Circuit Status
Each year, of the thousands of petitions for review that the Supreme Court receives, the justices typically grant fewer than 100. For just about everyone else, a decision made by one of the 13 federal courts of appeals is the end of the line, which makes these life-tenured judges some of the most powerful people many Americans have never heard of.
This interactive map shows which party's nominees control these federal courts of appeals and the federal district courts below them, along with demographic information about the people who are subject to the decisions they make.
Last updated October 26, 2021 09:12pm
Majority of active circuit court judges appointed by Republicans
Majority of active circuit court judges appointed by Democrats
Number of active circuit court judges appointed by both parties is the same
% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
83.3%
Democratic Presidents16.7%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active First Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1
Biden
3
Obama
1
Bush
1
Clinton
Circuit Demographics
33.3%
non-white circuit judges33.3%
circuit court judges who are women22.6%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white50%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
56.5%
Democratic Presidents43.5%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active First Circuit district court judges appointed by president
4
Trump
11
Obama
5
Bush
2
Clinton
1
H.W. Bush
District Demographics
30.4%
non-white district court judges39.1%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
50%
Democratic Presidents50%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Second Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
2
Biden
5
Trump
2
Obama
1
Bush
2
Clinton
Circuit Demographics
41.7%
non-white circuit judges41.7%
circuit court judges who are women34.4%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white33.3%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
69.8%
Democratic Presidents30.2%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Second Circuit district court judges appointed by president
2
Biden
10
Trump
31
Obama
6
Bush
4
Clinton
District Demographics
30.2%
non-white district court judges47.2%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
42.9%
Democratic Presidents57.1%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Third Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
4
Trump
4
Obama
4
Bush
2
Clinton
Circuit Demographics
21.4%
non-white circuit judges14.3%
circuit court judges who are women26.1%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white64.3%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
50%
Democratic Presidents50%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Third Circuit district court judges appointed by president
4
Biden
17
Trump
23
Obama
10
Bush
District Demographics
27.8%
non-white district court judges38.9%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
57.1%
Democratic Presidents42.9%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
3
Trump
5
Obama
2
Bush
2
Clinton
1
H.W. Bush
1
Reagan
Circuit Demographics
21.5%
non-white circuit judges28.6%
circuit court judges who are women33.6%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white57.1%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
52.8%
Democratic Presidents47.2%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Fourth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
4
Biden
12
Trump
22
Obama
11
Bush
4
Clinton
1
H.W. Bush
1
Reagan
District Demographics
25.5%
non-white district court judges32.7%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
29.4%
Democratic Presidents70.6%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
6
Trump
3
Obama
4
Bush
2
Clinton
2
Reagan
Circuit Demographics
17.6%
non-white circuit judges23.5%
circuit court judges who are women29.3%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white52.9%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
35.4%
Democratic Presidents64.6%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Fifth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
28
Trump
20
Obama
20
Bush
9
Clinton
1
H.W. Bush
4
Reagan
District Demographics
32.9%
non-white district court judges28%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
31.3%
Democratic Presidents68.8%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
6
Trump
2
Obama
5
Bush
3
Clinton
Circuit Demographics
31.3%
non-white circuit judges37.5%
circuit court judges who are women19.9%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white62.5%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
38.6%
Democratic Presidents61.4%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Sixth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
20
Trump
16
Obama
14
Bush
6
Clinton
District Demographics
14.3%
non-white district court judges30.4%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
27.3%
Democratic Presidents72.7%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1
Biden
4
Trump
1
Obama
1
Bush
1
Clinton
1
H.W. Bush
2
Reagan
Circuit Demographics
9.1%
non-white circuit judges45.5%
circuit court judges who are women22.4%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white54.5%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
60%
Democratic Presidents40%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Seventh Circuit district court judges appointed by president
13
Trump
23
Obama
3
Bush
4
Clinton
2
Reagan
District Demographics
24.4%
non-white district court judges33.3%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
9.1%
Democratic Presidents90.9%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
4
Trump
1
Obama
5
Bush
1
H.W. Bush
Circuit Demographics
9.1%
non-white circuit judges9.1%
circuit court judges who are women17%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white54.5%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
63.4%
Democratic Presidents36.6%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Eighth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
10
Trump
23
Obama
5
Bush
3
Clinton
District Demographics
12.2%
non-white district court judges29.3%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
55.2%
Democratic Presidents44.8%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
10
Trump
7
Obama
9
Clinton
3
Bush
Circuit Demographics
31%
non-white circuit judges44.8%
circuit court judges who are women34.7%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white69%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
62.5%
Democratic Presidents37.5%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Ninth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
2
Biden
14
Trump
50
Obama
18
Bush
3
Clinton
1
Reagan
District Demographics
42%
non-white district court judges33%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
54.5%
Democratic Presidents45.5%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1
Biden
2
Trump
5
Obama
3
Bush
Circuit Demographics
9.1%
non-white circuit judges36.4%
circuit court judges who are women19%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white54.5%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
35.1%
Democratic Presidents64.9%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Tenth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
2
Biden
13
Trump
10
Obama
10
Bush
1
Clinton
1
Reagan
District Demographics
21.6%
non-white district court judges29.7%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
41.7%
Democratic Presidents58.3%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
6
Trump
4
Obama
1
Bush
1
Clinton
Circuit Demographics
25%
non-white circuit judges50%
circuit court judges who are women31.2%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white33.3%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
34.4%
Democratic Presidents65.6%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Eleventh Circuit district court judges appointed by president
26
Trump
20
Obama
14
Bush
2
Clinton
2
H.W. Bush
District Demographics
31.2%
non-white district court judges34.4%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
63.6%
Democratic Presidents36.4%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1
Biden
3
Trump
4
Obama
1
Bush
2
Clinton
Circuit Demographics
45.5%
non-white circuit judges55.5%
circuit court judges who are women57.5%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white63.6%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
71.4%
Democratic Presidents28.6%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active D.C. Circuit district judges appointed by president
2
Biden
4
Trump
8
Obama
1
Clinton
District Demographics
40%
non-white district court judges46.7%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
66.7%
Democratic Presidents33.3%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Federal Circuit judges appointed by president
1
Biden
6
Obama
2
Bush
1
Clinton
1
Reagan
1
H.W. Bush