United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Sixth Circuit
Court of Appeals
Judgeships
Posts: 16
Judges: 16
Vacancies: 0
Judges
Chief: Jeffrey Sutton
Active judges: Rachel Bloomekatz, John K. Bush, Eric Clay, Stephanie Dawkins Davis, Julia Gibbons, Richard Griffin, Raymond Kethledge, Joan Larsen, Andre Mathis, Karen Moore, Eric Murphy, John Nalbandian, Chad Readler, Jane Stranch, Jeffrey Sutton, Amul Thapar Senior judges: Alice Batchelder, Danny Boggs, R. Guy Cole Jr., Deborah Cook, Martha Daughtrey, Ronald Gilman, Ralph Guy, David McKeague, Alan Norris, John M. Rogers, James Ryan, Eugene Siler, Richard Suhrheinrich, Helene White

The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is a federal appellate court with appellate jurisdiction. It hears appeals from all of the circuit courts within its jurisdiction and its rulings may be appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States.

The Sixth Circuit has 16 authorized judicial posts. The chief judge of the court is Jeffrey Sutton, who was appointed by President George W. Bush (R). Six of the judges on the court were appointed by Donald Trump (R).

Appeals are heard in the Potter Stewart United States Courthouse in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Four judges of the Sixth Circuit went on to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. Howell Edmunds Jackson was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1893 by Benjamin Harrison (R), William R. Day was appointed in 1903 by Theodore Roosevelt (R), Horace Harmon Lurton was appointed in 1909 by William Howard Taft (R), and Potter Stewart was appointed in 1958 by Dwight Eisenhower (R).

This page contains the following information on the Sixth Circuit.

• An overview of the court's jurisdiction
• A list of the court's active and senior judges
• A list of the court's current vacancies
• A brief history of the court
• Case reversal statistics by the Supreme Court of the United States
• Noteworthy cases heard by the court
• A list of the court's former judges
• Information about U.S. Courts of Appeals
• Where the court is located

Vacancies

See also: Current federal judicial vacancies

There are no vacancies on the Sixth Circuit, out of the court's 16 judicial positions.

Pending nominations

Judge	Appointed By	Assumed Office	Bachelors	Law
Kevin Fritz

Active judges

Article III judges

Judge	Appointed By	Assumed Office	Bachelors	Law
Karen Moore	Bill Clinton (D)	March 24, 1995 -	Radcliffe College, 1970	Harvard Law School, 1973
Eric Clay	Bill Clinton (D)	August 1, 1997 -	University of North Carolina, 1969	Yale Law School, 1972
Julia Gibbons	George W. Bush (R)	July 31, 2002 -	Vanderbilt University, 1972	University of Virginia School of Law, 1975
Jeffrey Sutton	George W. Bush (R)	May 5, 2003 -	Williams College, 1983	The Ohio State University, Moritz School of Law, 1990
Richard Griffin	George W. Bush (R)	June 10, 2005 -	Western Michigan University, 1973	University of Michigan Law School, 1977
Raymond Kethledge	George W. Bush (R)	July 7, 2008 -	University of Michigan, 1989	University of Michigan Law, 1993
Jane Stranch	Barack Obama (D)	September 15, 2010 -	Vanderbilt University, 1975	Vanderbilt University Law School, 1978
Amul Thapar	Donald Trump (R)	May 25, 2017 -	Boston College, 1991	University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, 1994
John K. Bush	Donald Trump (R)	July 21, 2017 -	Vanderbilt University, 1986	Harvard Law School, 1989
Joan Larsen	Donald Trump (R)	November 2, 2017 -	University of Northern Iowa, 1990	Northwestern University School of Law, 1993
John Nalbandian	Donald Trump (R)	May 17, 2018 -	University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, 1991	University of Virginia School of Law, 1994
Chad Readler	Donald Trump (R)	March 7, 2019 -	University of Michigan, 1994	University of Michigan, 1997
Eric Murphy	Donald Trump (R)	March 11, 2019 -	Miami University, 2001	University of Chicago Law School, 2005
Stephanie Dawkins Davis	Joe Biden (D)	June 14, 2022 -	Wichita State University, 1989	Washington University, St. Louis School of Law, 1992
Andre Mathis	Joe Biden (D)	September 27, 2022 -	University of Memphis, 2003	University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, 2007
Rachel Bloomekatz	Joe Biden (D)	July 20, 2023 -	Harvard University, 2004	UCLA School of Law, 2008

Active Article III judges by appointing political party

Below is a display of the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.

