David H. Coar -- Qualified (from the July, 1993 evaluation of candidates for the federal bench)

David H. Coar, 49, is a 1969 graduate of the Loyola University Law School. He received an L.L.M. degree from Harvard Law School in 1970. After one year with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and three years in private practice in Alabama, he spent five years as an associate professor at DePaul University College of Law teaching Ethics, Corporations, Corporate Finance and other courses. From 1979 to 1982, he served as the first United States Bankruptcy Trustee in the Northern District of Illinois. He taught at DePaul again from 1982 to 1986, where he was Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 1982 to 1985. He was appointed to the Bankruptcy Court in 1986.

Lawyers universally report that Judge Coar is an outstanding Bankruptcy Judge. He is widely perceived among Bankruptcy Court practitioners as having excellent legal ability, integrity, independence and practical judgment. He is reported to be personally self-effacing, to take his job seriously, and to be thoroughly prepared. His written opinions are considered well-reasoned. At the same time, his practical sense and experience enable him to cut to the essence of a matter. He has a good grasp of the rules of evidence, and is decisive in his rulings. Judge Coar runs his courtroom well. He controls the lawyers to maximize efficiency, listening to both sides, yet cutting off argument when appropriate.

The Council received no substantial criticism of Judge Coar's performance. To the contrary, he is regarded as doing an outstanding job as a Bankruptcy Judge.

Since the changes to the bankruptcy law a decade ago, the Bankruptcy Court has been presented with a wide range of complex federal and state civil issues. The only aspects of a District Judge's job that are not presented to Bankruptcy Judges are jury trials and criminal cases.

These two areas both present gaps in Judge Coar's professional background -- he has relatively limited jury trial experience and limited exposure to criminal law. When Judge Coar was in private practice early in his career, he did try a relatively small number of jury trials. In addition, he represented clients in felony cases on occasion, but those cases were not of the complexity of the criminal cases on a District Court docket. He has had no significant jury trial or criminal law experience since that time because of his activities as a professor of law and his role as a Bankruptcy Judge. Accordingly, jury trials and criminal cases will be the two areas where Judge Coar will face some "learning curve" if he is appointed a District Judge. However, based on Judge Coar's superior performance in a difficult judicial assignment over the last seven years, his willingness to work hard to develop his skills, his demonstrated intellect, and his very strong interpersonal skills, the Council believes that Judge Coar will master these areas quickly and effectively.

Judge Coar impressed the Council during his interview as extraordinarily thoughtful about a variety of legal issues and problems he will confront on the District Court. This thoughtfulness, coupled with his outstanding judicial record in a difficult assignment, suggests to the Council that Judge Coar will make an outstanding District Judge if appointed.