United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (in case citations, 5th Cir.) is one of the 13 United States courts of appeals. It has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:

• Eastern District of Louisiana
• Middle District of Louisiana
• Western District of Louisiana
• Northern District of Mississippi
• Southern District of Mississippi
• Eastern District of Texas
• Northern District of Texas
• Southern District of Texas
• Western District of Texas

The Fifth Circuit has 17 active judgeships, and is headquartered at the John Minor Wisdom United States Court of Appeals Building in New Orleans, Louisiana, with the clerk's office located at the F. Edward Hebert Federal Building in New Orleans.

Originally, the Fifth Circuit also included the federal district courts in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. In 1981, the district courts for those states were transferred to the newly created U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

History of the court

File:053107-5thCircuit.jpg

The John Minor Wisdom U.S. Courthouse, home of the Fifth Circuit, New Orleans

This court was created by the Evarts Act on June 16, 1891, which moved the circuit judges and appellate jurisdiction from the Circuit Courts of the Fifth Circuit to this court. At the time of its creation, the Fifth Circuit covered Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.

On June 25, 1948, the Panama Canal Zone was added to the Fifth Circuit by 62 Stat. 870. The Fifth Circuit gained appellate jurisdiction over the United States District Court for the Canal Zone.

On October 1, 1981, under Pub. L. Template:Trim/Template:Trim Template:Trim–Template:Trim, the Fifth Circuit was split: Alabama, Georgia, and Florida were moved to the new Eleventh Circuit.

On March 31, 1982, the Fifth Circuit lost jurisdiction over the Panama Canal Zone, which was transferred to Panamanian control.

Fifth Circuit Four

Starting in the late 1950s, judges Elbert Parr Tuttle (chief judge 1960–1967), John Minor Wisdom, John R. Brown (chief judge 1967–1979), and Richard T. Rives (chief judge 1959–60) became known as the "Fifth Circuit Four", or simply "The Four", for decisions crucial in advancing the civil rights of African Americans. In this, they were usually opposed by their fellow Fifth Circuit Judge, Benjamin F. Cameron of Mississippi, until his death in 1964. During this era, the role of the Fifth Circuit in civil rights caused the court to be nicknamed the "Supreme Court of Dixie".

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans on August 29, 2005, devastating the city and slightly damaging the John Minor Wisdom Courthouse. All deadlines concerning filings were extended. On September 7 the court temporarily relocated its administrative operations to Houston, and returned to normal operations in New Orleans in March 2007.

2020s

During his first administration, President Donald Trump appointed six judges to the court, with many observers thereafter regarding it as the most conservative court of appeals. The Fifth Circuit's reversal rate at the US Supreme Court from the beginning of the 2020 term through the end of the 2022 term was 74%, making it the 7th most frequently reversed circuit court; the average rate of reversals was 68%. Some members of the Supreme Court, including Chief Justice John Roberts, have indicated concern with how the Fifth Circuit approaches cases. Several court observers have interpreted the court as being exceptionally conservative in its rulings.

Current composition of the court

since May 16, 2025Template:Dated maintenance category (articles):

#	Title	Judge	Duty station	Born	Term of service			Appointed by
					Active	Chief	Senior
78	Chief Judge		Houston, TX	1966	2007–present	2024–present	—
63	Circuit Judge		Houston, TX	1949	1985–present	2006–2012	—
64	Circuit Judge		Houston, TX	1946	1987–present	—	—
71	Circuit Judge		Shreveport, LA	1950	1994–present	2012–2019	—
77	Circuit Judge	Priscilla Richman	Austin, TX	1954	2005–present	2019–2024	—
79	Circuit Judge	Leslie H. Southwick	Jackson, MS	1950	2007–present	—	—
80	Circuit Judge	Catharina Haynes	Dallas, TX	1963	2008–present	—	—
81	Circuit Judge	James E. Graves Jr.	Jackson, MS	1953	2011–present	—	—
82	Circuit Judge	Stephen A. Higginson	New Orleans, LA	1961	2011–present	—	—
84	Circuit Judge		Austin, TX	1966	2018–present	—	—
85	Circuit Judge		Dallas, TX	1973	2018–present	—	—
86	Circuit Judge		Baton Rouge, LA	1972	2018–present	—	—
87	Circuit Judge		New Orleans, LA	1960	2018–present	—	—
88	Circuit Judge		Austin, TX	1978	2018–present	—	—
89	Circuit Judge		Jackson, MS	1970	2020–present	—	—
90	Circuit Judge	Dana Douglas	New Orleans, LA	1975	2022–present	—	—
91	Circuit Judge	Irma Carrillo Ramirez	Dallas, TX	1964	2023–present	—	—
51	Senior Circuit Judge	Carolyn Dineen King	Houston, TX	1938	1979–2013	1999–2006	2013–present
59	Senior Circuit Judge	E. Grady Jolly	Jackson, MS	1937	1982–2017	—	2017–present
60	Senior Circuit Judge	Patrick Higginbotham	San Antonio, TX	1938	1982–2006	—	2006–present
61	Senior Circuit Judge	W. Eugene Davis	New Orleans, LA	1936	1983–2016	—	2016–present
66	Senior Circuit Judge	Jacques L. Wiener Jr.	New Orleans, LA	1934	1990–2010	—	2010–present
67	Senior Circuit Judge	Rhesa Barksdale	Jackson, MS	1944	1990–2009	—	2009–present
73	Senior Circuit Judge	James L. Dennis	New Orleans, LA	1936	1995–2022	—	2022–present
74	Senior Circuit Judge	Edith Brown Clement	New Orleans, LA	1948	2001–2018	—	2018–present

