A state court of last resort / Established 1960

District of Columbia Court of Appeals

Washington · A court of last resort in the District of Columbia.

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals is the highest court of the District of Columbia. Its judges are chosen by presidential appointment and U.S. Senate confirmation. This page lists every judge to serve on the court, current and former, with when they joined the bench and whom they succeeded.

52
Judges in history
24
Currently serving
Presidential
Selection
15-yr
Term
Current judges
Former judges
JudgeYears
Ketanji Brown Jackson2021–2022
Phyllis D. Thompson2006–2011
Noel A. Kramer2005–2011
Zinora M. Mitchell-Rankin2004–2010
Lynn Leibovitz2001–2009
Anna Blackburne Rigsby2000–2006
Natalia C. Greene1998–2010
Stephen F. Eilperin1997–2008
Ricardo M. Urbina1994–2012
Warren King1991–1998
Reggie B. Walton1991–2001
Gregory Mize1990–2002
George Revercomb1985–1993
Bruce D. Beaudin1984–2012
Susan R. Holmes-Winfield1984–2005
Colleen Kollar-Kotelly1984–1997
Robert Richter1984–2014
Harold H. Greene1978–2000
John M. Ferren1977–1997
Paul R. Webber III1977–1998
Julia Mack1975–2001
Eugene N. Hamilton1970–2000
Nicholas Nunzio1970–1985
John G. Penn1970–1997
Frank Q. Nebeker1969–1987
Milton D. Korman1967–1976
Nathan Cayton1963–1972
Woodrow Melvin1960–1976

How a judge reaches this court. Judges of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals are nominated by the U.S. President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to 15-year terms. Candidates come from the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission, and reappointment to further 15-year terms is reviewed by a tenure commission. Selection methods vary by jurisdiction and have changed over time; this page reflects the court’s current method (source: National Center for State Courts). Open any judge to see their tenure and whom they succeeded.

Source: CourtListener / Free Law Project; selection method from the National Center for State Courts. Data last verified 2026-06-30. Verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).