The Hon. Drew D. Tatum is a judge for the 9th Judicial District Court in New Mexico. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Bill Richardson in 2007.
The 9th Judicial District includes Curry County and Roosevelt County.
Prior to his appointment, Tatum was a partner at Tatum & McDowell, a law firm he joined in 2005. He specialized in criminal law, estate planning, and probate matters, supplementing his practice by teaching as an adjunct professor in the Legal Studies Department of Clovis Community College.
Tatum earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and political science from the University of New Mexico in 1995. He then completed a J.D. at the University of Tulsa College of Law in 2000.
He is admitted to practice in New Mexico (2000), the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (2001), the United States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals (2001), and the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico (2006).
After graduating from law school, Tatum began his legal career as a judge advocate with the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He served in that capacity until 2004, at which time he joined the 9th Judicial District Attorney’s Office as a deputy district attorney.
Born in Clovis, New Mexico, Tatum attended Clovis High School.