Appointing president / Democratic
Judges appointed by James Buchanan
President James Buchanan filled 12 lifetime federal judgeships, including 1 on the Supreme Court.
What this list covers. Every lifetime (Article III) appointment in the Federal Judicial Center’s directory: 1 Supreme Court · 9 district courts · 2 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 (1) · District Courts (9) · Specialized courts (2)
Supreme Court · 1
| Judge | Court | Vote | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Clifford | Supreme Court | 26–23 | 1858 |
District Courts · 9
Specialized courts · 2
| Judge | Court | Vote | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Hughes | Court of Claims | Voice | 1860 |
| Edward Greely Loring | Court of Claims | 27–13 | 1858 |
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.