Judges appointed by Abraham Lincoln
President Abraham Lincoln filled 44 lifetime federal judgeships, including 5 on the Supreme Court.
What this list covers. Every lifetime (Article III) appointment in the Federal Judicial Center’s directory: 5 Supreme Court · 34 district courts · 5 specialized courts. Bankruptcy and magistrate judges are appointed by the courts, not the president, and fixed-term (Article I) judgeships such as the U.S. Tax Court aren’t attributed to a president here.
Jump to: Supreme Court (5) · District Courts (34) · Specialized courts (5)
Supreme Court · 5
| Judge | Court | Vote | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salmon Portland Chase | Supreme Court | Voice | 1864 |
| David Davis | Supreme Court | Voice | 1862 |
| Stephen Johnson Field | Supreme Court | Voice | 1863 |
| Samuel Freeman Miller | Supreme Court | Voice | 1862 |
| Noah Haynes Swayne | Supreme Court | 38–1 | 1862 |
District Courts · 34
Specialized courts · 5
| Judge | Court | Vote | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Casey | Court of Claims | Voice | 1863 |
| Joseph Casey | Court of Claims | Voice | 1861 |
| Charles Cooper Nott | Court of Claims | Voice | 1865 |
| Ebenezer Peck | Court of Claims | Voice | 1863 |
| David Wilmot | Court of Claims | Voice | 1863 |
Vote “–”: no recorded tally or vote type in the FJC record.
Source: FJC Biographical Directory (the complete record of Article III federal judges). Data last verified 2026-08-15. Verify against the primary source before relying.