James Bland retired as District Judge for the 18th Judicial District in January, after 25 years on the bench. During that time, he served on the state Judicial Conference executive committee, legislative committee, and bench book committee. Prior to his judicial career, he was in private practice in McAlester for 12 years. He presently serves as president of the Pittsburg County Bar Association and as a coach for the McAlester High School mock trial teams, while also serving on the boards of various community organizations.