Joshua Kolar

Nonpartisan

United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit

Tenure

2024 - Present

Years in position

2

Predecessor:Michael Kanne (Nonpartisan)

Prior offices:

United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana

Years in office: 2019 - 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Northwestern University, 1999

Law

Northwestern University Law School, 2003

Joshua Kolar is a judge on theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He was nominated to the court by PresidentJoe Biden (D) on July 27, 2023, and confirmed by theUnited States Senate on January 30, 2024, by a vote of 66-25.^[1][2][3][4] Kolar was one of 235Article III judges nominated by PresidentJoe Biden (D) and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. To see a full list of judges appointed byJoe Biden,click here.

TheUnited States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is one of 13U.S. courts of appeal. They are the intermediateappellate courts of theUnited States federal courts. To learn more about the court,click here.

Prior to joining the court, Kolar was afederal magistrate judge for theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (2024-present)

See also:Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden

On July 27, 2023, PresidentJoe Biden (D) nominated Kolar to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.^[3] Kolar received commission on January 31, 2024.^[4] To read more about the federal nominations process,click here.

Nomination Tracker
Nominee Information
Name: Joshua Kolar
Court:United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Progress
Confirmed 187 days after nomination.
ANominated: July 27, 2023
AABA Rating: Well Qualified
Questionnaire:Questionnaire
AHearing: September 6, 2023
Hearing Transcript:Hearing Transcript
QFRs:(Hover over QFRs to read more)
AReported: September 28, 2023, January 18, 2023 (second)
AConfirmed: January 30, 2024
AVote: 66-25

Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Kolar by a vote of 66-25 on January 30, 2024.^[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website,click here.

Kolar confirmation vote (January 30, 2024)
Party	Yea	Nay	No vote
Democratic	46	0	2
Republican	17	25	7
Independent	3	0	0
Total	66[5]	25	9

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

TheSenate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Kolar's nomination on September 6, 2023. Kolar was reported to the full Senate on September 28, 2023, after a 16-5 committee vote.^[3] After his renomination, Kolar was again reported to the full Senate on January 18, 2023, after a 16-5 committee vote.^[6]

Nomination

On July 27, 2023, PresidentJoe Biden (D) nominated Kolar to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Kolar's nomination was returned to the president at thesine die adjournment of theU.S. Senate on January 3, 2024.^[7] The president renominated Kolar on January 8, 2024.^[1]

Kolar was nominated to replace JudgeMichael Kanne, whose service ended on June 16, 2022, upon his death.^[8]

TheAmerican Bar Association (ABA) rated Kolarwell qualified.^[9] To read more about ABA ratings,click here.

Biography

Education

Kolar earned a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University in 1999 and a law degree from Northwestern University School of Law in 2003.^[4]

Professional career

• 2024-present: Judge,United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
• 2019-2024: Magistrate Judge,United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
• 2009-2014, 2015-present: U.S. Navy Reserve
• 2014-2015: U.S. Navy lieutenant commander
• 2015-2018: U.S. Navy Reserve
• 2007-2018: Assistant U.S. attorney, Northern District of Indiana
• 2005-2006: Law clerk
• 2003-2005, 2006-2007: Private practice^[4]

About the court

Seventh Circuit
Court of Appeals
Judgeships
Posts: 11
Judges: 11
Vacancies: 0
Judges
Chief:Michael B. Brennan
Active judges:Michael B. Brennan,Frank Easterbrook,Candace Jackson-Akiwumi,Thomas L. Kirsch II,Joshua Kolar,John Z. Lee,Nancy Maldonado,Doris Pryor,Michael Scudder,Amy St. Eve,Rebecca Taibleson Senior judges: David Hamilton,Daniel Manion,Kenneth Ripple,Ilana Rovner,Diane Sykes,Diane Wood

TheUnited States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is afederal appellate court with appellatejurisdiction. It hears appeals from all of the circuit courts within its jurisdiction and its rulings may be appealed to theSupreme Court of the United States.

Appeals are heard in the Everett M. Dirksen Federal Building in downtownChicago.

Three judges of the Seventh Circuit went on to serve on theSupreme Court of the United States.Sherman Minton was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1949 byHarry Truman (D),John Paul Stevens was appointed in 1975 byGerald Ford (R), andAmy Coney Barrett was appointed in 2020 byDonald Trump (R).

Map of the Seventh Circuit. Click on a district to find out more about it.

The Seventh Circuit hasappellate jurisdiction over cases heard in one of its subsidiary districts. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law. Appeals of rulings by the Seventh Circuit are petitioned to theSupreme Court of the United States. JusticeAmy Coney Barrett is thecircuit justice for the Seventh Circuit.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has appellatejurisdiction over thecourts in the followingdistricts:

• Central District of Illinois
• Northern District of Illinois
• Southern District of Illinois
• Northern District of Indiana
• Southern District of Indiana
• Eastern District of Wisconsin
• Western District of Wisconsin

To read opinions published by this court, clickhere.

