Who appointed Toby Jay Heytens?

President Joseph R. Biden appointed Toby Jay Heytens to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in 2021.

Was Toby Jay Heytens appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?

Toby Jay Heytens was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden, a Democrat. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.

What was Toby Jay Heytens's confirmation vote?

The Senate confirmed Toby Jay Heytens 53–43 on November 1, 2021.

Fourth Circuit / Appointed 2021 / Active

Toby Jay Heytens

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

Appointed by President Joseph R. Biden in 2021 and confirmed by the Senate 53–43, Toby Jay Heytens is a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He earned a law degree from University of Virginia School of Law in 2000. Sources ↓

Born: 1975 · age 51
Appointed by: Joseph R. Biden, 2021
Confirmed: 53–43
Education: Macalester College 1997 · University of Virginia Law 2000
Succeeded: Barbara Milano Keenan

Federal judicial service

Year	Court	Appointed by	Vote
2021	Fourth Circuit succeeded Barbara Milano Keenan	Biden (D)	53–43

Party letters show the appointing president’s party, not the judge’s own.

Confirmation vote

Nomination Confirmed 53–43 on November 1, 2021 · 117th Congress, Roll Call 450. Each senator links to their judicial-voting record.

Voted to confirm · 53

47 D, 4 R, 2 I

Voted against · 43

43 R

Did not vote · 4

1 D, 3 R

Education

Macalester College	B.A.	1997
University of Virginia School of Law	J.D.	2000

Before the bench

Professional career before and outside the federal bench, as recorded by the Federal Judicial Center.

Law clerk, Hon. Edward R. Becker, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit	2000-2001
Bristow Fellow, U.S. Department of Justice	2001-2002
Law clerk, Hon. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court of the United States	2002-2003
Private practice, Washington, D.C.	2003-2006, 2014
Visiting assistant professor, Cornell Law School	2005
University of Virginia School of Law, 2006-2021; associate professor, 2006-2014; co-director, Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, 2011, 2014-2015, 2016-2017; professor, 2014-2021; David H. Ibbeken '71 Research Professor	2015-2018
Assistant to the solicitor general, U.S. Department of Justice	2007-2010
Appellate practice transition counsel, Office of the Attorney General, State of Virginia	2018
Solicitor general, State of Virginia	2018-2021

Questions & answers

Who appointed Toby Jay Heytens?: President Joseph R. Biden appointed Toby Jay Heytens to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in 2021.
Was Toby Jay Heytens appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?: Toby Jay Heytens was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden, a Democrat. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
What was Toby Jay Heytens's confirmation vote?: The Senate confirmed Toby Jay Heytens 53–43 on November 1, 2021.
Which court is Toby Jay Heytens on?: Toby Jay Heytens is a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Sources

Each fact on this page traces to a primary public record.

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4 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Data as of 2026-09-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).