What is Judge J. Thomas Bartleson's background?
EOIR's notice says that J. Thomas Bartleson was appointed in June 2020. Judge Bartleson earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1994 from the University of Washington and a Juris Doctor in 2001 from the University of Montana School of Law. From 2017 to 2020, he served as an assistant U.S. attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana, in Helena, Montana. From 2012 to 2017, he served in the Office of the State Public Defender, Major Crimes Unit, in Helena, Montana. From 2002 to 2012, he served in the U.S. Army and deployed as a judge advocate twice: once as the chief of claims for Multi-National Corps-Iraq/III Corps; and once as a trial defense counsel at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. During that time, from 2010 to 2011, he served as senior defense counsel at Fort Drum and the U.S. Military Academy.
What the official record establishes
The source lists the name J. Thomas Bartleson in 1 alphabetical row. The recorded title is Immigration Judge. The record is not an appointment history or an employment certification.
Dated court associations
EOIR’s court-specific tables associate this entry with New York - Broadway Immigration Court. The relationship is recorded as listed 2026-10-20; it may include supervisory coverage rather than a merits-hearing assignment.
No outcome or personal-profile claims
This entry does not provide an asylum approval rate, predict a decision, or claim personal background not established by the cited source. Confirm the assigned judge and attendance details from your notice and the court. A change of judge does not by itself change deadlines or excuse attendance.