Hon. Robert Conrad, Jr. (Ret.)

Robert James “Bob” Conrad Jr. (born May 17, 1958) is a retired United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.

Education and Career

Conrad was born on May 17, 1958, into an Irish-Catholic family and grew up on the west side of Chicago, Illinois. The Conrad family moved to Glen Ellyn, Illinois in 1967 where he was raised. He graduated from Benet Academy High School in Lisle, Illinois in 1976. Conrad later graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1980 and the University of Virginia School of Law with a Juris Doctor in 1983.

His father played Division I basketball at Loyola University New Orleans. Judge Robert and his brother Kevin went on to become Hall of Fame collegiate players at Clemson University and Dayton University respectively. Two of Conrad’s sons would play college basketball, Branden at the University of South Carolina and Ryan at Belmont Abbey College. Conrad was named a “Legend of the ACC”, was listed as one of the 25 Best Players of the First 100 Years of Clemson Basketball, became an Academic All-American, and was the inaugural recipient of Clemson’s “Bond” Ring as a Distinguished Athletic Alumnus.

Conrad’s legal career has included stints with Michie Hamlett Donato & Lowry in Charlottesville, Virginia(1983–1986), Horn & Conrad (1986–1987), and Bush Thurman & Conrad (1987–1989). before becoming an Assistant United States Attorney (1989–2001) In 2001, he became the United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina (2001–2004). He was a partner with Mayer Brown (2004—2005).

Federal Judicial Service

Conrad was nominated by President George W. Bush to the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina on February 14, 2005, to a new seat authorized by 116 Stat. 1758. He received his judicial commission on June 2, 2005. He became Chief Judge of the district in 2006 and served in that capacity until 2013.

Notable Cases

• In July 2011 Judge Conrad presided over a trial involving a lawsuit against TASER International Inc. for the wrongful death of a minor. When 17-year-old Darryl Green was killed after being struck in the chest and shocked by a TASER product in a North Carolina supermarket in March 2008, the jury in the case found a $10 million judgment against the TASER company. Judge Conrad reduced the amount to $5.49 million in light of the “relatively thin” evidence and prior settlements in the case. However, the Fourth Circuit determined that the amount needed to be reduced even further because the Plaintiff had not sufficiently proven specific damages.