James Polk Gorter was born on August 27, 1858. He attended school at Charles M. Maguire's school in Baltimore, Anne Arundel County Academy (1871-2), St. John's College Preparatory Department (1872-4), and received his B. A. at St. John's College. In 1877, he received his L. L. B. degree at the University of Maryland Law School. St. John's college awarded him a Master of Arts degree in 1881 followed by a L. L. D. degree in 1912.

Gorter studied law with Alexander H. Hagner in 1878. He became a public school teacher and taught in Annapolis from 1879-80. Returning to law, he joined the law practice of H. Arthur Stump and Henry D. Harlan. In 1891, he served in the Maryland State Senate. He became Baltimore City Attorney from 1892-96 before serving as Baltimore City Collector from 1899-1903.

His first appointment to the bench was in 1907 when he was made an Associate Judge of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City. He continued in that position until 1922 when he was promoted to Chief Judge in which job he stayed until his retirement in 1928. He died in 1939. Source: Archives of Maryland.

At the time of his retirement, the Baltimore legal community formed a committee to have a medallion made as a thank you for Judge Gorter. The head of The Judge Gorter Medallion Committee was Charles Harley, a leading attorney. He contracted with Baltimore jeweler Carl Schon to make one gold and one bronze medallion at a total cost of $ 425.00.

Ordinarily we write articles about tokens, medals and related exonumia. We have never seen the Gorter medals, but own the bill from Carl Schon. This bill was in the files of what was once the law practice of Charles Harley. When the firm ceased to exist, a local man assembled the files and offered the various papers to local collectors.