List of former judges

#	Judge	State	Born–died	Active service	Chief Judge	Senior status	Appointed by	Reason for termination
1		LA	1837–1919	1891–1919	—	—	/ Operation of law	death
2		TX	1832–1916	1892–1916	—	—		death
3		AL	1847–1914	1899–1914	—	—		death
4		AL	1857–1936	1914–1930	—	1930–1936		death
5		TX	1864–1935	1917–1919	—	—		resignation
6		FL	1872–1935	1920–1935	—	—		death
7		GA	1856–1926	1920–1924	—	—		resignation
8		LA	1871–1942	1925–1942	—	—		death
9		GA	1873–1958	1931–1949	—	1949–1958		death
10		TX	1879–1973	1931–1964	1948–1959	1964–1973		death
11		MS	1878–1961	1936–1954	—	1954–1961		death
12		AL	1878–1952	1938–1951	—	1951–1952		death
13		FL	1887–1950	1943–1950	—	—		death
14		LA	1882–1949	1943–1949	—	—		death
15		LA	1891–1966	1949–1956	—	1956–1966		death
16		GA	1900–1955	1949–1955	—	—		death
17		FL	1890–1954	1950–1954	—	—		death
18		AL	1895–1982	1951–1966	1959–1960	1966–1981		reassignment to 11th Cir.
19		GA	1897–1996	1954–1968	1960–1967	1968–1981		reassignment to 11th Cir.
20		MS	1890–1964	1955–1964	—	—		death
21		FL	1895–1993	1955–1966	—	1966–1981		reassignment to 11th Cir.
22		TX	1909–1993	1955–1984	1967–1979	1984–1993		death
23		LA	1905–1999	1957–1977	—	1977–1999		death
24		GA	1918–2009	1961–1976	—	—		resignation
25		AL	1908–1981	1961–1976	—	1976–1981		death
26		TX	1909–1995	1965–1978	—	1978–1995		death
27		MS	1914–1991	1965–1981	1979–1981	1981–1984		retirement
28		LA	1910–1981	1966–1981	—	—		death
29		AL	1920–2009	1966–1981	1981	—		reassignment to 11th Cir.
30		TX	1906–1995	1966–1980	—	1980–1995		death
31		FL	1910–1998	1966–1976	—	1976–1981		reassignment to 11th Cir.
32		FL	1903–1987	1966–1975	—	1975–1981		reassignment to 11th Cir.
33		MS	1909–1969	1967–1969	—	—		death
34		GA	1913–2001	1968–1978	—	1978–1981		reassignment to 11th Cir.
35		FL	1919–1992	1969–1970	—	—		resignation
36		MS	1925–2011	1969–1992	1981–1992	—		retirement
37		TX	1903–1990	1969–1973	—	1973–1990		death
38		FL	1921–2006	1970–1981	—	—		reassignment to 11th Cir.
39		TX	1925–1994	1973–1991	—	—		retirement
40		FL	1929–present	1975–1981	—	—		reassignment to 11th Cir.
41		GA	1924–2017	1976–1981	—	—		reassignment to 11th Cir.
42		FL	1929–2021	1976–1981	—	—		reassignment to 11th Cir.
43		LA	1920–1991	1977–1989	—	1989–1991		death
44		AL	1931–1989	1977–1981	—	—		reassignment to 11th Cir.
45		GA	1920–2017	1979–1981	—	—		reassignment to 11th Cir.
46		AL	1918–1999	1979–1981	—	—		reassignment to 11th Cir.
47		GA	1936–present	1979–1981	—	—		reassignment to 11th Cir.
48		TX	1915–2004	1979–1982	—	1982–2004		death
49		FL	1932–2021	1979–1981	—	—		reassignment to 11th Cir.
50		GA	1920–1999	1979–1981	—	—		reassignment to 11th Cir.
52		LA	1932–2002	1979–1999	1992–1999	1999–2002		death
53		TX	1921–2020	1979–1990	—	1990–2020		death
54		TX	1920–2002	1979–1991	—	1991–2002		death
55		LA	1920–1986	1979–1986	—	—		death
56		FL	1920–2005	1979–1981	—	—		reassignment to 11th Cir.
57		TX	1916–1993	1980–1990	—	1990–1993		death
58		TX	1931–2011	1981–1997	—	1997–2011		death
62		TX	1928–1987	1984–1987	—	—		death
65		LA	1933–2025	1988–1999	—	1999–2025		death
68		TX	1947–present	1991–2012	—	2012–2015		retirement
69		TX	1930–2020	1991–2007	—	2007–2015		retirement
70		TX	1947–2023	1994–2012	—	2012–2023		death
72		TX	1937–2020	1994–2002	—	—		retirement
75		TX	1947–present	2003–2018	—	—		retirement
76		MS	1937–present	2004	—	—		retirement
83		TX	1972–present	2014–2022	—	—		resignation

