourteen years. An undergraduate degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville preceded his law degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Judge Herndon served as Chief Judge from October of 2007 through September of 2014 and currently serves as Chair of the Judicial Conference Committee on Judicial Security.