Eighth Circuit / Appointed 1980 / Served to 2004

Richard Sheppard Arnold

Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

Appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1980 and confirmed by voice vote, Richard Sheppard Arnold was a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1960. He previously served on the Eastern District of Arkansas and Western District of Arkansas.Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, February 20, 1980

Appointed by
Jimmy Carter, 1980
Confirmed
by voice vote
Education
Yale 1957 · Harvard Law School 1960
Succeeded by
Lavenski R. Smith
Federal judicial service
YearCourtAppointed byVote
1978Eastern District of Arkansas · succeeded Terry Lee ShellCarter (D)voice
1978Western District of Arkansas · succeeded Terry Lee ShellCarter (D)voice
1980Eighth CircuitCarter (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

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