Ninth Circuit Reappoints Chief Bankruptcy Judge Gary A. Spraker in the District of Alaska
N E W S R E L E A S E
Sept. 23, 2026
Contact: Katherine Rodriguez
mediarelease@ce9.uscourts.gov
SAN FRANCISCO — Judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit have reappointed Chief Bankruptcy Judge Gary A. Spraker of the District of Alaska to a second 14-year term effective Oct. 4, 2026. Judge Spraker was appointed to the bankruptcy court in 2012 and maintains his chambers in Anchorage. He is currently the only active bankruptcy judge for the District of Alaska.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Judge Spraker graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Stetson University in 1985 and attended the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, where he graduated in 1988. Judge Spraker began his legal career in 1988 as an associate at the Denver law firm of Morrison & Foerster, before moving to Anchorage, Alaska, where he clerked for the Honorable John W. Sedwick of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska from 1992 to 1994. After his clerkship, Judge Spraker was an associate from 1994 to 2002 at Bundy & Christianson, where his practice mainly involved representing Chapter 7 trustees. From 2002 to 2012, Judge Spraker was a partner at Christianson & Spraker (formerly Christianson, Boutin & Spraker), where he represented trustees, debtors and creditors in Chapters 7, 11 and 13 matters.
Judge Spraker is the first American College of Bankruptcy fellow in Alaska who was inducted in 2012. He was a contributing author of the Alaska Bankruptcy Exemption Manual and previously served as chair of the Alaska State Bar Association’s Bankruptcy Section.
Bankruptcy judges serve a 14-year renewable term and handle all bankruptcy-related matters under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit have statutory responsibility for selecting and appointing bankruptcy judges in the nine western states that comprise the 9th Circuit. The court uses a comprehensive merit selection process for the initial appointment. For reappointments, the court conducts a performance review and considers public comment evaluations.
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