Its territory covers the states of
Connecticut,
New York, and
Vermont, and it has
appellate jurisdiction over the
U.S. district courts in the following
federal judicial districts and areas: •
District of Connecticut •
Eastern District of New York •
Northern District of New York •
Southern District of New York •
Western District of New York •
District of Vermont The Second Circuit has its clerk's office and courtrooms at the
Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse at 40
Foley Square in
Lower Manhattan. Because the Second Circuit includes
New York City (in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York), it has long been one of the most prestigious and influential federal appellate courts in the United States, especially in matters of
contract law,
securities law, and
antitrust law. In the 20th century, it came to be considered one of the two most prominent federal appellate courts, along with the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Several notable judges have served on the Second Circuit, including three later named
Associate Justices of the
United States Supreme Court:
John Marshall Harlan II,
Thurgood Marshall, and
Sonia Sotomayor. Judge
Learned Hand served on the court from 1924 to 1961, as did his cousin,
Augustus Noble Hand, from 1927 until 1953. Judge
Henry Friendly served from 1959 to 1986. File:WTM sheila 0042.jpg|Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse at 500 Pearl Street; the court's former temporary home File: WTM sheila 0036.jpg|Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse at 40 Foley Square == Current composition of the court ==