COMMON SENSE AND COMPASSION: A JUDICIAL BIOGRAPHY OF RONALD LONGSTAFF.

This is a judicial biography of Ronald Earl Longstaff. During a legal career that spanned almost 50 years, Longstaff served the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in a remarkable variety of capacities. Beginning his legal career as a judicial clerk, he later became United States Commissioner, Clerk of Court, Magistrate Judge, and, finally, a United States District Court judge. Highly respected and admired, Longstaff exemplified the two qualities he viewed as central to judicial service: compassion and common sense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]