Chief judges

Chief Judge
Hutcheson, Jr.	1948–1959
Rives	1959–1960
Tuttle	1960–1967
Brown	1967–1979
Coleman	1979–1981
Godbold	1981
C. Clark	1981–1992
Politz	1992–1999
C. King	1999–2006
Jones	2006–2012
Stewart	2012–2019
Richman	2019–2024
Elrod	2024–present

Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their circuits, and preside over any panel on which they serve, unless the circuit justice (the Supreme Court justice responsible for the circuit) is also on the panel. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the circuit judges.

To be chief, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as chief judge. A vacancy is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges, with seniority determined first by commission date, then by age. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first. If no judge qualifies to be chief, the youngest judge over the age of 65 who has served on the court for at least one year shall act as chief until another judge qualifies. If no judge has served on the court for more than a year, the most senior judge shall act as chief. Judges can forfeit or resign their chief judgeship or acting chief judgeship while retaining their active status as a circuit judge.

When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire, on what has since 1958 been known as senior status, or declined to serve as chief judge. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982.

Succession of seats

The court has had 29 seats for active judges. Twelve of these seats were reassigned to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, leaving a seventeen-seat court. The seats are numbered in the order in which they were initially filled. Judges who assume senior status enter a kind of retirement in which they remain on the bench but vacate their seats, thus allowing the U.S. President to appoint new judges to fill their seats.

Seat 1
Established on December 10, 1869 by the Judiciary Act of 1869 as a circuit judgeship for the Fifth Circuit
Reassigned on June 16, 1891 to the newly formed United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit by the Judiciary Act of 1891
Pardee	LA	1891–1919
A. King	GA	1920–1924
Foster	LA	1925–1942
Lee	LA	1943–1949
Borah	LA	1949–1956
Wisdom	LA	1957–1977
Rubin	LA	1977–1989
Barksdale	MS	1990–2009
Graves, Jr.	MS	2011–present

Seat 2
Established on June 16, 1891 by the Judiciary Act of 1891
McCormick	TX	1892–1916
Batts	TX	1917–1919
Bryan	FL	1920–1935
Holmes	MS	1936–1954
Cameron	MS	1955–1964
Coleman	MS	1965–1981
Jolly	MS	1982–2017
Wilson	MS	2020–present

Seat 3
Established on January 25, 1899 by 30 Stat. 803
Shelby	AL	1899–1914
Walker, Jr.	AL	1914–1930
Sibley	GA	1931–1949
Russell	GA	1949–1955
Brown	TX	1955–1984
R. Hill	TX	1984–1987
Wiener, Jr.	LA	1990–2010
Higginson	LA	2011–present

Seat 4
Established on June 10, 1930 by 46 Stat. 538
Hutcheson, Jr.	TX	1931–1964
Thornberry	TX	1965–1978
R. Garza	TX	1979–1982
Higginbotham	TX	1982–2006
Elrod	TX	2007–present

