Judge Jonathan A. Kobes received his Bachelor of Arts from Dordt University and his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. He served as a judicial law clerk to his predecessor Judge Roger L. Wollman of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Following his clerkship, Kobes worked as a litigation attorney at the Central Intelligence Agency, an Assistant United States Attorney in Rapid City, South Dakota, in private practice in Sioux Falls, and as inhouse counsel to private and public companies.

Kobes served as Deputy Chief of Staff and General Counsel to U.S. Senator Mike Rounds. On June 11, 2018 President Trump nominated Kobes to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 11, 2018.