# D. Price Marshall Jr. *United States district judge, Eastern District of Arkansas* Denzil Price Marshall Jr. (born July 20, 1963) sits as a federal district judge in the Eastern District of Arkansas. President Barack Obama nominated him to that seat in 2009, and the Senate confirmed him by voice vote in 2010.[^1] He was chief judge from July 23, 2019, to December 18, 2023.[^1] In the Minnesota record, Marshall is one of the three judges named on the district court hearing *United States v. State of Minnesota*, No. 0:26-cv-00273 (D. Minn.). The United States filed that Title VII action on January 14, 2026, against a [[Minnesota]] Department of Human Services hiring policy.[^2] As of the source's June 18, 2026 refresh, the State's response had been due February 27, 2026, and the case was ongoing.[^2] ## Early life and education Marshall is a native of [[Memphis]], Tennessee. He completed a Bachelor of Arts at Arkansas State University in 1985 and was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity there.[^1] He then earned a Master of Science from the London School of Economics in 1987 and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1989.[^1] ## Career After law school, Marshall clerked from 1989 to 1991 for Judge Richard S. Arnold of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit]].[^1] He then joined Barrett & Deacon in Jonesboro, Arkansas, as an associate from 1991 to 1995 and as a principal from 1995 to 2006.[^1] In 2006 he took a seat as an associate judge of the Arkansas Court of Appeals. He also holds an adjunct teaching appointment at Arkansas State University.[^1] ### Federal judicial service Following Obama's election, Marshall met on December 29, 2008, with Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln to discuss an open federal district court seat.[^1] On March 12, 2009, Lincoln and fellow Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor told him that his name would go to the White House among those recommended.[^1] Obama sent the formal nomination on December 3, 2009. The seat had belonged to Judge Billy Roy Wilson, who took senior status in October 2008.[^1] The Senate Judiciary Committee forwarded the nomination to the floor on February 11, 2010. The [[United States Senate]] approved it by voice vote on May 5, 2010, and his commission was issued the next day, May 6, 2010.[^1] He held the chief judgeship from July 23, 2019, until December 18, 2023.[^1] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - Marshall, of the Eastern District of Arkansas, sits on the three-judge district court in [[United States v. State of Minnesota (0:26-cv-00273)]]. The other two judges are Circuit Judge [[Raymond W. Gruender]] and Chief Judge [[Patrick J. Schiltz]] of the District of Minnesota.[^2] - The source also lists Magistrate Judge Shannon G. Elkins, following Foster's recusal. It does not give Foster's full name or title.[^2] ### What - The United States' complaint challenges the Minnesota Department of Human Services Hiring/[[Pre-Hire Justification policy]] under sections 703(a)(1) and (a)(2) of [[Title VII]].[^2] - The signed agency policy is filed as the operative Exhibit B. It contains the "non-underrepresented candidate" language.[^2] ### When - The complaint was filed on January 14, 2026.[^2] - The action was brought after [[Executive Order 11246]] was revoked by Executive Order 14173 on January 21, 2025.[^2] - The State's response was due on February 27, 2026. The source records the case as ongoing as of June 18, 2026.[^2] ### Where - The case is before a three-judge district court in the District of Minnesota.[^2] ### How - The complaint is pleaded through *Bostock* textualism.[^2] - According to the source's prior validation, the complaint cites [[§43A.191]] eight times.[^2] ## See also - [[United States v. State of Minnesota (affirmative-action hiring)]] - [[Non-underrepresented candidate]] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *D. Price Marshall Jr.* (revision 1344745190, retrieved 2026-10-26). Supports birth, education, clerkship, private practice, state appellate service, adjunct teaching, nomination, committee report, confirmation, commission and chief-judge dates. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._Price_Marshall_Jr.> [^2]: *The Instrument No One Will Name* (densified, 2026-06-18), validated passage [53]. Supports the docket, filing date and composition of the three-judge court in *United States v. State of Minnesota*, 0:26-cv-00273 (D. Minn.); the Title VII §§703(a)(1), (a)(2) claims; Exhibit B; the EO 14173 revocation of EO 11246; the February 27, 2026 response date; the case's ongoing status; and the eight citations of §43A.191. No URL in the pack carries this passage, so it is cited by pack label.