District of Columbia Circuit / Appointed 1962 / Served to 1988

James Skelly Wright

Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

Appointed by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 and confirmed by voice vote, James Skelly Wright was a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He earned a law degree from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law in 1934. He previously served on the Eastern District of Louisiana.Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, March 28, 1962

Appointed by
John F. Kennedy, 1962
Confirmed
by voice vote
Education
Loyola New Orleans Law 1934
Federal judicial service
YearCourtAppointed byVote
1950Eastern District of Louisiana · succeeded Wayne G. BorahTruman (D)voice
1962District of Columbia Circuit · succeeded Elijah Barrett PrettymanKennedy (D)voice

A per-senator roll-call isn’t shown for this confirmation. The Senate’s recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989; many confirmations (especially before then, and most to the lower courts) were by voice vote or unanimous consent.

Education
Sources

26 years on the District of Columbia Circuit. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).