Christopher McDonald, a Des Moines lawyer who has served on the Iowa Court of Appeals since September 2013, has been selected as Iowa Supreme Court justice by Gov. Kim Reynolds. McDonald is the first minority to be appointed to the state’s highest court. He was born in Thailand and his mother is Vietnamese. He received his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law and his undergraduate degree from Grand View University. Before his appointment to the Iowa Court of Appeals, McDonald served as a judge in the 5th Judicial District, which includes Polk County. He has practiced law with Faegre & Benson LLP and Belin McCormick PC and served as general counsel for Aviva USA. He is a former chair of the Iowa Asian Alliance. “Judge McDonald has a wealth of life experience which has prepared him exceptionally well to serve our state in this new role,” Reynolds said in a statement. “He is a brilliant and thoughtful jurist who will bring a diverse and fair perspective to the bench. That’s vital as Iowans deserve a judge who believes in applying the law, not making it.” Reynolds received three nominees from the state judicial nominating commission. Over the past several weeks, she personally interviewed each nominee, received extensive written materials from the nominees, and heard input from dozens of Iowans around the state, according to the release. McDonald is the governor’s second appointment to the Iowa Supreme Court.