Evening star., 1939-05-23
President Nominates
James ". Morris
For D. {. Judgeship
Assistont Attorney
General Picked for
sLust of New Posts
By J. RUSSELL YOUNG.

President Roosevelt today nomi-
mated James w. Morris, who has
been Assistant Attorney General
since 1887, to be associate justice of
the United States District Court for
the District of Columbia.
Mr.. Morris, who Is 48 years old
and a native of Florida, is being ap-
pointed to the last remaining of the
newly created judgeships for the
District.
Simultaneous with the announce
ment was that of Mr.. Morris resig-
nation as Assistant Attorney Gen.
eral. At the same time, the White
House made public Mr.. Morris let
ter OF resignation to the President
and the Presidents letter of accept
ance.
Born at SmithfieId.
Mr.. Morris was born at Smithfield
N. G., November Is, 1890. His early
education was obtained at the
Staunton (Va) Military Academy
and the Horner Military School at
Oxford, N. C. He took his A. B. and
legal education at the University OF
North Carolina.
Mr.. Morris was admitted to the
Florida bar in 1918 and entered
private practice at Tampa, where he
remained until 1888 with the ex-
ception OF two years service in
France as a captain. From 1914 to
1925 Mr.. Morris was a partner in
the firm of Raney e. Morris and
from 1925 TO 1888 he was with the
firm of Taliaferro, Morris & Carter
The nominee came to the Depart
ment OF Justice in August, 1898,
when he was appointed a special
assistant to the Attorney General,
and served in the claims depart
ment until March Is, 1884. He then
was transferred to the tax division,
where he remained until November
1885. At that time he was appoint
ed Assistant Attorney General in
charge of the claims division and
served until January, 1887, when he
was named to head the tax division.
Supervised A. A. A. Case.
AS a special assistant to the At
torney General, Mr.. Morris had
immediate supervision of the cases
involving the Agricultural Adjust
ment Act litigation; while in charge
Of the claims division he argued in
the Court of Claims such important
cases as the Taft case, in which ii
was determined that the gold legis-
lation did not invalidate a call for
redemption of United States bonds
made subsequently. and the Ritter
case. which was the first judicial
determination that a court could
not review and determine what con-
stitutes an impeachable offense.
He also appeared in several i'm.
portant cases in the Supreme Court
Mr.. Morris actively supervised also
the study made by the Department
of Justice on the tax-immunity
problem, which led up to legislation
to take away income tax immunity
from Federal and State officers. The
same study involved collection Of
data also for President Roosevelt,
recommendation for legislation to de
away with tax immunity on the OBJ
legation Of Federal and State gov.
ernments.
Assistant Attorney General Morris
has made special study of admin.
istrative law. He was appointed by
former Attorney General Cum
mings as chairman of a committee
to collaborate with a committee OF
senior circuit judges to formulate
rules of procedure for the review
and appeals from orders and deci-
sions Of administrative boards
agencies and commissions. More
recently he was named by Attorney
General Murphy to head a COM
mittee which is making a study OF
(See MORRIS. Page A-5)