Thomas D. Waterman at a glance
- Current role
- Justice
- Jurisdiction
- Iowa · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Thomas D. Waterman
Justice · Supreme Court of Iowa
Biography
Professional career
- Judge, Supreme Court of Iowa, 2011-present
- Associate Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court, appointed in 2011 and serving until the end of his term in 2028
- He also held the role of associate editor of the law review
Education
- University of Iowa College of Law in, graduating Order of the Coif in the top five percent of his class — J.D. (1984)
- B.A. in History from Dartmouth College in 1981
Additional information
- Waterman was appointed by Governor Terry Branstad in 2011, following the removal of three justices after the Iowa Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in Varnum v.
- Born 1959.
- Date of birth: 1959-06-25
- Waterman was born in Davenport, Iowa, and graduated from Bettendorf High School.
- Marriott International, Inc..
- He is also an elected member of the American Law Institute
- Birth place: Davenport
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Iowa prohibits broadcasting, recording, photographing, texting, blogging, or tweeting real-time courtroom coverage unless the presiding judicial officer permits it in advance.
prohibited unless the presiding judicial officer expressly permits coverage in advanceIowa Judicial Branch: Expanded News Media Coverage ↗
Presiding Judge Discretion
Statewide
Iowa's expanded news media coverage framework requires approval, but the judge should allow coverage unless it would materially interfere with protected interests or the proceeding.
The judge shall allow expanded news media coverage unless the judge concludesIowa Judicial Branch: Expanded News Media Coverage ↗
Electronic Devices For Media
Statewide
Iowa Chapter 25 requires approval before using electronic devices for photography, video recording, audio recording, or streaming video in a courtroom.
Electronic devices for photography, video recording, audio recording, or streaming video may not be usedChapter 25 Rules for Expanded News Media Coverage ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Iowa Rules of Appellate Procedure, official September 30, 2026 collection
Supreme Court of Iowa
Iowa Supreme Court and Court of Appeals proceedings only. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Sources
Identity source checked August 22, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
Iowa Judicial Branch official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 22, 2026
View Iowa Judicial Branch official judicial roster ↗CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View CourtListener judicial biographical directory ↗Iowa Judicial Branch: Expanded News Media Coverage
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Iowa Judicial Branch: Expanded News Media Coverage ↗Chapter 25 Rules for Expanded News Media Coverage
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Chapter 25 Rules for Expanded News Media Coverage ↗