Circuit Status
With the Supreme Court picking just a few cases to decide every year, circuit court judges often have the final word, making them some of the most powerful people in our judiciary.
This interactive map shows which party has appointed the most active judges on each of the 13 federal courts of appeals and the federal district courts below them.
Last updated March 17, 2026 02:23pm
Majority of active circuit court judges appointed by Republicans
Majority of active circuit court judges appointed by Democrats
Number of active circuit court judges appointed by both parties is the same
% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
83%
Democratic Presidents17%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active First Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1
Trump's 2nd Term
4
Biden
1
Obama
Circuit Demographics
17%
Non-white circuit judges33%
circuit court judges who are women% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
77%
Democratic Presidents23%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active 1st circuit court judges appointed by president
11
Biden
4
Trump 1st Term
8
Obama
2
Bush
1
Clinton
District Demographics
50%
non-white district court judges62%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
54%
Democratic Presidents46%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Second Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
6
Biden
5
Trump 1st Term
1
Obama
1
Bush
Circuit Demographics
38%
non-white circuit judges54%
circuit court judges who are women% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
81%
Democratic Presidents19%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Second Circuit district court judges appointed by president
23
Biden
10
Trump 1st Term
22
Obama
1
Bush
2
Clinton
District Demographics
45%
non-white district court judges53%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
43%
Democratic Presidents57%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Third Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
2
Trump's 2nd Term
3
Biden
4
Trump 1st Term
3
Obama
2
Bush
Circuit Demographics
29%
non-white circuit judges43%
circuit court judges who are women% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
64%
Democratic Presidents36%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Third Circuit district court judges appointed by president
23
Biden
17
Trump 1st Term
15
Obama
4
Bush
District Demographics
37%
non-white district court judges49%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
60%
Democratic Presidents40%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
3
Biden
3
Trump 1st Term
4
Obama
1
Bush
2
Clinton
1
H.W. Bush
1
Reagan
Circuit Demographics
27%
non-white circuit judges33%
circuit court judges who are women% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
52%
Democratic Presidents48%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Fourth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
4
Trump's 2nd Term
12
Biden
12
Trump 1st Term
13
Obama
8
Bush
3
Clinton
1
H.W. Bush
1
Reagan
District Demographics
24%
non-white district court judges37%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
29%
Democratic Presidents71%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
2
Biden
6
Trump 1st Term
2
Obama
4
Bush
1
Clinton
2
Reagan
Circuit Demographics
29%
non-white circuit judges35%
circuit court judges who are women% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
38%
Democratic Presidents62%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Fifth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
6
Trump's 2nd Term
6
Biden
27
Trump 1st Term
18
Obama
11
Bush
4
Clinton
1
Reagan
District Demographics
36%
non-white district court judges22%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
37.5%
Democratic Presidents62.5%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1
Trump's 2nd Term
4
Biden
6
Trump 1st Term
3
Bush
2
Clinton
Circuit Demographics
31%
non-white circuit judges31%
circuit court judges who are women% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
46%
Democratic Presidents54%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Sixth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
2
Trump's 2nd Term
11
Biden
19
Trump 1st Term
13
Obama
11
Bush
3
Clinton
District Demographics
15%
non-white district court judges34%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
45%
Democratic Presidents55%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1
Trump's 2nd Term
5
Biden
4
Trump 1st Term
1
Reagan
Circuit Demographics
36%
non-white circuit judges45%
circuit court judges who are women% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
63%
Democratic Presidents38%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Seventh Circuit district court judges appointed by president
1
Trump's 2nd Term
13
Biden
13
Trump 1st Term
16
Obama
3
Bush
1
Clinton
1
Reagan
District Demographics
35%
non-white district court judges40%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
9%
Democratic Presidents91%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
4
Trump 1st Term
1
Obama
5
Bush
1
H.W. Bush
Circuit Demographics
9%
non-white circuit judges9%
circuit court judges who are women% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
52%
Democratic Presidents48%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Eighth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
6
Trump's 2nd Term
8
Biden
10
Trump 1st Term
14
Obama
4
Bush
District Demographics
12%
non-white district court judges33%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
55%
Democratic Presidents45%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1
Trump's 2nd Term
8
Biden
10
Trump 1st Term
5
Obama
2
Bush
3
Clinton
Circuit Demographics
48%
non-white circuit judges52%
circuit court judges who are women% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
79%
Democratic Presidents21%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Ninth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
2
Trump's 2nd Term
50
Biden
13
Trump 1st Term
36
Obama
7
Bush
1
Clinton
1
Reagan
District Demographics
53%
non-white district court judges49%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
58%
Democratic Presidents42%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
2
Biden
2
Trump 1st Term
5
Obama
3
Bush
Circuit Demographics
8%
non-white circuit judges33%
circuit court judges who are women% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
52%
Democratic Presidents48%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Tenth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
13
Biden
13
Trump 1st Term
4
Obama
2
Bush
1
Reagan
District Demographics
24%
non-white district court judges33%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
42%
Democratic Presidents58%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
2
Biden
6
Trump 1st Term
3
Obama
1
Bush
Circuit Demographics
33%
non-white circuit judges50%
circuit court judges who are women% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
35%
Democratic Presidents65%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Eleventh Circuit district court judges appointed by president
7
Trump's 2nd Term
7
Biden
26
Trump 1st Term
14
Obama
9
Bush
2
Clinton
1
H.W. Bush
District Demographics
32%
non-white district court judges41%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
64%
Democratic Presidents36%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
3
Biden
3
Trump 1st Term
4
Obama
1
H.W. Bush
Circuit Demographics
55%
non-white circuit judges55%
circuit court judges who are women% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
73%
Democratic Presidents27%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active D.C. Circuit district judges appointed by president
5
Biden
4
Trump 1st Term
6
Obama
District Demographics
60%
non-white district court judges40%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
67%
Democratic Presidents33%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Federal Circuit judges appointed by president
2
Biden
5
Obama
2
Bush
1
Clinton
1
Reagan
1
H.W. Bush
