Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Judges
Richmond · 15 active judgeships · Hears appeals from the federal courts in Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth 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 Fourth Circuit, which covers Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Its decisions bind those courts unless reviewed by the Supreme Court of the United States.
4th Circuit judges by appointing president
Of 15 active judges: 6 appointed by Republican presidents, 9 by Democratic.
| Judge | Appointed by | Party |
|---|---|---|
| James Harvie Wilkinson III | Reagan | Republican |
| Paul Victor Niemeyer | G.H.W. Bush | Republican |
| Robert Bruce King | Clinton | Democratic |
| Roger L. Gregory | Clinton | Democratic |
| G. Steven Agee | G.W. Bush | Republican |
| Albert Diaz | Obama | Democratic |
| James Andrew Wynn Jr. | Obama | Democratic |
| Stephanie Dawn Thacker | Obama | Democratic |
| Pamela Ann Harris | Obama | Democratic |
| A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. | Trump | Republican |
| Julius Ness Richardson | Trump | Republican |
| Allison Jones Rushing | Trump | Republican |
| Toby Jay Heytens | Biden | Democratic |
| DeAndrea Gist Benjamin | Biden | Democratic |
| Nicole Gina Berner | 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
- James H. Wilkinson III
- Paul V. Niemeyer
- Robert B. King
- Roger L. Gregory
- G. S. Agee
- Albert Diaz
- James A. Wynn Jr.
- Stephanie D. Thacker
- Pamela A. Harris
- A. M. Quattlebaum Jr.
- Julius N. Richardson
- Allison J. Rushing
- Toby J. Heytens
- DeAndrea G. Benjamin
- Nicole G. Berner
Senior judges
Still members of the court: senior judges have stepped back from a full docket but continue to hear cases.
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 Byrd Traxler Jr. (current) · A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. (current) · Robert Bruce King (current) · Henry Franklin Floyd (current) · DeAndrea Gist Benjamin (current) · Barbara Milano Keenan (current) · Toby Jay Heytens (current) · James Harvie Wilkinson III (current) · Paul Victor Niemeyer (current) · James Andrew Wynn Jr. (current) · Pamela Ann Harris (current) · Stephanie Dawn Thacker (current) · Allison Jones Rushing (current) · Albert Diaz (current) · Julius Ness Richardson (current) · G. Steven Agee (current) · Diana Jane Gribbon Motz (current) · Nicole Gina Berner (current) · Roger L. Gregory (current) · John Decker Butzner Jr. · James Dickson Phillips Jr. · John Johnston Parker
Former judges
District courts in the Fourth 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 Fourth 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.