The
United States courts of appeals were established by the
Judiciary Act of 1891 as "United States circuit courts of appeals" (the name was changed to its current form in 1948). The act authorized 19 appellate judgeships in 9 circuits. Since then, the number of authorized appellate judgeships has increased to 179.
Summary of 13 circuits combined : • There were temporarily 178 appellate federal judgeships, due to the elimination of a 12th seat on the D.C. Circuit by Section 509 of the Court Security Improvement Act of 2007. That Act also provided for the creation of a 29th seat on the Ninth Circuit in January 2009 which increased the number of authorized appellate judgeships back to 179. :
Partisan mix of the circuit courts :
First Circuit :
Second Circuit :
Third Circuit :
Fourth Circuit : • Roger Gregory, who was given a one-year recess appointment in Bill Clinton's second term and was subsequently given a lifetime appointment in George W. Bush's first term, is counted as a Clinton appointee on this page.
Fifth Circuit : • The 5th Circuit judges who were transferred to the 11th Circuit in late 1981 are not included in the 5th Circuit numbers for 1981 for trend comparison purposes.
Sixth Circuit :
Seventh Circuit :
Eighth Circuit :
Ninth Circuit :
Tenth Circuit :
Eleventh Circuit : • The 11th Circuit was created in 1981. The judges that were transferred from the 5th Circuit to the 11th Circuit are shown in 1981 for trend comparison purposes.
D.C. Circuit :
Federal Circuit : • The Federal Circuit was created in 1982. The judges from the courts that were combined into the Federal Circuit are shown in 1981 for trend comparison purposes. ==District courts==