Presidents who appointed the most federal judges
Which president appointed the most federal judges?
Ronald Reagan appointed more Article III federal judges than any other president: 387.
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.
| # | Name | Detail | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ronald Reagan | 4 to the Supreme Court | 387 |
| 2 | William J. Clinton | 2 to the Supreme Court | 383 |
| 3 | Barack Obama | 2 to the Supreme Court | 330 |
| 4 | George W. Bush | 2 to the Supreme Court | 328 |
| 5 | Donald J. Trump | 3 to the Supreme Court | 294 |
| 6 | Jimmy Carter | 0 to the Supreme Court | 267 |
| 7 | Richard M. Nixon | 4 to the Supreme Court | 239 |
| 8 | Joseph R. Biden | 1 to the Supreme Court | 235 |
| 9 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | 9 to the Supreme Court | 222 |
| 10 | George H.W. Bush | 2 to the Supreme Court | 194 |
| 11 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | 5 to the Supreme Court | 191 |
| 12 | Lyndon B. Johnson | 2 to the Supreme Court | 187 |
| 13 | Harry S Truman | 4 to the Supreme Court | 152 |
| 14 | John F. Kennedy | 2 to the Supreme Court | 134 |
| 15 | Theodore Roosevelt | 3 to the Supreme Court | 98 |
| 16 | Calvin Coolidge | 1 to the Supreme Court | 88 |
| 17 | Woodrow Wilson | 3 to the Supreme Court | 82 |
| 18 | William H. Taft | 6 to the Supreme Court | 74 |
| 19 | Herbert Hoover | 3 to the Supreme Court | 72 |
| 20 | Gerald Ford | 1 to the Supreme Court | 67 |
| 21 | Warren G. Harding | 4 to the Supreme Court | 57 |
| 22 | Benjamin Harrison | 4 to the Supreme Court | 54 |
| 23 | Grover Cleveland | 4 to the Supreme Court | 54 |
| 24 | Abraham Lincoln | 5 to the Supreme Court | 44 |
| 25 | Ulysses Grant | 4 to the Supreme Court | 44 |
Questions
- Which president appointed the most federal judges?
- Ronald Reagan appointed more Article III federal judges than any other president: 387.
- What are the top five?
- Ronald Reagan (387), William J. Clinton (383), Barack Obama (330), George W. Bush (328) and Donald J. Trump (294).
- How is this list ranked?
- 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.
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Computed from the FJC Biographical Directory. Data last verified 2026-09-30. Verify against the primary source before relying.