He was a Deputy attorney general of Division of Criminal Justice, New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety from 1981 to 1982.
He was nominated by President George W. Bush on August 1, 2002, to a seat on the District Court vacated by Joseph E. Irenas.
He was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 14, 2002, and received his commission on December 4, 2002.
On May 19, 2017 he was appointed to be a judge of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court by John Roberts.
His brother Pete Kugler played eight seasons in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers and two seasons in the United States Football League for the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars.