Records & Rankings
The largest U.S. Courts of Appeals
The thirteen federal appellate courts ranked by the number of judges who have served on them across their history.
| # | Name | Detail | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | 51 currently serving | 119 |
| 2 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit | 24 currently serving | 91 |
| 3 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit | 27 currently serving | 82 |
| 4 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit | 31 currently serving | 81 |
| 5 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit | 24 currently serving | 77 |
| 6 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit | 16 currently serving | 68 |
| 7 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit | 15 currently serving | 66 |
| 8 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit | 16 currently serving | 63 |
| 9 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | 19 currently serving | 57 |
| 10 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit | 23 currently serving | 47 |
| 11 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 22 currently serving | 42 |
| 12 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit | 19 currently serving | 40 |
| 13 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit | 12 currently serving | 37 |
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Computed from the FJC Biographical Directory. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Verify against the primary source before relying.