On Senator Chuck Grassley's recommendation, President George W. Bush nominated Reade to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa on June 26, 2002, to a seat vacated by Michael Joseph Melloy. The Senate confirmed her on November 14, 2002, and she received her commission on November 26. She became Chief Judge on January 1, 2007. Her term as Chief Judge ended on February 11, 2017. She assumed senior status on October 1, 2017.