• Democrat appointed: 6
• Republican appointed: 10

Senior judges

Senior status is a classification for federal judges at all levels who are semi-retired. Senior judges are Article III judges who, having met eligibility through age and service requirements, continue to serve on federal courts while typically hearing a reduced number of cases. Some senior judges, however, elect to retain a full caseload after taking senior status. According to the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, senior judges "typically handle about 15 percent of the federal courts' workload annually." The date listed under assumed office in the table below reflects the date that the judge took senior status.

Judge	Appointed By	Assumed Office	Bachelors	Law
Ralph Guy	Ronald Reagan (R)	September 1, 1994 -	University of Michigan, 1951	University of Michigan Law School, 1953
James Ryan	Ronald Reagan (R)	January 1, 2000 -	University of Detroit, 1992	University of Detroit, Mercy School of Law, 1956
Alan Norris	Ronald Reagan (R)	July 1, 2001 -	Otterbein College, 1957	New York University School of Law, 1960
Richard Suhrheinrich	George H.W. Bush (R)	August 15, 2001 -	Wayne State University, 1960	Detroit College of Law, 1963
Eugene Siler	George H.W. Bush (R)	December 31, 2001 -	Vanderbilt University, 1958	University of Virginia School of Law, 1963
Martha Daughtrey	Bill Clinton (D)	January 1, 2009 -	Vanderbilt University, 1964	Vanderbilt University Law School, 1968
Ronald Gilman	Bill Clinton (D)	November 21, 2010 -	Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1964	Harvard Law School, 1967
Danny Boggs	Ronald Reagan (R)	February 28, 2017 -	Harvard College, 1965	University of Chicago Law School, 1968
David McKeague	George W. Bush (R)	November 1, 2017 -	University of Michigan, 1968	University of Michigan Law School, 1971
John M. Rogers	George W. Bush (R)	May 15, 2018 -	Stanford University, 1970	University of Michigan Law School, 1974
Deborah Cook	George W. Bush (R)	March 6, 2019 -	University of Akron, 1974	University of Akron School of Law, 1978
Alice Batchelder	George H.W. Bush (R)	March 7, 2019 -	Ohio Wesleyan University, 1964	University of Akron School of Law, 1971
Helene White		June 13, 2022 -	Barnard College, 1975	University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1978
R. Guy Cole Jr.		January 9, 2023 -	Tufts University, 1972	Yale Law School, 1975

Senior judges by appointing political party

Below is a display of the number of senior judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.

• Democrat appointed: 3
• Republican appointed: 11

Former chief judges

In order to qualify for the office of chief judge in an Article III circuit or district court, or on the United States Court of International Trade, a judge must be in active service and hold seniority over the court's commissioned judges who are 64 years of age or under, have served one year or more, and have not previously served as chief judge.

In the event that no judge on the court meets those qualifications, the youngest judge in regular active service aged 65 years or more and who has served as a judge for one year or more shall become chief judge. If no judge meets those qualifications, the judge holding seniority in active service who has not served as chief before shall become the chief judge.

The chief judge serves for a term of seven years until another judge becomes eligible to serve in the position. No judge is permitted to serve as chief judge after reaching the age of 70 years unless no other judge is qualified to serve.

Unlike the chief justice of the United States, a chief judge returns to active service after the expiration of their term and does not create a vacancy on the court by the fact of their promotion.

On the United States Court of Federal Claims, the chief judge is selected by the president of the United States. The judge must be less than 70 years of age. A chief may serve until they reach age 70 or until another judge is designated by the president as the new chief judge. If the president selects a new chief judge, the former chief judge may continue active service on the court for the remainder of their appointed term.

Guy Cole - (2014-2021) Alice Batchelder - (2009-2014) Danny Boggs - (2003-2009) Boyce Martin - (1996-2003) Gilbert Merritt - (1989-1996) Albert Engel - (1988-1989) Pierce Lively - (1983-1988) George Edwards - (1979-1983) Harry Phillips - (1969-1979) Paul Weick - (1963-1969)

Lester Cecil - (1962-1963) Shackelford Miller - (1961-1962) Thomas McAllister - (1959-1961) John Donelson Martin - (1959) Florence Ellinwood Allen - (1958-1959) Charles Casper Simons - (1952-1958) Xenophon Hicks - (1948-1952)

Former judges

For more information on the judges of the Sixth Circuit, see former federal judges of the Sixth Circuit.

