Two attorneys nominated to fill district judge vacancy

CEDAR RAPIDS - A Cedar Rapids attorney and an Iowa City attorney were selected Wednesday by the 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission as nominees to replace Judge Nancy Baumgartner who will retire at the end of December.

The nominees, Christopher Bruns of Cedar Rapids, and Chad Kepros of North Liberty, will be forwarded to Gov. Terry Branstad, who will appoint one as the next district judge. Branstad has 30 days to make the appointment.

Baumgartner will retire Dec. 31, after serving 20 years on the associate district and district court benches. She will take senior judge status in January. The commission interviewed 14 applicants for the impending vacancy Wednesday.

Bruns, an attorney with Elderkin and Pirnie since 1994, received his law degree from Drake University Law School in 1991. He was an associate with the Tom Riley Law Firm before joining Elderkin.

The emphasis of Bruns' practice has been in civil trial and appellate law. He represents both defendants and plaintiffs in personal injury, health care malpractice, employment discrimination and other civil litigation. He is a fellow in the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers, an associate in the American Board of Trial Advocates and a member of the Linn County Bar, Iowa State Bar and Iowa Defense Counsel associations.

Kepros has been an attorney with Bray and Klockau in Iowa City since 1996 after receiving his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1996.

Kepros practices in domestic relations and family law. He has trial and appellate experience and also provides mediation and other alternative dispute resolution services.

He is on the roster of mediators for the 6th Judicial District Family Mediators Program and a member of the American Bar, Iowa State Bar and Johnson County Bar associations, and serves on the Iowa Supreme Court Child Support Guidelines Review Committee.