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With Indiana Northern District Magistrate Judge Joshua Kolar awaiting a confirmation vote from the U.S. Senate to fill a vacancy on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, the district court is preparing to fill the anticipated magistrate judge vacancy.
The Indiana Northern District Court announced Tuesday that applications are now being accepted to succeed Kolar as magistrate if he is confirmed. Applications are due by 4 p.m. ET Nov. 9.
President Joe Biden in July announced Kolar’s nomination to fill the vacancy on the 7th Circuit created by the death last summer of Judge Michael Kanne.
Kolar appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee in early September, and the committee advanced his nomination on a 16-5 vote on Sept. 28.
“The judges of the Northern District of Indiana are extremely proud that Magistrate Judge Kolar has been nominated to continue to serve his Country as a member of the Seventh Circuit,” Chief Judge Holly Brady said in a news release announcing the expected magistrate judge vacancy. “Josh has been a tremendous asset as a member of the judiciary for the Northern District. His work ethic is unparalleled. While Judge Kolar’s thoughtful and humble approach to the matters pending before him will surely be missed by the bench, the bar and litigants, the judges anxiously await Judge Kolar’s much deserved confirmation.”
Kolar was appointed to his current position on Jan. 1, 2019. He also serves as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, where he has served since 2009, including on active duty in Afghanistan from 2014 to 2015.
Prior to taking the bench, Kolar worked as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Indiana from 2007 to 2018, serving as national security lead in that office from 2015 to 2018. He was tapped in 2018 to succeed now-retired Magistrate Judge Paul Cherry.
A date for the final vote on Kolar’s nomination has not yet been announced, but experts say it will likely come before the end of the year.
Interested candidates should follow the instructions provided in the public notice to apply for the Northern District magistrate judge position.
U.S. magistrate judges are appointed by the district court judges for terms of eight years and are eligible for reappointment to successive terms.
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