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 July 21, 2022 02:44pm
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
100%
Democratic Presidents0%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active First Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1

3

1

Circuit Demographics
40%
non-white circuit judges40%
circuit court judges who are women22.6%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white40%
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 First Circuit district court judges appointed by president
2

4

11

4

2

1

District Demographics
29.2%
non-white district court judges45.8%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
53.8%
Democratic Presidents46.2%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
3
Number of active Second Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
4

5

2

1

1

Circuit Demographics
38.5%
non-white circuit judges46.2%
circuit court judges who are women34.4%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white30.8%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
70.9%
Democratic Presidents29.1%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Second Circuit district court judges appointed by president
6

10

29

6

4

District Demographics
30.9%
non-white district court judges47.3%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
42.9%
Democratic Presidents57.1%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
2
Number of active Third Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
4

4

3

2

Circuit Demographics
23.1%
non-white circuit judges15.4%
circuit court judges who are women26.1%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white56.9%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
52.7%
Democratic Presidents47.3%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Third Circuit district court judges appointed by president
7

17

22

9

District Demographics
30.9%
non-white district court judges40%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
60%
Democratic Presidents40%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
2
Number of active Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1

3

5

1

3

1

1

Circuit Demographics
20%
non-white circuit judges26.7%
circuit court judges who are women33.6%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white53.3%
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
5

12

20

11

3

1

1

District Demographics
24.5%
non-white district court judges34%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
29.4%
Democratic Presidents70.6%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
2
Number of active Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
6

3

4

2

2

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

20

19

8

1

3

District Demographics
32.9%
non-white district court judges27.8%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
37.5%
Democratic Presidents62.5%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
6

2

4

3

1

Circuit Demographics
37.5%
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
44.3%
Democratic Presidents55.7%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Sixth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
20

16

14

6

5

District Demographics
18%
non-white district court judges32.8%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
27.3%
Democratic Presidents72.7%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
2
Number of active Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1

4

1

1

1

1

2

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
1

13

23

3

4

2

District Demographics
28.9%
non-white district court judges35.6%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
9.1%
Democratic Presidents90.9%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
Number of active Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
4

1

5

1

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
64.1%
Democratic Presidents35.9%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Eighth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
2

10

20

4

3

District Demographics
12.8%
non-white district court judges30.8%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
58.1%
Democratic Presidents41.9%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
Number of active Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
4

10

7

9

3

Circuit Demographics
39.4%
non-white circuit judges48.5%
circuit court judges who are women34.7%
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
69.6%
Democratic Presidents30.4%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Ninth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
19

14

49

16

3

1

District Demographics
49%
non-white district court judges40.2%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
54.5%
Democratic Presidents45.5%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1

2

5

3

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
37.8%
Democratic Presidents62.2%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Tenth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
5

13

9

9

1

District Demographics
21.6%
non-white district court judges29.7%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
36.4%
Democratic Presidents63.6%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
6

3

1

1

Circuit Demographics
27.3%
non-white circuit judges45.5%
circuit court judges who are women31.2%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white36.4%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
36.4%
Democratic Presidents63.6%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Eleventh Circuit district court judges appointed by president
2

26

20

14

2

2

District Demographics
32.8%
non-white district court judges36.4%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
63.6%
Democratic Presidents36.4%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1

3

4

1

2

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
75%
Democratic Presidents25%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active D.C. Circuit district judges appointed by president
3

4

8

1

District Demographics
43.7%
non-white district court judges50%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
66.7%
Democratic Presidents33.3%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
Number of active Federal Circuit judges appointed by president
2

5

2

1

1

1
