New Life for Iowa Judges

Formed Supreme Court Justices Take a New Career Path as Mediators

Eastern Iowa News Now
May 14, 2011

After Iowa supreme court justices David Baker and Michael Streit lost their jobs over the 2009 ruling that struck down a state ban on same-sex marriage, they turned to mediation as a new profession. The men have a combined 68 years in the field of law, and in their new positions Baker and Streit work to resolve conflicts and negotiate so the court system does not have to get involved.

Both men have a wealth of experience to draw on from there years in the legal profession and serving as judges. Streit contemplated retiring but soon decided that he has “lived and breathed the law for so many years and…still [has] something to offer.” Baker speaks about the more interactive nature of mediation where attorneys and parties come to a voluntary decision contrasted against being a judge where “you simply listen and make a decision.”

Read Article—