Lyle Elmer Strom

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Strom received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Creighton University in 1950 and a Juris Doctor from Creighton University School of Law in 1953.[2] He was a United States Naval Reserve Ensign during World War II, from 1943 to 1946.[2] He was in private practice in Omaha from 1953 to 1985, also serving as an adjunct professor for the Creighton University School of Law in 1958.[3] He was a clinical professor at the Creighton University School of Law, in the Robert Spire Intern Program, from 1996 through 2005.[2][4]

On September 27, 1985 Strom was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska vacated by Albert Gerard Schatz. Strom was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 25, 1985 and received his commission on October 28, 1985. He served as Chief Judge from 1987 to 1994, assuming senior status on November 2, 1995. On June 6, 2017, Strom took inactive senior status in December 2017, meaning that while he remains a federal judge, he no longer hears cases or participates in the business of the court.[5][4]

Strom has stated that his "vision for the law is that we restore the professionalism and civility that were its trademarks when [he] was admitted to practice…[6] The Nebraska high school mock trial competition is now named after Strom and is referred to as the Judge Lyle Strom High School Mock Trial Championship.[7]

In 1997 his daughter, Susan Frances Strom, died in the Heaven's Gate cult mass suicide.[8]

• Lyle Elmer Strom at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.