Willis William Ritter

Who was Willis William Ritter?

Willis William Ritter was a United States federal judge.

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Ritter received an A.B. from the University of Utah, and an LL.B. from the University of Chicago Law School in 1924. He was in private practice in Chicago, Illinois, and Washington, D.C. from 1924 to 1926. He was a professor of law at the University of Utah from 1926 to 1950, and in private practice in Salt Lake City, Utah from 1935 to 1949, also receiving an S.J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1940.

On October 21, 1949, Ritter received a recess appointment from President Harry S. Truman to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Utah vacated by Tillman D. Johnson. Formally nominated on January 5, 1950, Ritter was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 29, 1950, and received his commission on July 7, 1950. He served as chief judge from 1954 until his death, in 1978, in Salt Lake City.