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U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

Washington, D.C.11 authorized judgeships

About the Court

United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

Current United States federal appellate court

"DC Circuit" redirects here. For direct current circuits, see Direct current §Circuits.

Not to be confused with District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
(D.C. Cir.)
Location
Appealsfrom
Established
Judges
CircuitJustice
ChiefJudge
cadc.uscourts.gov

The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (in case citations, D.C. Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. It has the smallest geographical jurisdiction of any of the U.S. courts of appeals, and it covers only the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.[a] It meets at the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse in Washington, DC.

The D.C. Circuit is often considered to be second only to the U.S. Supreme Court in status and prestige. It is sometimes unofficially termed "the second highest court in the land", even though it is officially no higher than the other twelve courts of appeals.[2] Because its jurisdiction covers the District of Columbia, it tends to be the main federal appellate court for issues of U.S. administrative law and constitutional law.[2] Four of the nine current Supreme Court justices were previously judges on the D.C. Circuit: Chief Justice John Roberts and associate justices Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Past justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Antonin Scalia, Warren E. Burger, Fred M. Vinson, and Wiley Blount Rutledge also served on the D.C. Circuit before their appointments to the Supreme Court.

Because the D.C. Circuit does not represent any U.S. states, confirming D.C. Circuit nominees can be procedurally and practically easier than confirming nominees to other circuits, because home-state senators have historically been able to hold up confirmation through the blue slip process.

History

List of former judges

# Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 Richard Henry Alvey MD 1826–1906 1893–1905 1893–1905 Cleveland retirement
2 Martin Ferdinand Morris DC 1834–1909 1893–1905 Cleveland retirement
3 Seth Shepard TX 1847–1917 1893–1917 1905–1917 Cleveland (associate);
T. Roosevelt (chief)[b]
retirement
4 Charles Holland Duell NY 1850–1920 1905–1906 T. Roosevelt resignation
5 Louis E. McComas MD 1846–1907 1905–1907 T. Roosevelt death
6 Charles Henry Robb VT 1867–1939 1906[c]–1937 1937–1939 T. Roosevelt death
7 Josiah Van Orsdel WY 1860–1937 1907[c]–1937 T. Roosevelt death
8 Constantine Joseph Smyth NE 1859–1924 1917–1924 1917–1924 Wilson death
9 George Ewing Martin OH 1857–1948 1924–1937 1924–1937 1937–1948 Coolidge death
10 William Hitz DC 1872–1935 1931–1935 Hoover death
11 Duncan Lawrence Groner VA 1873–1957 1931–1948 1937–1948 1948–1957 Hoover (associate);
F. Roosevelt (chief)[b]
death
12 Harold Montelle Stephens UT 1886–1955 1935–1955 1948–1955 F. Roosevelt (associate);
Truman (chief)[b]
death
13 [Justin Miller](https

Judges

Current composition of the court

As of January16,2024[update]:

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
58 Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan Washington, D.C. 1967 2013–present 2020–present
49 Circuit Judge Karen L. Henderson Washington, D.C. 1944 1990–present
59 Circuit Judge Patricia Millett Washington, D.C. 1963 2013–present
60 Circuit Judge Cornelia Pillard Washington, D.C. 1961 2013–present
61 Circuit Judge Robert L. Wilkins Washington, D.C. 1963 2014–present
62 Circuit Judge Gregory G. Katsas Washington, D.C. 1964 2017–present
63 Circuit Judge Neomi Rao Washington, D.C. 1973 2019–present
64 Circuit Judge Justin R. Walker Washington, D.C. 1982 2020–present
66 Circuit Judge J. Michelle Childs Washington, D.C. 1966 2022–present
67 Circuit Judge Florence Y. Pan Washington, D.C. 1966 2022–present
68 Circuit Judge Brad Garcia Washington, D.C. 1986 2023–present
38 Senior Judge Harry T. Edwards Washington, D.C. 1940 1980–2005 1994–2001
46 Senior Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg Washington, D.C. 1946 1986–2011 2001–2008
47 Senior Judge David B. Sentelle inactive 1943 1987–2013 2008–2013
50 Senior Judge A. Raymond Randolph Washington, D.C. 1943 1990–2008

Court overview, history, and judge data sourced from Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA 3.0).

Notable Opinions (5)

United States v. Jones

625 F.3d 766 (D.C. Cir. 2010)

United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. CircuitAugust 6, 2010

Held that prolonged warrantless GPS tracking of a vehicle constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment. Later affirmed by the Supreme Court in United States v. Jones (2012), which established that physical trespass to install a GPS device is a search. Foundational digital privacy decision.

Circuit Courtcriminalcivil rights
Halbig v. Burwell

758 F.3d 390 (D.C. Cir. 2014)

United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. CircuitJuly 22, 2014

Initially held that the Affordable Care Act does not authorize tax subsidies for insurance purchased on federally established exchanges, only state-established exchanges. The panel decision was later vacated when the en banc court agreed to rehear the case, and the issue was ultimately resolved by the Supreme Court in King v. Burwell.

Circuit Courthealthcarebusiness
EME Homer City Generation, L.P. v. EPA

696 F.3d 7 (D.C. Cir. 2012)

United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. CircuitAugust 21, 2012

Vacated EPA's Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (Transport Rule), finding the agency exceeded its authority under the Clean Air Act by requiring upwind states to reduce emissions beyond their own contributions to downwind air quality violations. Later reversed by the Supreme Court in EPA v. EME Homer City Generation.

Circuit Courtenvironmental
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

985 F.3d 1032 (D.C. Cir. 2021)

United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. CircuitJanuary 26, 2021

Upheld a district court order requiring the Army Corps of Engineers to prepare a full environmental impact statement for the Dakota Access Pipeline's crossing under Lake Oahe. The court found that the Corps had failed to adequately consider the pipeline's potential environmental justice impacts on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Circuit Courtenvironmentalcivil rights
Zivotofsky v. Secretary of State

725 F.3d 197 (D.C. Cir. 2013)

United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. CircuitJuly 23, 2013

Held that the President has exclusive authority to recognize foreign sovereigns and their territorial bounds, invalidating a congressional statute requiring the State Department to record 'Israel' as the birthplace of U.S. citizens born in Jerusalem upon request. Later affirmed by the Supreme Court in Zivotofsky v. Kerry.

Circuit Courtcivil rightsimmigration

Jurisdiction

The D.C. Circuit covers the following jurisdiction:

DC

Court Information

Seat
Washington, D.C.
Authorized Judgeships
11
Circuit Number
D.C.