Joshua M. Kindred


Joshua Michael Kindred is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Alaska.

Education

Kindred earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alaska Anchorage and his Juris Doctor from Willamette University College of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Willamette Law Review.

Legal career

Upon graduating law school, Kindred served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Paul De Muniz of the Oregon Supreme Court from 2005–2007. From 2008–2013, Kindred served as an assistant district attorney and violent unit supervisor for Alaska; from 2013–2018, he was environmental counsel to the Alaska Oil and Gas Association and from 2018–2020, he served as the regional solicitor for the Alaska Region of the Department of the Interior in Anchorage, Alaska.

Federal judicial service

On October 16, 2019, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Kindred to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Alaska. On November 21, 2019, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated Kindred to the seat vacated by Judge Ralph R. Beistline, who took senior status on December 31, 2015. A hearing on his nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee was held on December 4, 2019.
Alaska's Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski congratulated Kindred on his nomination. On January 3, 2020, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. Later that day, he was re-nominated to the same seat. On January 16, 2020, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. On February 11, 2020, the Senate voted 52–41 to invoke cloture on his nomination. On February 12, 2020, the Senate confirmed his nomination by a 54–41 vote. He received his judicial commission on February 18, 2020.