Governor Tom Vilsack has made his first appointment to the Iowa Supreme Court. Michael J. Streit takes the place of a retiring justice. Streit graduated from the University of Iowa then the University of San Diego’s law school. He became a district court judge at the age of 33.Streit, who is 51 years old, says while lawyers are the butt of lots of jokes, most lawyers enter the profession to help people. He says there are real people behind each case, and he enjoys helping people.Streit likes being a judge because he gets to work in all areas of the law.Streit has been a justice on the Iowa Court of Appeals for the past five years. He grew up in Sheldon and practiced law in Chariton before becoming a judge.

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