The federal nomination process

Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:

• The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
• The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by theSenate Judiciary Committee.
• The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.

• As part of this process, the committee sends ablue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.

• After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.

• If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
• If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.

• The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.

• If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
• If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.

See also

• United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
• United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

External links

Suggest a link

• United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
• Biography from theFederal Judicial Center

Footnotes

v • e Federal judges who have served theU.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Active judges	•  Amy St. Eve  •  Frank Easterbrook  •  John Z. Lee (United States Court of Appeals judge)  •  Michael B. Brennan (Wisconsin)  •  Michael Scudder  •  Joshua Kolar  •  Doris Pryor  •  Thomas Kirsch  •  Candace Jackson-Akiwumi  •  Nancy Maldonado  •  Rebecca Taibleson
Senior judges	Diane Sykes  •  Diane Wood  •  Daniel Manion  •  Ilana Rovner  •  David Hamilton (Seventh Circuit)  •  Kenneth Ripple  •
Former judges	John Paul Stevens  •  Ann Williams (Federal judge)  •  Julian William Mack  •  Terence Evans  •  Joel Flaum  •  Michael Kanne  •  Richard Posner  •  John Coffey (Seventh Circuit)  •  Jesse Eschbach  •  Walter Quintin Gresham  •  William Bauer  •  Richard Cudahy  •  Thomas Fairchild  •  Philip Tone  •  William Allen Woods  •  James Graham Jenkins (Wisconsin)  •  William Henry Seaman  •  John William Showalter  •  Peter Stenger Grosscup  •  Christian Cecil Kohlsaat  •  Albert Barnes Anderson (federal judge)  •  Francis Elisha Baker  •  Samuel Alschuler  •  Evan Alfred Evans  •  Louis FitzHenry  •  George True Page  •  Walter Lindley  •  William Morris Sparks  •  James Earl Major  •  Walter Treanor  •  Francis Duffy  •  Otto Kerner, Sr.  •  Otto Kerner, Jr.  •  Harlington Wood  •  Winfred Knoch  •  William Parkinson (Indiana)  •  Luther Swygert  •  Sherman Minton  •  Latham Castle  •  Walter Cummings  •  Philip Finnegan  •  John Hastings  •  Roger Kiley  •  Wilbur Pell  •  Elmer Schnackenberg  •  Robert Sprecher  •  Hardress Swaim  •  Amy Coney Barrett  •
Former Chief judges	Diane Sykes  •  Diane Wood  •  Joel Flaum  •  Richard Posner  •  William Bauer  •  Thomas Fairchild  •  William Morris Sparks  •  James Earl Major  •  Francis Duffy  •  Luther Swygert  •  Latham Castle  •  Walter Cummings  •  John Hastings  •

