U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
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.
| Judge | Appointed by | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Pauline Newman | Reagan (R) | 1984 |
| Haldane Robert Mayer | Reagan (R) | 1987 |
| S. Jay Plager | Bush (R) | 1989 |
| Raymond Charles Clevenger III | Bush (R) | 1990 |
| Alan David Lourie | Bush (R) | 1990 |
| Alvin Anthony Schall | Bush (R) | 1992 |
| William Curtis Bryson | Clinton (D) | 1994 |
| Richard Linn | Clinton (D) | 1999 |
| Timothy B. Dyk | Clinton (D) | 2000 |
| Sharon Prost | Bush (R) | 2001 |
| Kimberly Ann Moore | Bush (R) | 2006 |
| Jimmie V. Reyna | Obama (D) | 2011 |
| Evan Jonathan Wallach | Obama (D) | 2011 |
| Raymond T. Chen | Obama (D) | 2013 |
| Todd Michael Hughes | Obama (D) | 2013 |
| Richard Gary Taranto | Obama (D) | 2013 |
| Kara Farnandez Stoll | Obama (D) | 2015 |
| Tiffany Patrice Cunningham | Biden (D) | 2021 |
| Leonard Philip Stark | Biden (D) | 2022 |
| Judge | Appointed by | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Kathleen McDonald O'Malley | Obama (D) | 2010–2022 |
| Arthur J. Gajarsa | Clinton (D) | 1997–2012 |
| Randall Ray Rader | 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. | (reassignment) (N) | 1982–1986 |
| Phillip Benjamin Baldwin | (reassignment) (N) | 1982–1991 |
| Marion Tinsley Bennett | (reassignment) (N) | 1982–2000 |
| Arnold Wilson Cowen | (reassignment) (N) | 1982–2007 |
| Oscar Hirsh Davis | (reassignment) (N) | 1982–1988 |
| Daniel Mortimer Friedman | (reassignment) (N) | 1982–2011 |
| Shiro Kashiwa | (reassignment) (N) | 1982–1986 |
| Don Nelson Laramore | (reassignment) (N) | 1982–1989 |
| Howard Thomas Markey | (reassignment) (N) | 1982–1991 |
| Jack Richard Miller | (reassignment) (N) | 1982–1994 |
| Philip Nichols Jr. | (reassignment) (N) | 1982–1990 |
| Helen Wilson Nies | (reassignment) (N) | 1982–1996 |
| Giles Sutherland Rich | (reassignment) (N) | 1982–1999 |
| Byron George Skelton | (reassignment) (N) | 1982–2004 |
| Edward Samuel Smith | (reassignment) (N) | 1982–2001 |
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.
Source: FJC Biographical Directory. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Verify against the primary source before relying.