Los Angeles County
Biographies
JOHN WESLEY
SHENK.
Well known to lawyers and members of the judiciary throughout the southern portion of the state of California for his splendid achievements as a lawyer and jurist in Los Angeles, Judge John W. Shenk, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California, has duplicated his previous success during his three years on the latter bench.
Judge Shenk is a native of Vermont, born in 1875 at Shelbourne, and received his early training in public schools there and at Omaha, Neb. He later entered Ohio Wesleyan University, graduating with the degree of A. B. in 1900, then engaged in the study of law at the University of Michigan. This institution conferred on him the degree of J. D. in 1903, and he then moved to California.
Until 1906 Judge Shenk engaged in general civil practice at Los Angeles, and then became Deputy City Attorney, advancing to First Assistant City Attorney in 1908 and to City Attorney two years later. In 1913 he became Judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, and served in this capacity until appointed to the Supreme Court bench in April, 1924. In November 1924 he was elected for an unexpired term of six years.
Judge Shenk holds membership in the American Bar Association, State Bar of California, Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Bar Association of San Francisco. He is a 32° Mason, Shriner and Knight Templar, and a member of Lodge No. 99, B. P. O. E., of Los Angeles, the Sons of the Revolution, Beta Theta Pi and Phi Delta Phi fraternities, the Jonathan Club of Los Angeles and the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco. During the Spanish-American war he was a member of Company K, Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in service in Porto Rico, and he is a member of the United Spanish War Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. In 1907 he married Lena R. Custer and they have two sons, Samuel Custer and John Wesley, Jr.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: "American Blue Book California Lawyers"
by H. James Boswell, Page 25, Produced by H. James Boswell,
1928.
© 2008 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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