Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Judges
St. Louis · 11 active judgeships · Hears appeals from the federal courts in Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is one of the thirteen U.S. courts of appeals, the intermediate appellate tier of the federal judiciary. It hears appeals from the federal district courts within the Eighth Circuit, which covers Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. Its decisions bind those courts unless reviewed by the Supreme Court of the United States.
8th Circuit judges by appointing president
Of 11 active judges: 10 appointed by Republican presidents, 1 by Democratic.
| Judge | Appointed by | Party |
|---|---|---|
| James B. Loken | G.H.W. Bush | Republican |
| Lavenski R. Smith | G.W. Bush | Republican |
| Steven M. Colloton | G.W. Bush | Republican |
| Raymond W. Gruender | G.W. Bush | Republican |
| Bobby E. Shepherd | G.W. Bush | Republican |
| Jane Louise Kelly | Obama | Democratic |
| Leonard Steven Grasz | Trump | Republican |
| Jonathan Allen Kobes | Trump | Republican |
| David Ryan Stras | Trump | Republican |
| Justin Daniel Smith | Trump | Republican |
| Daniel Mack Traynor | Trump | Republican |
Party letters here are the appointing president’s, never a judge’s own: D Democratic, R Republican, N pre-modern-party era (Federalist, Whig, and other early parties); “–” means no recorded party. Counts cover the court’s entire history.
Judges in active service
- James B. Loken
- Lavenski R. Smith
- Steven M. Colloton
- Raymond W. Gruender
- Bobby E. Shepherd
- Jane L. Kelly
- Leonard S. Grasz
- Jonathan A. Kobes
- David R. Stras
- Justin D. Smith
- Daniel M. Traynor
Senior judges
Still members of the court: senior judges have stepped back from a full docket but continue to hear cases.
- Pasco M. Bowman II
- Roger L. Wollman
- David R. Hansen
- Morris S. Arnold
- Michael J. Melloy
- William D. Benton
- Ralph R. Erickson
Seats over time
Each band is one judgeship, from the court’s founding to today. A segment’s width is the holder’s tenure; its color is the appointing president’s party. Gaps are vacancies.
William Duane Benton (current) · Justin Daniel Smith (current) · Michael Joseph Melloy (current) · Jane Louise Kelly (current) · Pasco Middleton Bowman II (current) · Raymond W. Gruender (current) · Leonard Steven Grasz (current) · David Ryan Stras (current) · Morris Sheppard Arnold (current) · Bobby E. Shepherd (current) · Ralph R. Erickson (current) · James B. Loken (current) · Lavenski R. Smith (current) · Roger Leland Wollman (current) · Jonathan Allen Kobes (current) · David Rasmussen Hansen (current) · Steven M. Colloton (current) · Donald Roe Ross · Kimbrough Stone · Gerald William Heaney
Former judges
District courts in the Eighth Circuit
The federal trial courts whose appeals this circuit reviews.
Historical district courts
Earlier districts in this circuit’s territory that no longer operate: reorganized or split into today’s districts. Kept for the judges who served on them.
Practicing before this court
The rules that govern a case here (the Eighth Circuit’s local rules, standing orders, and each judge’s own procedures) live on the court’s official site. Direct links:
Links to the court’s own site, verified 2026-07-05. Rules change. Confirm against the court’s current posting before filing.
How a judge gets here. Each judge is nominated by a president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, then holds a numbered seat, for life, until they take senior status, or until they leave the bench. Open any judge to see who appointed them, how the Senate voted, and whom they succeeded, a chain that runs back to 1891. Read more on how federal judges are appointed.
Source: FJC Biographical Directory. Data as of 2026-08-10 (FJC). Verify against the primary source before relying.