Jurisdiction

Map of the Sixth Circuit. Click on a district to find out more about it.

The Sixth Circuit has appellate jurisdiction over cases heard in one of its subsidiary districts. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law. Appeals of rulings by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals are petitioned to the Supreme Court of the United States. Justice Brett Kavanaugh is the circuit justice for the Sixth Circuit.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has appellate jurisdiction over the United States district courts in the following federal judicial districts:

Eastern District of Kentucky Western District of Kentucky Eastern District of Michigan Western District of Michigan Northern District of Ohio

Southern District of Ohio Eastern District of Tennessee Middle District of Tennessee Western District of Tennessee

Caseloads

This section contains court management statistics dating back to 2010. It was last updated in August 2023.

Click [show] below for more information on caseload terms and definitions.

Caseload statistics explanation
Term	Explanation
Cases filed and terminated	The number of civil and criminal lawsuits formally initiated or decided by the court in a calendar year. The chart below reflects the table columns Cases filed and Cases terminated.
Average time from filing to disposition	The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to date of disposition (acquittal, sentencing, dismissal, etc.). The chart below reflects the table columns Median time (Criminal) and Median time (Civil).
Starting case load	The number of cases pending from the previous calendar year.
Cases filed	The number of civil and criminal lawsuits formally initiated in a calendar year.
Cases terminated	The total number of civil and criminal lawsuits decided by the court in a calendar year.
Remaining cases	The number of civil and criminal cases pending at the end of a given year.
Median time (Criminal)	The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to the date of disposition. In criminal cases, the date of disposition occurs on the day of sentencing or acquittal/dismissal.
Median time (Civil)	The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to the date of disposition.
Three-year civil cases	The number and percent of civil cases that were filed more than three years before the end of the given calendar year.
Vacant posts	The number of months during the year an authorized judgeship was vacant.
Trial/Post	The number of trials completed divided by the number of authorized judgeships on the court. Trials include evidentiary trials, hearings on temporary restraining orders, and preliminary injunctions.
Source: United States Courts, "Explanation of the Judicial Caseload Profiles for United States District Courts," accessed September 25, 2018

United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit caseload stats, 2010-2022
2010	4,983	4,324	5,309	293	75	97	16	10	10	16
2011	4,734	5,281	4,769	401	89	127	16	9	8	16
2012	4,965	5,544	4,195	456	71	151	16	9	0	13
2013	4,981	5,404	3,774	424	68	156	16	8	5	10
2014	4,605	5,141	3,249	448	55	161	16	8	12	9
2015	4,594	4,497	3,346	380	51	137	16	8	12	9
2016	5,191	5,088	3,419	472	55	165	16	8	12	8
2017	4,495	5,018	2,854	432	53	161	16	10	24	8
2018	4,165	4,334	2,659	322	50	116	16	9	18	7
2019	4,366	4,060	2,965	281	38	99	16	13	24	8
2020	4,163	4,487	2,641	374	43	132	16	12	0	8
2021	3,832	3,820	2,652	329	34	110	16	12	0	8
2022	3,225	3,445	2,433	284	31	98	16	13	0	9
Average	4,485	4,649	3,405	377	55	132	16	10	10	10

History

Court history

The Sixth Circuit was established by the United States Congress in 1891 by the Evarts Act of 1891, which established the first nine appeals circuits. Over the years, 14 additional seats were added to the court resulting in a total of 16 seats.

Judicial posts

The following table highlights the development of judicial posts for the Sixth Circuit:

Year	Statute	Total Seats
March 3, 1891	26 Stat. 826	2
January 25, 1899	30 Stat. 803	3
May 8, 1928	45 Stat. 492	4
May 31, 1938	52 Stat. 584	5
May 24, 1940	54 Stat. 219	6
March 18, 1966	80 Stat. 75	8
June 18, 1968	82 Stat. 184	9
October 20, 1978	92 Stat. 1629	11
July 10, 1984	98 Stat. 333	15
December 1, 1990	104 Stat. 5089	16

Reversal rate

See also: SCOTUS case reversal rates (2007 - Present)

Since 2007, SCOTUS has released opinions in 1,188 cases. Of those, it reversed a lower court decision 847 times (71.3 percent) while affirming a lower court decision 332 times (27.9 percent).

