Oldest sitting federal judges
Who is the oldest sitting federal judge?
Israel Leo Glasser, born in 1924, is the oldest sitting federal judge at roughly 102.
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.
| # | Name | Detail | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Israel Leo Glasser | b. 1924 · Eastern District of New York | ~102 |
| 2 | Howard Frederic Sachs | b. 1925 · Western District of Missouri | ~101 |
| 3 | Donald Douglas Alsop | b. 1927 · District of Minnesota | ~99 |
| 4 | Levin Hicks Campbell | b. 1927 · First Circuit | ~99 |
| 5 | Pauline Newman | b. 1927 · Federal Circuit | ~99 |
| 6 | Louis Lee Stanton | b. 1927 · Southern District of New York | ~99 |
| 7 | Herman Jacob Weber | b. 1927 · Southern District of Ohio | ~99 |
| 8 | Dorothy Wright Nelson | b. 1928 · Ninth Circuit | ~98 |
| 9 | John Clifford Wallace | b. 1928 · Ninth Circuit | ~98 |
| 10 | Gerald Bard Tjoflat | b. 1929 · Eleventh Circuit | ~97 |
| 11 | Robert E. Cowen | b. 1930 · Third Circuit | ~96 |
| 12 | Edward Louis Filippine | b. 1930 · Eastern District of Missouri | ~96 |
| 13 | Charles Sherman Haight Jr. | b. 1930 · Southern District of New York | ~96 |
| 14 | Joseph J. Longobardi | b. 1930 · District of Delaware | ~96 |
| 15 | Joseph H. Rodriguez | b. 1930 · District of New Jersey | ~96 |
| 16 | William Cameron Canby Jr. | b. 1931 · Ninth Circuit | ~95 |
| 17 | Jose Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. | b. 1931 · Southern District of Florida | ~95 |
| 18 | George Michael Marovich | b. 1931 · Northern District of Illinois | ~95 |
| 19 | S. Jay Plager | b. 1931 · Federal Circuit | ~95 |
| 20 | Wayne Edward Alley | b. 1932 · Western District of Oklahoma | ~94 |
| 21 | Stephen Hale Anderson | b. 1932 · Tenth Circuit | ~94 |
| 22 | William Earl Britt | b. 1932 · Eastern District of North Carolina | ~94 |
| 23 | Guido Calabresi | b. 1932 · Second Circuit | ~94 |
| 24 | Willis B. Hunt Jr. | b. 1932 · Northern District of Georgia | ~94 |
| 25 | Jon Ormond Newman | b. 1932 · Second Circuit | ~94 |
Questions
- Who is the oldest sitting federal judge?
- Israel Leo Glasser, born in 1924, is the oldest sitting federal judge at roughly 102.
- What are the top five?
- Israel Leo Glasser (~102), Howard Frederic Sachs (~101), Donald Douglas Alsop (~99), Levin Hicks Campbell (~99) and Pauline Newman (~99).
- How is this list ranked?
- 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.
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Computed from the FJC Biographical Directory. Data last verified 2026-09-21. Verify against the primary source before relying.