McCord AL 1938–1951 Rives AL 1951–1966 Godbold AL 1966–1981

| class="col-break " | Template:Start U.S. judge succession inactive circuit Template:U.S. judge succession 4 note |- | Waller || FL || 1943–1950 |- | Strum || FL || 1950–1954 |- | W. Jones || FL || 1955–1966 |- | Dyer || FL || 1966–1976 |- | Fay || FL || 1976–1981 Template:U.S. judge succession 4 note

|}

| class="col-break " | Template:Start U.S. judge succession inactive circuit Template:U.S. judge succession 4 note |- | Tuttle || GA || 1954–1968 |- | Morgan || GA || 1968–1978 |- | Kravitch || GA || 1979–1981 Template:U.S. judge succession 4 note

|}

| class="col-break " | Template:Start U.S. judge succession inactive circuit Template:U.S. judge succession 4 note |- | Gewin || AL || 1961–1976 |- | Vance || AL || 1977–1981 Template:U.S. judge succession 4 note

|}

| class="col-break " | Template:Start U.S. judge succession inactive circuit Template:U.S. judge succession 4 note |- | Bell || GA || 1961–1976 |- | J. Hill || GA || 1976–1981 Template:U.S. judge succession 4 note

|}

|}

Seat 10
Established as a temporary judgeship on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75
Made permanent on June 18, 1968 by 82 Stat. 184
Goldberg	TX	1966–1980
Williams	TX	1980–1990
DeMoss, Jr.	TX	1991–2007
Haynes	TX	2008–present

Seat 11
Established as a temporary judgeship on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75
Made permanent on June 18, 1968 by 82 Stat. 184
Ainsworth Jr.	LA	1966–1981
Davis	LA	1983–2016
Duncan	LA	2018–present

Simpson FL 1966–1975 Tjoflat FL 1975–1981

|}

Seat 13
Established as a temporary judgeship on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75
Made permanent on June 18, 1968 by 82 Stat. 184
Clayton	MS	1967–1969
C. Clark	MS	1969–1992
Dennis	LA	1995–2022
Douglas	LA	2022–present

Carswell FL 1969–1970 Roney FL 1970–1981

| class="col-break " |

Seat 15
Established on June 18, 1968 by 82 Stat. 184
Ingraham	TX	1969–1973
Gee	TX	1973–1991
Benavides	TX	1994–2012
Costa	TX	2014–2022
Ramirez	TX	2023–present

| class="col-break " | Template:Start U.S. judge succession inactive circuit Template:U.S. judge succession 4 note |- | F. Johnson || AL || 1979–1981 Template:U.S. judge succession 4 note

|}

|}

Henderson GA 1979–1981

| class="col-break " | Template:Start U.S. judge succession inactive circuit Template:U.S. judge succession 4 note |- | Anderson III || GA || 1979–1981 Template:U.S. judge succession 4 note

|}

| class="col-break " |

Seat 19
Established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629
C. King	TX	1979–2013
Ho	TX	2018–present

|}

Seat 20
Established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629
Politz	LA	1979–1999
Pickering	MS	2004
Southwick	MS	2007–present

Hatchett FL 1979–1981

| class="col-break " |

Seat 22
Established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629
Reavley	TX	1979–1990
E. Garza	TX	1991–2012
Willett	TX	2018–present

| class="col-break " |

Seat 23
Established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629
Tate, Jr.	LA	1979–1986
Duhé Jr.	LA	1988–1999
Clement	LA	2001–2018
Engelhardt	LA	2018–present

|}

Seat 24
Established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629
S. Johnson, Jr.	TX	1979–1991
Parker	TX	1994–2002
Prado	TX	2003–2018
Oldham	TX	2018–present

T. Clark FL 1979–1981

| class="col-break " |

Seat 26
Established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629
Garwood	TX	1981–1997
Richman	TX	2005–present

| class="col-break " |

Seat 27
Established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333
E. Jones	TX	1985–present

| class="col-break " |

Seat 28
Established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333
Smith	TX	1987–present

|}

Seat 29
Established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089
Stewart	LA	1994–present

See also

• Courts of Louisiana
• Courts of Mississippi
• Courts of Texas
• Template:Section link
• List of current United States circuit judges

External links

• United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• Recent Fifth Circuit opinions from FindLaw
• Criminal law opinions from the Fifth Circuit
• Business litigation opinions from the Fifth Circuit