Judge Jonathan Kobes
Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals
Jonathan Allen Kobes was born in August 1974 in Sioux City, Iowa. He earned an undergraduate degree from Dordt University and received his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. During law school, Kobes worked at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa, as well as for a private law firm. He clerked at the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
He spent two years as a litigation attorney for the Central Intelligence Agency and three years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. He entered into private practice. Later, Kobes worked as General Counsel to Senator Mike Rounds.
He was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. After cloture was invoked, he was confirmed by the Senate with Vice President Mike Pence casting the first-ever tie-breaking vote for a judicial nominee. He received his judicial commission in December 2018.
In the News…
A federal appeals court upheld an Arkansas law requiring state contractors to pledge not to boycott Israel, finding the restriction is not an unconstitutional violation of free speech.
The ruling from the Eighth Circuit was a defeat for the BDS movement, which stands for “boycott, divestment, sanctions” against Israel, and it was a victory for pro-Israel activists.
“(The law) only prohibits economic decisions that discriminate against Israel,” Judge Jonathan Kobes wrote in the 2-1 court’s opinion. “Because those commercial decisions are invisible to observers unless explained, they are not inherently expressive and do not implicate the First Amendment.”
The case may be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Judge Kobes today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Jonathan Kobes
Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals
Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse
111 s. 10TH St.
St. Louis, MO 63102
