Joshua M. Kindred of Anchorage was confirmed this morning by the U.S. Senate as the United States District Judge for the District of Alaska.
On a vote of 54-41, the Senate confirmed Kindred on near party line vote on Wednesday. Two Democrats — Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema — voted to confirm him.
Kindred is 134th District Court judge confirmed by Senate during Donald Trump’s presidency.
Kindred is the son-in-law of Pam Birch and the late State Sen. Chris Birch.
He received a low rating on a poll of the Alaska Bar Association. Trump’s first choice, Jon Katchen, withdrew his name after scoring low on the bar poll. Kindred scored even lower. The Alaska Bar Association is dominated by liberal lawyers.
[Read: Alaska Bar Association leans Democrat, according to study]
Kindred had worked in the District Attorney’s office in Anchorage, and for the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, a trade group. Most recently, he has been the Department of Interior’s Regional Solicitor for Alaska.
Kindred was born in Goldsboro, N.C. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2002 and his law degree from Willamette University College of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Willamette Law Review.
[Read: Josh Kindred heads to full Senate vote on judicial appointment]
The selection of more conservative judges has been a hallmark accomplishment for President Trump. But the appointments must make it through the Senate. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch was confirmed on a 54–45 vote, and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed, 50-48.
As of February 12, 2020, the United States Senate confirmed 193 “Article III” judges nominated by President Trump, including two for the Supreme Court, 51 for the United States Courts of Appeals, 137 judges for the United States District Courts, and two judges for the United States Court of International Trade.
Three other U.S. District Court judges were also confirmed by the Senate today for New York, Missouri, and Illinois.
This liberal lawyer population in Alaska would explain a few things I’ve noticed over the years.
Editor-in-chief of his law school’s Bar Review and scored LOW in the AK Bar Assoc. bar poll? I guess this is ‘Exhibit A’ submitted into evidence in the case that the ABA is nothing more than a corrupt, partisan political organization in business to obstruct justice and ramp-up political disarray in Alaska’s legal environment. Too many Democrats and too many low GPA law students running AK’s legal system.
GPA has nothing to do with law School. It’s all based on conjecture and butt licking in the class as well as special points given if you attend some get togethers. If you were on some debate team or not or if your parent also attended that law school and how much money they’ve donated. That’s what GPA is based on in law school so don’t put too much weight into it
Most law review editors are at the top of the heap of their class. A+ students. Either this Trump appointed judge is the intellectual envy of his colleagues in the Alaska Bar Association, or, he is a right- leaning Republican.
Trump picked him. Enough said.
Good comment on the domination of the Alaska Bar Association; exactly why we need to stop reelecting judges based on their recommendation….
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