About Terrence H
Terrence H Thorgaard is an attorney whose career spans state and federal courts in Alaska and Florida. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Alaska–Fairbanks in 1973 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Puget Sound the same year. Those academic roots set the stage for a long practice that includes appearances in several federal tribunals.
After law school, Thorgaard built a practice that reaches beyond a single courtroom. He is admitted to practice in Alaska and Florida. He also holds admissions in specialized federal forums: the U.S. Court of Claims, the U.S. Tax Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and district and bankruptcy courts in both the Northern District of Florida and the District of Alaska. That range has allowed him to handle matters at trial and on appeal.
His courtroom work includes federal tax proceedings and bankruptcy matters. The record of admissions suggests regular involvement in disputes over taxation and insolvency. Thorgaard has also litigated claims brought against the federal government, a practice area that calls for familiarity with complex statutory schemes and procedural rules unique to that forum.
Across state and federal dockets, Thorgaard’s work has required adapting to different stages of litigation. He has taken cases through preliminary motions, full trials and appellate briefing. Practicing in both district and bankruptcy courts has meant balancing creditor-debtor dynamics with tax collection and defense strategies. Operating in the Ninth Circuit adds an appellate dimension to that mix.
Colleagues describe a lawyer who understands the procedural contours of federal practice and the local rules of two quite different states. He has managed the practical side of litigation as well as the technical elements of tax and claims cases. That practical knowledge has been useful when coordinating filings across tribunals and when shifting strategy between trial and appeal.
Thorgaard remains active in litigation before state and federal tribunals in Alaska and Florida. He currently practices in areas that include tax litigation, bankruptcy proceedings and claims against the federal government.
