Judge David A. Tapp serves as a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims, a court with nationwide jurisdiction. Prior to his confirmation in 2019 by the U.S. Senate, Judge Tapp served fifteen years as Judge of the 28th Circuit for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a court of general jurisdiction, and as a limited jurisdiction judge within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He currently co-chairs the U.S. Court of Federal Claims Advisory Counsel.
Judge Tapp has served in numerous advisory capacities for justice-involved organizations including the National RX Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit, the United States Coordinating Council for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention which reports to the President and Congress regarding issues affecting the nation's justice involved children, the Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative, and Kentucky's Criminal Justice Policy Assessment Council. He is a graduate of the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, Chaminade University of Honolulu, and Morehead State University.
In 2023, the Brandeis School of Law recognized Judge Tapp as a distinguished alumnus. Judge Tapp has also been acknowledged for his efforts related to treatment alternatives for justice involved individuals. In 2011, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals presented Judge Tapp the All Rise! award relating to his contributions. In 2015, the NADCP again recognized Judge Tapp's treatment team's contributions by awarding its prestigious Community Transformation Award. For many years, Judge Tapp directed judicial education for Kentucky's general jurisdiction and family court judges. He has taught on diverse justice related topics and continues to be involved in legal education efforts for attorneys and judges.
Judge Tapp's Employment Information