---
title: "James Block Zagel | KnowJudges"
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---

# James Block Zagel

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois · U.S. District Judge

## Profile

- Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- State: Illinois
- Role: U.S. District Judge
- Service status: former
- Last verified: 2026-06-30

## Biography

### Professional career

- Judge, District Court, N.D. Illinois, 1987-present
- Chief assistant attorney general, State of Arizona (on leave from Illinois), 1975-present
- James Block Zagel (1941–2023) was an American judge, attorney, and former prosecutor, best known for his service on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and as a judge on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC)
- U.S. District Judge, Northern District of Illinois — appointed by President Ronald Reagan on February 2, 1987, confirmed by the Senate on April 21, 1987, and in office until October 21, 2016, when he assumed senior status
- Judge, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court — served from May 18, 2008, to May 18, 2015
- Chairman, Illinois Governor's Advisory Counsel on Criminal Justice Legislation, 1980-1987
- Director, Illinois Department of Revenue, 1979-1980
- Executive director, Illinois Law Enforcement Commision, 1977-1979
- chief, Criminal Justice Division, 1970-1977
- He then held the role of Assistant Attorney General of Illinois (1969–1977), leading the Criminal Justice Division, and as Chief Prosecutor for the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board (1973–1975)
- deputy chief, Criminal Justice Division, 1969-1970
- Assistant state's attorney, Cook County, IL, 1965-1969
- Began as Assistant State’s Attorney in Cook County, Illinois (1965–1969), helping build the case against mass murderer Richard Speck.
- Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- Judge of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court

### Education



### Additional information

- Director, Illinois State Police, 1980-1987
- Born March 4, 1941 in Chicago, Illinois, to Jewish parents, Zagel obtained a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Chicago in 1962 and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1965
- Date of birth: 1941-01-01
- Evanston Township High School
- Birth place: Chicago, IL

## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3590/james-block-zagel/)
- [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3590/james-block-zagel/)
- [U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3590/james-block-zagel/)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3590/james-block-zagel/)
- [Zagel, James Block | Federal Judicial Center](https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/zagel-james-block)
- [Wikidata: James Zagel](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1681335)

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