William Byrd Traxler Jr.

Traxler was born in Greenville, South Carolina. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Davidson College in 1970 and his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1973. ==Professional career==

Traxler worked in the office of United States Army Reserve Adjutant General, from 1970 to 1978. He practiced private law in Greenville from 1973 to 1974 before working as a criminal prosecutor in the Office of the solicitor for South Carolina's 13th Judicial Circuit from 1975 to 1981. From 1981 to 1985, he served as solicitor for the 13th Judicial Circuit, where he was the circuit's chief criminal prosecutor. In 1985, Traxler was elected by the General Assembly of South Carolina to be a state circuit court judge, where he served until becoming a federal judge in 1992. ==Federal judicial service==

Traxler was nominated by President George H. W. Bush in 1991, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina vacated by Clyde H. Hamilton. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 27, 1992, and received his commission on March 2, 1992. In February 2013, Chief Justice John Roberts named Traxler the chair of the executive committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States. Traxler's term as the chief judge ended on July 8, 2016, and he was succeeded by Judge Roger Gregory. Traxler assumed senior status on August 31, 2018. ==References==