In that time period, SCOTUS has decided 85 cases originating from the Sixth Circuit, affirming in 17 cases and reversing in 68 cases, for a reversal rate of 80 percent. At the end of the 2022 term, the Sixth Circuit had the second to highest reversal rate of the 13 federal circuit courts of appeal.

Noteworthy cases

The following are noteworthy cases heard before this court. To suggest cases we should cover here, email us. To read opinions published by this court, click here.

• Republican congressmen from Michigan can intervene in redistricting case (2018)

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In December 2017, the League of Women Voters and 11 Democratic voters from Michigan alleged that the state's 2011 electoral districts were unconstitutionally drawn to favor Republican candidates. The plaintiffs argued this was a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments. They asked a three-judge federal district court to rule the maps unconstitutional and establish new maps unless the legislature approved a constitutional redistricting plan. In February 2018, eight Republican congressmen from Michigan moved to intervene in the case. They defended the districts' constitutionality. In April 2018, the three-judge court denied the motion to intervene. In August 2018, the Sixth Circuit reversed the district court's opinion, finding it "abused its discretion by denying permissive intervention." The court concluded the district court provided an inadequate explanation for denying the intervention. Read the opinion here. Articles: Brennan Center for Justice, "League of Women Voters of Michigan v. Johnson," August 30, 2018

• Termination of woman following divorce permissible as spiritual leader at a religious organization (2015)

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Alyce Conlon worked for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA in 2011 when she and her husband began experiencing marital difficulties. She informed her superiors and was put on paid leave. The organization’s policies state that it reserves the right to consider an employee’s separation or divorce when making decisions about his or her continued employment with the company. When Conlon’s husband filed for divorce, InterVarsity fired her. She sued, claiming male employees who had gone through divorces were allowed to keep their jobs. The three-judge panel (Alice Batchelder, John M. Rogers and Sandra Beckwith (sitting by designation)) of the 6th Circuit found that “[t]he government cannot dictate to a religious organization who its spiritual leaders” are. Judge Batchelder, writing for the panel, relied upon the Supreme Court’s 2012 decision in ‘’Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’’, which found that federal discrimination laws do not apply to religious leaders at religious organizations. The panel used Conlon’s work title, spiritual director, as the basis for their determination that Conlon was a religious leader at InterVarsity. Articles: Courthouse News, “Woman Fired for Broken Marriage Cannot Sue,” February 9, 2015 The Economist, "Private lives, public verdicts," February 6, 2015

• Expulsion of medical student upheld for unprofessional behavior upheld by Sixth Circuit (2015)

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Amir Al-Dabagh was a student at Case Western Reserve Medical School who allegedly groped female students, asked professors to lie on his behalf, and dodged paying taxi fare by jumping out of a moving cab. During his internship, female office staff complained about conduct. A family also asked him to be removed from the exam room. The school demanded that Al-Dabagh take classes on professionalism and gender and repeat his internship prior to graduation. After the university learned of Al-Dabagh’s conviction for DUI in North Carolina, it decided it would not grant Al-Dabagh a degree. He was expelled from the school, although the university offered to allow him to withdraw on his own so he could apply to another medical school. Al-Dabagh refused. He filed suit, claiming that the university refusing to grant him a degree was tantamount to bad faith. Though Al-Dabagh won at the district court level, the university appealed to the 6th Circuit and won. Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote for the three-judge panel (including Alice Batchelder and Deborah Cook). He highlighted the fact that professionalism was important to the medical field and listed first among the core competencies each degree candidate must meet at Case Western. Ultimately, Judge Sutton wrote that the university’s Committee on Students made an academic judgment when it refused to grant Al-Dabagh a degree and that such determinations are given deference unless they are outside “academic norms.” Articles: Courthouse News, "Medical School Expulsion Justified, 6th Circ. Finds," January 29, 2015 Columbus Dispatch, "Court: School can deny medical degree," January 30, 2015

• Sixth Circuit affirms injunction against early voting law in Ohio (2014)

