Abner Joseph Mikva
Appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 and confirmed by the Senate 58–31, Abner Joseph Mikva was a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He earned a law degree from University of Chicago Law School in 1951. Sources ↓
- Lived
- 1926–2016
- Appointed by
- Jimmy Carter, 1979
- Confirmed
- 58–31
- Chief judge
- District of Columbia Circuit, 1991 to 1994
- Education
- University of Chicago Law School 1951
- Succeeded by
- Merrick B. Garland
Federal judicial service
| Year | Court | Appointed by | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | District of Columbia Circuit chief judge 1991 to 1994 | Carter (D) | 58–31 |
Party letters show the appointing president’s party, not the judge’s own.
Confirmation vote
The Senate’s published per-senator roll-call records begin in 1989, so no senator-by-senator breakdown is available for this vote.
Education
| University of Chicago Law School | J.D. | 1951 |
Before the bench
Professional career before and outside the federal bench, as recorded by the Federal Judicial Center.
| U.S. Army, Air Corps | 1944-1945 |
| Law clerk, Hon. Sherman Minton, Supreme Court of the United States | 1951-1952 |
| Private practice, Chicago, Illinois | 1952-1968, 1973-1974 |
| State representative, Illinois | 1956-1966 |
| U.S. representative from Illinois | 1969-1973, 1975-1979 |
| Professor, Northwestern University School of Law | 1973-1975 |
| Member, Judicial Conference of the United States | 1991-1994 |
| White House counsel | 1994-1995 |
| Visiting professor, University of Chicago | 1996- |
Questions & answers
- Who appointed Abner Joseph Mikva?
- President Jimmy Carter appointed Abner Joseph Mikva to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1979.
- Was Abner Joseph Mikva appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?
- Abner Joseph Mikva was appointed by President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
- What was Abner Joseph Mikva's confirmation vote?
- The Senate confirmed Abner Joseph Mikva 58–31 on September 25, 1979.
- Which court was Abner Joseph Mikva on?
- Abner Joseph Mikva was a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Sources
Each fact on this page traces to a primary public record.
- FJC Biographical Directory
- Wikidata
- Portrait: US Government Printing Office (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons
How we source & reconcile data → Data & Sources
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14 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Data as of 2026-09-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).