Records & Rankings

The federal bench, by the numbers

Every ranking is computed transparently from the records, links to each judge, court, school, and appointing president it names, and shows its method. More unlock as the federal bench grows.

Ranked by years on the Court, from first commission to departure (or today, for sitting justices). Retirement / senior status ends the count.
The Supreme Court confirmations that came closest to an even Senate split, ranked by the share of the recorded roll-call that voted to confirm rather than the raw margin, so a lopsided tally in a smaller historic Senate does not read as close. Voice votes with no recorded tally are excluded.
Age when first commissioned to the Supreme Court.
Schools ranked by the number of judges on JudicialFinder (federal and state) who studied there, undergraduate or law.
The thirteen federal appellate courts ranked by the number of judges who have served on them across their history.
Currently serving Article III judges (active or on senior status: senior judges still hear cases), ranked by age. Ages are computed from birth year, so they are approximate to the year.
Currently serving Article III judges ranked by years since their first federal commission (active or on senior status: senior judges still hear cases).
Ranked by total Article III appointments on the complete federal record: the Supreme Court, the Courts of Appeals, the District Courts, and the specialized courts. Each president links to everyone they appointed.
Ranked by the number of Supreme Court justices each president named (elevations counted). Every president links to all the judges they appointed.