Federal Circuit Court of Appeals Judges
Washington, D.C. · 12 active judgeships · Nationwide jurisdiction.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has nationwide jurisdiction defined by subject matter rather than geography. It hears appeals in patent cases, international trade, government contracts, veterans’ benefits, and claims against the United States, making it the single appellate authority over much of U.S. patent and trade law.
Federal Circuit judges by appointing president
Of 12 active judges: 4 appointed by Republican presidents, 8 by Democratic.
| Judge | Appointed by | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Pauline Newman | Reagan | Republican |
| Alan David Lourie | G.H.W. Bush | Republican |
| Timothy B. Dyk | Clinton | Democratic |
| Sharon Prost | G.W. Bush | Republican |
| Kimberly Ann Moore | G.W. Bush | Republican |
| Jimmie V. Reyna | Obama | Democratic |
| Raymond T. Chen | Obama | Democratic |
| Todd Michael Hughes | Obama | Democratic |
| Richard Gary Taranto | Obama | Democratic |
| Kara Farnandez Stoll | Obama | Democratic |
| Tiffany Patrice Cunningham | Biden | Democratic |
| Leonard Philip Stark | Biden | Democratic |
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
- Pauline Newman
- Alan D. Lourie
- Timothy B. Dyk
- Sharon Prost
- Kimberly A. Moore
- Jimmie V. Reyna
- Raymond T. Chen
- Todd M. Hughes
- Richard G. Taranto
- Kara F. Stoll
- Tiffany P. Cunningham
- Leonard P. Stark
Senior judges
Still members of the court: senior judges have stepped back from a full docket but continue to hear cases.
- Haldane R. Mayer
- S. J. Plager
- Raymond C. Clevenger III
- Alvin A. Schall
- William C. Bryson
- Richard Linn
- Evan J. Wallach
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.
Alan David Lourie (current) · Alvin Anthony Schall (current) · Leonard Philip Stark (current) · Evan Jonathan Wallach (current) · Tiffany Patrice Cunningham (current) · Richard Linn (current) · Raymond T. Chen (current) · Timothy B. Dyk (current) · Haldane Robert Mayer (current) · Jimmie V. Reyna (current) · William Curtis Bryson (current) · Todd Michael Hughes (current) · Raymond Charles Clevenger III (current) · Kimberly Ann Moore (current) · Richard Gary Taranto (current) · Pauline Newman (current) · S. Jay Plager (current) · Sharon Prost (current) · Kara Farnandez Stoll (current)
Former judges
| Judge | Appointed by | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Kathleen McDonald O'Malley | Obama (D) | 2010–2022 |
| Arthur J. Gajarsa | Clinton (D) | 1997–2012 |
| Randall Ray Rader | G.H.W. Bush (R) | 1990–2014 |
| Paul Redmond Michel | Reagan (R) | 1988–2010 |
| Glenn Leroy Archer Jr. | Reagan (R) | 1985–2011 |
| Jean Galloway Bissell | Reagan (R) | 1984–1990 |
| James Lindsay Almond Jr. | Reassigned | 1982–1986 |
| Phillip Benjamin Baldwin | Reassigned | 1982–1991 |
| Marion Tinsley Bennett | Reassigned | 1982–2000 |
| Arnold Wilson Cowen | Reassigned | 1982–2007 |
| Oscar Hirsh Davis | Reassigned | 1982–1988 |
| Daniel Mortimer Friedman | Reassigned | 1982–2011 |
| Shiro Kashiwa | Reassigned | 1982–1986 |
| Don Nelson Laramore | Reassigned | 1982–1989 |
| Howard Thomas Markey | Reassigned | 1982–1991 |
| Jack Richard Miller | Reassigned | 1982–1994 |
| Philip Nichols Jr. | Reassigned | 1982–1990 |
| Helen Wilson Nies | Reassigned | 1982–1996 |
| Giles Sutherland Rich | Reassigned | 1982–1999 |
| Byron George Skelton | Reassigned | 1982–2004 |
| Edward Samuel Smith | Reassigned | 1982–2001 |
Practicing before this court
The rules that govern a case here (the Federal 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 1982. 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.