Illuminating the federal appellate bench
Benchlight is a continuously updated record of the federal appellate courts — their current composition, vacancies and pending nominations, the cases they hear, the panels that decide them, and the opinions they issue.
314Appellate judges serving
4,077In the directory since 1789
27,539Cases
29,009Judicial writings
4,316Oral arguments
Current vacancies
Appellate seats vacant now.
No U.S. Court of Appeals seat is vacant.
Announced vacancies
Seats whose occupant has given notice of retirement or senior status. The date shown is when the departure was announced — the day the seat actually opens is often not yet fixed.
| Court | Seat of | Reason | Announced | Nominee | Nominated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fifth Circuit | Leslie H. Southwick | Senior | Sept. 28, 2026 | — | |
| Eighth Circuit | Bobby E. Shepherd | Senior | July 20, 2026 | Lee Philip Rudofsky | Sept. 14, 2026 |
| Fifth Circuit | Kurt D. Engelhardt | Senior | June 9, 2026 | Anna St. John | July 14, 2026 |
| Tenth Circuit | Timothy M. Tymkovich | Senior | Feb. 24, 2026 | Daniel Desmond Domenico | May 12, 2026 |
Before the Senate
Nominations received and not yet resolved.
| Nominee | Court | Seat of | Received | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Philip Rudofsky of Arkansas | Eighth Circuit | Bobby E. Shepherd | Sept. 14, 2026 | Referred to committee Sept. 14, 2026 |
| Anna St. John of Louisiana | Fifth Circuit | Kurt D. Engelhardt | July 14, 2026 | Reported to the floor Sept. 24, 2026 |
| Daniel Desmond Domenico of Colorado | Tenth Circuit | Timothy M. Tymkovich | May 12, 2026 | Reported to the floor July 23, 2026 |
Recent opinions
| Type | Case | Author | Court | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dissent | Christa Gail Pike | Richard Allen Griffin | Sixth Circuit | Sept. 30, 2026 |
| Writing | Christa Gail Pike | Jane Branstetter Stranch | Sixth Circuit | Sept. 30, 2026 |
| Concurrence | Domanic v. Christian Brothers | Andrew Stephen Oldham | Fifth Circuit | Sept. 30, 2026 |
| Dissent | Americans for Prosperity v. Meyer | Patrick Joseph Bumatay | Ninth Circuit | Sept. 30, 2026 |
| Opinion of the Court | Domanic v. Christian Brothers | Stuart Kyle Duncan | Fifth Circuit | Sept. 30, 2026 |
| Order | Teva Pharmaceuticals International Gmbh v. Eli Lilly and Company | Richard Gibson Andrews | Federal Circuit | Sept. 30, 2026 |
| Opinion | Nicholas Tate v. Warden GDCP | Per curiam | Eleventh Circuit | Sept. 30, 2026 |
| Opinion | Ernest Payton v. Union Pacific Railroad Company | Frank Hoover Easterbrook | Seventh Circuit | Sept. 30, 2026 |
| Opinion | United States v. Pastrana-Roman | William Joseph Kayatta Jr. | First Circuit | Sept. 30, 2026 |
| Dissent | Baker Ranches, Inc. v. Burgum | Johnnie B. Rawlinson | Ninth Circuit | Sept. 30, 2026 |
Courts
The Supreme Court and the thirteen U.S. Courts of Appeals.
- Supreme Court 11 judges · 1,617 cases
- First Circuit 12 judges · 1,993 cases
- Second Circuit 28 judges · 2,089 cases
- Third Circuit 24 judges · 1,538 cases
- Fourth Circuit 19 judges · 2,069 cases
- Fifth Circuit 24 judges · 2,067 cases
- Sixth Circuit 32 judges · 2,784 cases
- Seventh Circuit 15 judges · 1,993 cases
- Eighth Circuit 18 judges · 2,147 cases
- Ninth Circuit 51 judges · 2,320 cases
- Tenth Circuit 23 judges · 1,478 cases
- Eleventh Circuit 22 judges · 1,970 cases
- D.C. Circuit 16 judges · 1,643 cases
- Federal Circuit 19 judges · 1,831 cases
Newest on the bench
Appellate judges who most recently took their seats.
| Judge | Took office |
|---|---|
| Matthew Alexander Schwartz Second Circuit | July 24, 2026 |
| Daniel Mack Traynor Eighth Circuit | July 24, 2026 |
| Justin Daniel Smith Eighth Circuit | June 18, 2026 |
| Joshua Dale Dunlap First Circuit | Nov. 7, 2025 |
| Eric Chunyee Tung Ninth Circuit | Nov. 7, 2025 |
| Rebecca Liane Taibleson Seventh Circuit | Nov. 3, 2025 |
| Jennifer Lee Mascott Third Circuit | Oct. 10, 2025 |
| Emil Joseph Bove III Third Circuit | Aug. 20, 2025 |
Latest Supreme Court orders
| Order | Issued |
|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Order | Sept. 29, 2026 |
| Miscellaneous Order | Sept. 29, 2026 |
| Miscellaneous Order | Sept. 29, 2026 |
| Miscellaneous Order | Sept. 29, 2026 |
| Miscellaneous Order | Sept. 29, 2026 |