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 September 19, 2023 03:09pm
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
3

2

Circuit Demographics
20%
non-white circuit judges40%
circuit court judges who are women22.6%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white20%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
68%
Democratic Presidents32%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active First Circuit district court judges appointed by president
7

4

10

4

2

1

District Demographics
43%
non-white district court judges54%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
57%
Democratic Presidents43%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
Number of active Second Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
6

5

2

1

Circuit Demographics
36%
non-white circuit judges57%
circuit court judges who are women34%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white31%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
74%
Democratic Presidents26%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Second Circuit district court judges appointed by president
13

10

29

6

3

District Demographics
38%
non-white district court judges50%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
46%
Democratic Presidents54%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Third Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
3

4

3

3

Circuit Demographics
31%
non-white circuit judges38%
circuit court judges who are women26.1%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white57%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
59%
Democratic Presidents41%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Third Circuit district court judges appointed by president
13

17

22

7

District Demographics
34%
non-white district court judges41%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
60%
Democratic Presidents40%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
2

3

4

1

3

1

1

Circuit Demographics
26%
non-white circuit judges33%
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
55%
Democratic Presidents45%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Fourth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
8

12

19

11

3

1

1

District Demographics
24%
non-white district court judges33%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
25%
Democratic Presidents75%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1

6

2

4

1

2

Circuit Demographics
25%
non-white circuit judges31%
circuit court judges who are women25%
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%
Democratic Presidents65%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Fifth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
1

28

20

19

7

1

3

District Demographics
33%
non-white district court judges25%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
38%
Democratic Presidents63%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
3

6

1

4

2

Circuit Demographics
38%
non-white circuit judges31%
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
45%
Democratic Presidents55%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Sixth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
7

20

16

14

5

District Demographics
18%
non-white district court judges32%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
30%
Democratic Presidents70%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
3

4

1

1

1

Circuit Demographics
30%
non-white circuit judges50%
circuit court judges who are women22.4%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white60%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
63%
Democratic Presidents37%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Seventh Circuit district court judges appointed by president
7

13

20

3

2

1

District Demographics
35%
non-white district court judges39%
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
65%
Democratic Presidents35%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Eighth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
3

10

20

4

3

District Demographics
15%
non-white district court judges30%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
56.7%
Democratic Presidents43.3%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
7

10

6

4

3

Circuit Demographics
46.7%
non-white circuit judges50%
circuit court judges who are women34.7%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white66%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
75%
Democratic Presidents25%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Ninth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
32

14

48

13

2

1

District Demographics
48%
non-white district court judges42%
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
39%
Democratic Presidents61%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active Tenth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
7

13

8

9

1

District Demographics
21%
non-white district court judges29%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
42%
Democratic Presidents58%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
Number of active Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1

6

3

1

1

Circuit Demographics
33%
non-white circuit judges50%
circuit court judges who are women31.2%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white33%
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
64%
Democratic Presidents36%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
Number of active D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
3

3

4

1

Circuit Demographics
55%
non-white circuit judges55%
circuit court judges who are women57.5%
of people living in this jurisdiction who aren’t white80%
judges who are former corporate law partners% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
71%
Democratic Presidents29%
Republican PresidentsNumber of active D.C. Circuit district judges appointed by president
2

4

8

District Demographics
43.7%
non-white district court judges43%
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