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In Ohio, during the Golden Week, residents could register and vote on the same day during the first week of the five-week early voting period in the state. The Ohio Legislature passed a law banning this voter registration period, leading to a lawsuit challenging the law. Opponents said minority groups who were more likely to vote during early voting periods when special voting programs were directed towards them. One such program, “Souls to the Polls,” took place on Sundays and worked with Black churches. Further, early voting often utilized special voting times, such as evening hours and weekends, making it easier for lower-income people and minorities to make it to the polls. The three-judge panel, consisting of judges Karen Moore, Eric Clay and Damon Keith, found that the state did not prove that the Golden Week increased the likelihood of voter fraud or that the costs associated with early voting in general were too burdensome. Judge Moore wrote for the panel and stated that there was “extensive evidence in the record of the burdens African American, lower-income, and homeless voters will face in voting” without access to early voting. Articles: Courthouse News, "Early-Voting Limits in Ohio Kept Out of the Way," September 26, 2014 Bloomberg, "Ohio Voter ‘Golden Week’ Reinstatement Upheld by Court," September 24, 2014

• Sixth Circuit reaffirms judicial immunity (2014)

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Judge D. Dean Evans was sued by an attorney, Robert Bright, after he refused to accept a plea deal from Bright's client. Bright filed a motion asking the court to accept the plea deal of his client, who initially refused the deal but almost immediately changed his mind. Bright accused the judge of abusing his discretion in the matter. In return, Judge Evans filed a complaint with the Ohio Supreme Court, removed Bright from the case in question, and removed Bright from every other felony case to be heard in his courtroom. In total, Evans removed Bright from 70 cases. Defense Corp., the employer of Bright, fired him a month later because he could no longer represent clients before the judge, who was the only one hearing criminal cases in the county. Bright sued not only Evans for but also the county in which Judge Evans sits on the bench and his former employer, Defense Corp. The first judge to hear the case, Judge James Graham of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, refused to dismiss it, claiming that Judge Evans acted “outside his jurisdiction” and was thus not entitled to judicial immunity. Judge Graham dismissed the claims against the county and Defense Corp., however. The case was taken to the Sixth Circuit, and a three-judge panel consisting of Helene White, Karen Moore and Bernice Donald, reversed Judge Graham's ruling. Judge Moore wrote for the panel that, while Judge Evans acted “petty, unethical, and unworthy of his office,” judicial immunity still applied. They also found that because Judge Evans’ court had subject matter jurisdiction over criminal proceedings in the county, he was not acting outside of his jurisdiction. Further, the panel indicated that it wished to protect judicial immunity for the sake of the entire judicial community. The panel affirmed the dismissal of Bright’s claims against the county and Defense, Corp. Articles: Courthouse News, "Despite 'Unethical' Acts, Judge Has Immunity," June 6, 2014 10TV, "Court: Ohio judge immune from attorney's lawsuit," June 3, 2014

Before the U.S. Supreme Court

This section focuses on cases the U.S. Supreme Court heard that originated in this court. To suggest cases we should cover here, email us.

2023-2024 term

See also: Supreme Court cases, October term 2023-2024

The following case was scheduled for argument before the U.S. Supreme Court during the 2023-2024 term.

2023-2024 U.S. Supreme Court cases from the 6th Circuit
Case	Opinion author	Decision	Vote
Lindke v. Freed	Amy Coney Barrett	vacated and remanded	9-0
Chiaverini v. City of Napoleon, Ohio	TBD	TBD	TBD
Starbucks Corp. v. McKinney	TBD	TBD	TBD

2022-2023 term

See also: Supreme Court cases, October term 2022-2023

The following cases were heard by the U.S. Supreme Court during the 2022-2023 term.

2022-2023 U.S. Supreme Court cases from the 6th Circuit
Case	Opinion author	Decision	Vote
Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools	Neil Gorsuch	reversed and remanded	9-0
The Ohio Adjutant General’s Department v. Federal Labor Relations Authority	Clarence Thomas	affirmed	7-2
Polselli v. Internal Revenue Service	John Roberts	affirmed	9-0
Calcutt v. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.(Decided without argument)	Per curiam	reversed and remanded	N/A

2021-2022 term

See also: Supreme Court cases, October term 2021-2022

The following cases were heard before the U.S. Supreme Court during the 2021-2022 term.

