Kohlsaat was nominated by President
William McKinley on February 23, 1899, to a seat on the
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois vacated by Judge
Peter S. Grosscup. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate on February 28, 1899, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on March 24, 1905, due to his elevation to the Seventh Circuit. Kohlsaat was nominated by President
Theodore Roosevelt on March 18, 1905, to the
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the
United States Circuit Courts for the Seventh Circuit, to a new joint seat authorized by 33 Stat. 992. He was confirmed by the Senate on March 18, 1905, and received his commission the same day. On December 31, 1911, the Circuit Courts were abolished and he thereafter served only on the Court of Appeals. His service terminated on May 11, 1918, due to his death in Chicago. He was buried at
Rosehill Cemetery. ==References==