v • e Federal judges nominated to Article III courts byJoe Biden
Commissioned in 2025	Keli Neary
Commissioned in 2024	John Kazen •John Russell •Margaret Garnett •Cristal Brisco •Jacquelyn Austin •Gretchen Hess Lund •Micah Smith •Joshua Kolar •Karoline Mehalchick •Kirk Sherriff •Lisa Wang •David Leibowitz •Jacqueline Becerra •Julie Sneed •Melissa Damian •Kelly H. Rankin •Nicole Berner •Sunil Harjani •Leon Schydlower •Ernesto Gonzalez •Susan Bazis •Robert White •Ann Marie McIff Allen •Eumi Lee •Krissa Lanham •Eric Schulte •Camela Theeler •Angela Martinez •Jasmine Yoon •Nancy Maldonado •Meredith Vacca •Georgia Alexakis •Joseph Saporito •Amy Baggio •Stacey Neumann •Mary Kay Lanthier •Adam Abelson •Laura Provinzino •Mary Kay Costello •Dena Coggins •Kevin Ritz •Shanlyn A. S. Park •Byron Conway •Jeannette Vargas •Michelle Williams Court •Jonathan E. Hawley •April Perry •Mustafa Kasubhai •Sarah Russell •Amir Ali •Rebecca Pennell •Anthony Brindisi •Elizabeth Coombe •Cynthia Valenzuela •Anne Hwang •Brian Murphy •Noël Wise •Sanket Bulsara •Tiffany Johnson •Sparkle Sooknanan •Gail Weilheimer •Embry Kidd •Melissa DuBose •Sharad Desai •Serena R. Murillo •Benjamin Cheeks •Sarah Davenport
Commissioned in 2023	Kai Scott •Tamika Montgomery-Reeves •Margaret R. Guzman •Daniel Calabretta •Matthew Garcia •DeAndrea G. Benjamin •Cindy Chung •Adrienne Nelson •Lindsay Jenkins •Gina Méndez-Miró •Araceli Martínez-Olguín •Jamar Walker •Ana Reyes •Jamal Whitehead •Gordon Gallagher •Matthew Brookman•Maria Araujo Kahn• James Simmons •Robert Ballou• Andrew Schopler •Jonathan Grey•Colleen Lawless •Arun Subramanian •Jessica Clarke •Robert Kirsch •Michael Farbiarz •Anthony Johnstone •Orelia Merchant •Wesley Hsu •Bradley Garcia •LaShonda A. Hunt •Nancy Gbana Abudu •Amanda Brailsford •Darrel Papillion •Jeremy Daniel •Hernan D. Vera •Julie Rikelman •Nusrat Choudhury •P. Casey Pitts •Myong Joun •Kymberly Evanson •Tiffany Cartwright •Rachel Bloomekatz •Natasha Merle •Dale Ho •Philip Hadji •Rita Lin •Brendan Hurson •Vernon D. Oliver •Matthew Maddox •Julia Munley •Brandy McMillion •Susan DeClercq •Julia Kobick •Ramon Reyes, Jr. •Ana de Alba •Kenly Kiya Kato •Mónica Ramírez Almadani •Jeffrey M. Bryan •Jamel Semper •Irma Ramirez •Richard Federico •Loren AliKhan •Brandon Long •Jerry Edwards Jr.•Sara Hill •Joseph Laroski
Commissioned in 2022	David Herrera Urias •Gabriel Sanchez •Holly Thomas •Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong •David Ruiz •Charles Fleming •Bridget Brennan •Leonard Stark •Alison J. Nathan •John Chun •Julie Rubin •Jacqueline Scott Corley •Ruth Bermudez Montenegro •Victoria Calvert •Georgette Castner •Anne Traum •Cristina Silva •Ketanji Brown Jackson (Supreme Court) •Sarah Geraghty •Hector Gonzalez •Fred Slaughter •Jennifer Rochon •Robert Huie •Sunshine S. Sykes • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Evelyn Padin • Sherilyn P. Garnett • Ana de Alba • J. Michelle Childs • Trina Thompson • Elizabeth Hanes • Nancy Maldonado • Nina Morrison • Gregory Williams • John Z. Lee • Sal Mendoza, Jr. • Lara Montecalvo • Florence Pan • Andre Mathis • Sarah A.L. Merriam •Jennifer Rearden • Roopali Desai • María Antongiorgi-Jordán • Camille Vélez-Rivé • Doris Pryor • Frances Kay Behm • Dana Douglas • Mia Roberts Perez • Anne Nardacci •Jeffery P. Hopkins
Commissioned in 2021	Ketanji Brown Jackson • Zahid Quraishi •Julien Xavier Neals • Deborah Boardman • Regina Rodriguez • Candace Jackson-Akiwumi • Lydia Kay Griggsby • Tiffany Cunningham • Eunice Lee • Angel Kelley •Florence Pan •Veronica Rossman • David G. Estudillo • Sarah A.L. Merriam •Gustavo Gelpí • Christine O'Hearn •Margaret Strickland • Karen McGlashan Williams •Patricia Tolliver Giles • Toby Heytens •Michael Nachmanoff •Sarala Nagala • Beth Robinson • Omar A. Williams • Myrna Pérez • Jia Cobb • Tana Lin • Lauren King • Lucy H. Koh • Jennifer Sung • Samantha Elliott • Katherine Menendez • Mary Dimke • Linda Lopez • Shalina Kumar • Jane Beckering • Jinsook Ohta • Jennifer L. Thurston •Stephen Locher •Charlotte Sweeney •Nina Nin-Yuen Wang •Arianna Freeman •Jerry Blackwell

v • e Federal judges who have served theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
Active judges	Chief Judge: Holly Brady  •  Theresa Springmann  •  Philip Simon  •  Gretchen Hess Lund  •  Damon Leichty  •  Cristal Brisco
Senior judges	Robert Miller (Indiana)  •  James T. Moody (Indiana)  •  Theresa Springmann  •  Joseph Van Bokkelen  •  Jon E. DeGuilio  •
Magistrate judges	John E. Martin (Indiana)  •  Susan Collins (Federal judge, Indiana)  •
Former Article III judges	Allen Sharp  •  William Lee (Indiana)  •  Michael Kanne  •  Jesse Eschbach  •  Rudy Lozano (Indiana)  •  Thomas Whitten Slick  •  George Beamer  •  Robert Grant (Indiana)  •  Phil McNagny  •  William Parkinson (Indiana)  •  Luther Swygert  •
Former Chief judges	Robert Miller (Indiana)  •  Allen Sharp  •  William Lee (Indiana)  •  Theresa Springmann  •  Jesse Eschbach  •  George Beamer  •  Robert Grant (Indiana)  •  Philip Simon  •  Luther Swygert  •