Biographical Directory of Federal Judges
Encyclopedia
The Biographical Directory of Federal Judges is a publication of the Federal Judicial Center
providing basic biographical information on all past and present United States federal court Article III judges
(those federal judges
with life tenure
).
These include justices of the Supreme Court of the United States
and judges of United States courts of appeals
, district courts
, and the now-obsolete circuit courts
.
The Biographical Directory is available online in searchable format. The Federal Judicial Center website also contains lists of all judges of particular courts which are linked to the database. Biographical information provided for each judge includes birth and death dates, educational background, a summary of the judge's professional career, a summary of the judge's federal judicial service (including dates of nomination, confirmation, and acceptance of commission), and the judge's race or ethnicity. Where available, links to the location of the judge's manuscript papers, biographical sources, and oral history
sources are also provided.
As a non-copyright
ed work of the United States government, the Biographical Directory is in the public domain
.
Federal Judicial Center
The Federal Judicial Center is the education and research agency of the United States federal courts. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1967, at the recommendation of the Judicial Conference of the United States....
providing basic biographical information on all past and present United States federal court Article III judges
Article I and Article III tribunals
In the United States, the American legal system includes both state courts and United States federal courts. The federal tribunals may be an Article III tribunal or another adjudicative body classified as an Article I or an Article IV tribunal...
(those federal judges
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
with life tenure
Life tenure
A life tenure or service during good behaviour is a term of office that lasts for the office holder's lifetime , unless the office holder is removed from office for cause under extraordinary circumstances or chooses to resign.Judges and members of some upper chambers have life tenure...
).
These include justices of the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
and judges of United States courts of appeals
United States court of appeals
The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system...
, district courts
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
, and the now-obsolete circuit courts
United States circuit court
The United States circuit courts were the original intermediate level courts of the United States federal court system. They were established by the Judiciary Act of 1789. They had trial court jurisdiction over civil suits of diversity jurisdiction and major federal crimes. They also had appellate...
.
The Biographical Directory is available online in searchable format. The Federal Judicial Center website also contains lists of all judges of particular courts which are linked to the database. Biographical information provided for each judge includes birth and death dates, educational background, a summary of the judge's professional career, a summary of the judge's federal judicial service (including dates of nomination, confirmation, and acceptance of commission), and the judge's race or ethnicity. Where available, links to the location of the judge's manuscript papers, biographical sources, and oral history
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
sources are also provided.
As a non-copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
ed work of the United States government, the Biographical Directory is in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
.