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 September 23, 2025 07:59am
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
100%
Democratic PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active First Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
4
Biden
1
Obama
Circuit Demographics
20%
Non-white circuit judges40%
circuit court judges who are women% of district court judges nominated
% of district court judges nominated
78%
Democratic Presidents22%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active 1st circuit court judges appointed by president
11
Biden
4
Trump 1st Term
9
Obama
2
Bush
1
Clinton
District Demographics
48%
non-white district court judges63%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
54%
Democratic Presidents46%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
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
80%
Democratic Presidents20%
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
2
Bush
2
Clinton
District Demographics
44%
non-white district court judges54%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
45%
Democratic Presidents54%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Third Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
1
Trump's 2nd Term
3
Biden
4
Trump 1st Term
3
Obama
2
Bush
Circuit Demographics
31%
non-white circuit judges38%
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
56%
Democratic Presidents44%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Fourth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
12
Biden
12
Trump 1st Term
13
Obama
8
Bush
3
Clinton
1
H.W. Bush
1
Reagan
District Demographics
26%
non-white district court judges36%
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
41%
Democratic Presidents59%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Fifth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
6
Biden
27
Trump 1st Term
18
Obama
12
Bush
4
Clinton
1
Reagan
District Demographics
37%
non-white district court judges24%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
37.5%
Democratic Presidents62.5%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
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
47%
Democratic Presidents53%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Sixth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
11
Biden
19
Trump 1st Term
13
Obama
12
Bush
3
Clinton
District Demographics
16%
non-white district court judges34%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
45%
Democratic Presidents54%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
5
Biden
4
Trump 1st Term
1
Bush
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
64%
Democratic Presidents36%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Seventh Circuit district court judges appointed by president
13
Biden
13
Trump 1st Term
16
Obama
3
Bush
1
Clinton
1
Reagan
District Demographics
36%
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
0
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
56%
Democratic Presidents44%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Eighth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
4
Trump's 2nd Term
8
Biden
10
Trump 1st Term
15
Obama
4
Bush
District Demographics
12%
non-white district court judges32%
district court judges who are women% of circuit judges nominated
% of circuit judges nominated
57%
Democratic Presidents43%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
1
Number of active Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judges appointed by president
8
Biden
10
Trump 1st Term
5
Obama
3
Clinton
3
Bush
Circuit Demographics
47%
non-white circuit judges53%
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 Ninth Circuit district court judges appointed by president
50
Biden
13
Trump 1st Term
37
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
0
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
49%
Democratic Presidents51%
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
4
Bush
1
Reagan
District Demographics
23%
non-white district court judges31%
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
37%
Democratic Presidents63%
Republican PresidentsNumber of Announced Vacancies
0
Number of active Eleventh Circuit district court judges appointed by president
2
Trump's 2nd Term
7
Biden
26
Trump 1st Term
14
Obama
10
Bush
2
Clinton
1
H.W. Bush
District Demographics
32%
non-white district court judges42%
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
