{ "id": "epm7n780j3", "slug": "h-russel-holland", "title": "H. Russel Holland", "updated": "2026-10-15", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law" }, { "id": "society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3", "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-h", "label": "Surnames H", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-h" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-h", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Surnames H", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-h", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-h", "label": "Surnames H", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-h" } ] } ], "excerpt": "H. Russel Holland, born Hezekiah Russel Holland in 1936, is an American jurist serving as a senior United States district judge for the District of Alaska since 2001.", "snippet": "H. Russel Holland, born Hezekiah Russel Holland in 1936, is an American jurist serving as a senior United States district judge for the District of Alaska since 2001.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-h", "markdown": "# H. Russel Holland\n\nHezekiah Russel Holland (born 1936) is an American jurist serving as a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Alaska since 2001.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, serving as a district judge from 1984 until assuming senior status in 2001.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) He served as chief judge of the court from 1989 to 1995.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) |\n| Appointed by | Ronald Reagan[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) |\n| Confirmed | March 26, 1984, by voice vote[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) |\n| Senior status | September 18, 2001[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) |\n| Born | 1936 in Pontiac, Michigan[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) |\n| Education | B.B.A., University of Michigan, 1958; LL.B., University of Michigan Law School, 1961[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nHolland was born in 1936 in [Pontiac, Michigan](https://www.edgepedia.org/pontiac-michigan).[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) His father, born in 1898, was from Virginia and later moved to Detroit to teach high school, and a grandfather served as a circuit judge in Pontiac, where he presided for approximately 30 years.[2](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Hon-H-Russel-Holland-pdf-3.pdf) Holland attended high school in Pontiac, where he pursued the academic track, and later said that his father, who believed everyone should be well educated, was his greatest influence.[2](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Hon-H-Russel-Holland-pdf-3.pdf)\n\nHe enrolled at the University of Michigan, receiving a [Bachelor of Business Administration](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-business-administration) in 1958.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) He then attended the University of Michigan Law School, receiving his [Bachelor of Laws](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-laws) degree in 1961.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) In a later interview, Holland described his contracts course as his most memorable law school experience, recounting that after fearing he had received a C-plus grade, the professor regraded the exams over the summer and changed his grade to a B.[2](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Hon-H-Russel-Holland-pdf-3.pdf)\n\n## Legal career\n\nAfter graduating from law school in 1961, Holland and his wife Diane drove to Alaska, a move inspired by a law school classmate who had become a lawyer in Juneau; he had written letters of inquiry to the Alaska Supreme Court and other offices while still in school.[2](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Hon-H-Russel-Holland-pdf-3.pdf) He served as a law clerk to Judge Buell A. Nesbett of the Alaska Supreme Court in 1961.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296)\n\nHolland was an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Alaska from 1963 to 1965.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) He then entered private practice in Anchorage, where he was hired as an associate at the law offices of Stevens and Savage and quickly became a partner in the firm, which became Stevens, Savage, and Holland; founder [Ted Stevens](https://www.edgepedia.org/ted-stevens) was soon elected to represent Alaska in the U.S. Senate, leaving his caseload to Holland.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) • [2](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Hon-H-Russel-Holland-pdf-3.pdf) He practiced in Anchorage from 1965 until 1984, in what he described as a basic commercial practice that went through several name changes during his 19 years with the firm.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) • [2](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Hon-H-Russel-Holland-pdf-3.pdf)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nHolland was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska on March 6, 1984, after reading that Judge James A. von der Heydt would soon be taking senior status.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) • [2](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Hon-H-Russel-Holland-pdf-3.pdf) He was confirmed by voice vote on March 26, 1984, and received his commission on July 16, 1984.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) At the time he joined the court, there were only two U.S. district judges in Alaska.[2](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Hon-H-Russel-Holland-pdf-3.pdf)\n\nHolland served as chief judge of the District of Alaska from 1989 to 1995.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296) He assumed senior status on September 18, 2001.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: Hezekiah Russel Holland](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382296)\n2. [Hon. H. Russel Holland](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Hon-H-Russel-Holland-pdf-3.pdf)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States district court judges › Surnames H*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/h-russel-holland", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/h-russel-holland.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"H. Russel Holland\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/h-russel-holland. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[H. Russel Holland](https://www.edgepedia.org/h-russel-holland)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/h-russel-holland](https://www.edgepedia.org/h-russel-holland). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"H. Russel Holland\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/h-russel-holland. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "H. Russel Holland, born Hezekiah Russel Holland in 1936, is an American jurist serving as a senior United States district judge for the District of Alaska since 2001." }