U.S. Circuit and District Court Judges: Profile of Select Demographic Characteristics

U.S. Circuit and District Court Judges: Profile of Select Demographic Characteristics

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March 11, 2015
U.S. Circuit and District Court Judges: Profile of Select
Demographic Characteristics
The demographic characteristics of U.S. circuit and district
Figure 1. Percentage of U.S. Circuit and District
court judges are of ongoing interest to Congress. Such
Court Judges by Select Demographic Characteristics
interest is demonstrated especially at the time circuit and
(As of March 1, 2015)
district court nominations are considered by the Senate. For
example, floor statements by Senators in support of circuit
or district court nominees frequently emphasize the
particular demographic characteristics of nominees that
would enhance the diversity of the federal judiciary.
The statistics provided below are based upon selected
demographic characteristics of individuals serving, as of
March 1, 2015, as active circuit or district court judges.
Consequently, the statistics reported do not include judges

who took senior status, retired, or resigned prior to that
Source: Congressional Research Service
date. Additionally, the statistics presented below do not
Notes: While the Hispanic category is treated as a non-white
include those individuals whose nominations were
category, individuals who identify as Hispanic or Latino may be of any
unsuccessful or whose nominations are currently pending in
race. The Asian American category includes any judges of Native
the Senate.
Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander ancestry. This figure does not
include a category for judges of American Indian or Alaska Native
U.S. circuit courts take appeals from federal district court
ancestry. As of this writing, there is one district court judge of
decisions and are also empowered to review the decisions
American Indian ancestry.
of many administrative agencies. Altogether, 179 circuit
court judgeships are currently authorized by law. U.S.
Race
district courts are the federal trial courts of general
Figure 1 also reports the percentage of active U.S. circuit
jurisdiction. Altogether, 673 U.S. district court judgeships
and district court judges who are African American, Asian
are currently authorized.
American, Hispanic, and white.
For any U.S. circuit court identified in the text below, states
At present, whites account for 77.8% of all circuit court
falling within that court’s jurisdiction are identified in
judges and 72.7% of district court judges. African
parentheses. Similarly, for any U.S. district court identified
American judges comprise 12.3% of circuit court judges
below, the most populous city in the district with a federal
and 13.4% of district court judges. For Hispanic judges, the
courthouse is identified in parentheses.
corresponding percentages are 7.6% (circuit) and 10.1%
(district), while for Asian Americans the corresponding
Sex
percentages are 2.3% (circuit) and 3.4% (district).
As shown by Figure 1, women comprise 35.1% of active
U.S. circuit court judges and 32.5% of district court judges
For each racial minority group, there is a greater percentage
(while men comprise 64.9% and 67.5% of circuit and
of individuals belonging to that group serving as district
district court judges, respectively).
court judges than as circuit court judges.
The percentage of circuit court judges who are women
The percentage of active circuit court judges who are racial
varies across judicial circuits. For example, 7 (46.7%) of 15
minorities varies across judicial circuits. At present, 4
judges for the Sixth Circuit (Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee)
(36.4%) of 11 judges for the D.C. Circuit are racial
are women, while 2 (18.2%) of 11 judges for the Eighth
minorities, while 1 (11.1%) of 9 judges for the Seventh
Circuit (Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska,
Circuit (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin) belongs to a racial
North Dakota, South Dakota) are women.
minority group.
Similarly, the percentage of active U.S. district court judges
Similarly, the percentage of active U.S. district court judges
who are women varies across judicial districts. As of March
who are racial minorities varies across judicial districts. For
1, 2015, for example, four (57.1%) of seven judges
example, 6 (46.2%) of 13 judges for the Eastern District of
currently serving on the court for the Northern District of
New York (Brooklyn) are racial minorities. Some districts,
Alabama (Birmingham) are women, while one (12.5%) of
including the Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama
eight judges for the Eastern District of Texas (Plano) is a
(Montgomery and Mobile, respectively), currently have no
woman.
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U.S. Circuit and District Court Judges: Profile of Select Demographic Characteristics
active district court judges who are racial minorities
serving on courts for the Central District of California (Los
appointed to them.
Angeles), Southern District of Florida (Miami), Southern
District of Illinois (East St. Louis), Eastern District of
Sex and Race, Combined
Michigan (Detroit), Eastern District of New York
Table 1 provides the percentage of U.S. circuit and district
(Brooklyn), Southern District of New York (Manhattan),
court judges broken down by sex and race.
District of Oregon (Portland), Eastern District of
Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), and Western District of Texas
Of circuit court judges, 49.1% are white men, followed by
(San Antonio).
white women (28.7%), African American men (8.2%),
Hispanic men (5.8%), African American women (4.1%),
Nontraditional Judges
Asian American men and Hispanic women (both at 1.8%),
As defined by CRS, “nontraditional” judges are those
and Asian American women (0.6%).
judges belonging to certain demographic groups from
which, historically, individuals were not often, if at all,
Table 1. Percentage of U.S. Circuit and District Court
appointed to federal judgeships. For example, of all women
Judges by Sex and Race
who have ever served as a U.S. circuit court judge, 97.7%
(As of March 1, 2015)
were appointed after 1976.
Demographic
U.S. Circuit
U.S. District
For the purposes of this analysis, nontraditional judges
Group
Court Judges
Court Judges
include (1) women, of any race; (2) non-white men; and (3)
openly gay or lesbian judges, of any race. Figure 2 shows,
African American
8.2%
7.8%
after combining these three groups of judges, the overall
Men
percentages of nontraditional U.S. circuit and district court
African American
judges actively serving as of March 1, 2015.
4.1%
5.6%
Women
At present, nontraditional judges now comprise a majority
Asian American
1.8%
2.0%
of active U.S. circuit court judges (50.9%). Of U.S. district
Men
court judges, nontraditional judges comprise 49.4% of all
Asian American
judges currently serving.
0.6%
1.6%
Women
Figure 2. Percentage of Nontraditional U.S. Circuit
Hispanic Men
5.8%
6.6%
and District Court Judges
Hispanic Women
1.8%
3.6%
(As of March 1, 2015)
White Men
49.1%
50.9%
White Women
28.7%
21.8%
Source: Congressional Research Service
Note: This table does not include a category for judges of American
Indian or Alaska Native ancestry. As of this writing, there is one
female district court judge of American Indian ancestry.

Of U.S. district court judges, 50.9% are white men,
Source: Congressional Research Service
followed by white women (21.8%), African American men
Note: See text for list of demographic groups included in
(7.8%), Hispanic men (6.6%), African American women
“nontraditional” category. “Traditional” judges are any white men not
(5.6%), Hispanic women (3.6%), Asian American men
belonging to other demographic groups included in the nontraditional
(2.0%), and Asian American women (1.6%).
category.
Table 1 also shows that, within each racial group, there are
The relatively recent increase in the percentage of
a greater percentage of male judges than female judges
nontraditional judges likely reflects a number of factors,
currently serving as either circuit or district court judges.
including underlying changes in the demographic
characteristics of those admitted to practice law, as well as
Sexual Orientation
efforts by recent Presidents and the Senate to diversify the
At present, there is one openly gay U.S. circuit court judge.
federal judiciary.
He serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal
Circuit (a court with national jurisdiction over certain types
Barry J. McMillion, Analyst in American National
of cases that is located in Washington, D.C.).
Government
There are also 10 openly gay men and lesbians currently
IF10147
serving as district court judges. These judges are currently

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U.S. Circuit and District Court Judges: Profile of Select Demographic Characteristics

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
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wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

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