About

Kinzo H. Mihara

Kinzo was born in northwestern Montana, but as a child of a Naval Officer grew up on both coasts. In school, Kinzo excelled at sports, and in Maryland was ranked in wrestling and took state in football. After high school, Kinzo completed a four year tour with the U.S. Marines serving in an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) squadron and was an enlisted aide to several

Kinzo H. Mihara

Kinzo was born in northwestern Montana, but as the child of a Naval Officer, he grew up on both coasts. In school, Kinzo excelled in athletics, and while living in Maryland, he was ranked in wrestling and earned a state title in football.

After high school, Kinzo completed a four-year tour with the U.S. Marines, serving in an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) squadron. During this time, he also served as an enlisted aide to several senior generals at the Pentagon, gaining valuable leadership and operational experience.

Following his initial military service, Kinzo pursued his undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. While attending college, he was activated from the Marine Corps reserve list to active duty in support of the war on terror.

During this second tour, Kinzo served as an enlisted legislative liaison, working between the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon, where he developed a strong understanding of the intersection between military operations and government policy.

After completing his military service, Kinzo went on to earn his law degree from the University of Idaho College of Law in Moscow, Idaho. Prior to becoming a licensed attorney, he worked as a certified paralegal at a busy public defender’s office in Portland, Oregon, where he gained hands-on experience in criminal defense. He later worked for a firm in the Washington, D.C. area, litigating major construction defect cases across the country and frequently taking those cases to trial.

Kinzo has since worked in both large and small firms in Idaho, handling a wide range of legal matters. He currently represents individuals, businesses, and municipal entities, providing counsel and representation in both litigation and transactional matters, including criminal law, family law, real estate transactions and disputes, insurance, personal injury, and environmental law.

Due to his legal accomplishments and his reputation for professionalism before both the bench and bar, Kinzo has been short-listed for magistrate judge positions in Kootenai, Shoshone, and Bonner counties. He was also recognized by the Idaho Business Review as one of its inaugural “Leaders in the Law” in 2013.

Kinzo is active in the Idaho State Bar and is licensed in Washington (Active) and Montana (Inactive). He is also admitted to practice in the federal courts of Idaho and Montana, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States. In short, Kinzo Mihara is an experienced attorney who has appeared in federal, state, local, and tribal courts across a wide range of criminal and civil matters.

When he is not practicing law, Kinzo enjoys spending time with his family. He works on the family’s property in Idaho and Washington and enjoys fishing, camping, hunting, boating, and exploring the mountains, lakes, and rivers of North Idaho, Eastern Washington, and Montana.

Some of My Work

State of Idaho V. Coeur d’Alene Tribe

The panel affirmed (1) the district court’s denial of a motion to dismiss the State of Idaho’s action alleging that the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s offering of Texas Hold’em poker violated a Tribal-State Gaming Compact entered into under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, and (2) the district court’s grant of a preliminary injunction.

Metlife V. Holland

Appeal from the District Court of the First Judicial District of the State of Idaho, in and for Kootenai County. The Hon. John T. Mitchell, District Judge.

The judgment of the district court is vacated.

Kinzo H. Mihara, Coeur d’Alene, argued for appellants.

William J. Schroeder, Paine Hamblen, LLP, argued for respondents.