2021-2022 U.S. Supreme Court cases from the 6th Circuit
Case	Opinion author	Decision	Vote
Wooden v. United States	Elena Kagan	reversed and remanded	9-0
Babcock v. Kijakazi	Amy Coney Barrett	affirmed	8-1
Cameron v. EMW Women’s Surgical Center, P.S.C.	Samuel Alito	reversed and remanded	8-1
Brown v. Davenport	Neil Gorsuch	reversed	6-3
Marietta Memorial Hospital Employee Health Benefit Plan v. DaVita, Inc.	Brett Kavanaugh	reversed and remanded	7-2
Shoop v. Twyford	John Roberts	reversed and remanded	5-4
National Federation of Independent Business v. Department of Labor	Per curiam	Application granted	6-3

2020-2021 term

See also: Supreme Court cases, October term 2020-2021

The following cases were decided by the U.S. Supreme Court during the 2020-2021 term.

2020-2021 U.S. Supreme Court cases from the 6th Circuit
Case	Opinion author	Decision	Vote
Mays v. Hines	Per curiam	reversed	8-1
Borden v. United States	Elena Kagan	reversed and remanded	5-4
Brownback v. King	Clarence Thomas	reversed	9-0
CIC Services v. Internal Revenue Service	Elena Kagan	reversed and remanded	9-0
Niz-Chavez v. Garland	Neil Gorsuch	reversed	6-3

2019-2020 term

See also: Supreme Court cases, October term 2019-2020

The following cases were decided by the U.S. Supreme Court during the 2019-2020 term.

2019-2020 U.S. Supreme Court cases from the 6th Circuit
Case	Opinion author	Decision	Vote
Ritzen Group Inc. v. Jackson Masonry	Ruth Bader Ginsburg	affirmed	9-0
Monasky v. Taglieri	Ruth Bader Ginsburg	affirmed	9-0

Federal courthouse

The Court shares the Potter Stewart U.S. Courthouse in Cincinnati, with the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and the U.S. Marshall Service. The building is located in the business district of Cincinnati and has more than 440,000 square feet of usable space. Originally completed in 1938, the court's main features include a marble detailed two-story lobby and courtrooms with original wood paneling.

About United States Court of Appeals

The United States courts of appeals (or circuit courts) are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal courts. The court of appeals was originally created in 1891 and has grown to include thirteen courts.

A court of appeals decides appeals from any of the district courts that are in its federal judicial circuit. The appeals courts also can hear appeals from some administrative agencies. Decisions of the federal appeals courts can, in turn, be appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States.

There are thirteen United States courts of appeals. In addition, there are other federal courts (such as the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, which hears appeals in court-martial cases) that have "Court of Appeals" in their titles.

The eleven "numbered" circuits and the D.C. Circuit are defined by geography. The thirteenth court of appeal is the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. This court has nationwide jurisdiction over certain types of appeals based on what the underlying legal case is about.

All of the courts of appeals also hear appeals from some administrative agency decisions and rulemaking. The largest share of this type of case is heard by the D.C. Circuit. The Federal Circuit hears appeals from specialized trial courts, primarily the Court of International Trade and the Court of Federal Claims, as well as appeals from the district courts in patent cases and certain other specialized matters.

Federal circuit court judges are appointed for life. They are paid approximately $179,500 annually. At the age of 65, a federal judge may choose to retire with his or her full salary. Judges may also choose to go on senior status at age 65, if they have served actively for 15 years.

Appointments by president

The chart below shows the number of appeals court judges confirmed by the U.S. Senate through May 1 of the fourth year of each president's term in office. At this point in the term, President Trump had the most appeals court appointments with 51.

Judges by circuit

See also: Judicial vacancies in federal courts

The table below displays the number of judges in each circuit and indicates how many were appointed by presidents from each major political party. It also includes the number of vacancies on a circuit and how many pending nominations for that circuit are before the United States Senate. The table can be sorted by clicking the column headers above the line. It is updated every Monday.

See also

• Federal courts
• Federal judge
• United States Court of Appeals
• Eastern District of Kentucky
• Western District of Kentucky
• Eastern District of Michigan
• Western District of Michigan
• Northern District of Ohio
• Southern District of Ohio
• Eastern District of Tennessee
• Middle District of Tennessee
• Western District of Tennessee

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
• Judges of the Sixth Circuit
• Opinions and Oral Arguments