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This page is a list of all the serving chief judges in the federal judiciary.

In order to qualify for the office of chief judge in an Article III circuit or district court, or on the United States Court of International Trade, a judge must be in active service and hold seniority over the court's commissioned judges who are 64 years of age or under, have served one year or more, and have not previously served as chief judge.

In the event that no judge on the court meets those qualifications, the youngest judge in regular active service aged 65 years or more and who has served as a judge for one year or more shall become chief judge. If no judge meets those qualifications, the judge holding seniority in active service who has not served as chief before shall become the chief judge.

The chief judge serves for a term of seven years until another judge becomes eligible to serve in the position. No judge is permitted to serve as chief judge after reaching the age of 70 years unless no other judge is qualified to serve.

Unlike the chief justice of the United States, a chief judge returns to active service after the expiration of their term and does not create a vacancy on the court by the fact of their promotion.

On the United States Court of Federal Claims, the chief judge is selected by the president of the United States. The judge must be less than 70 years of age. A chief may serve until they reach age 70 or until another judge is designated by the president as the new chief judge. If the president selects a new chief judge, the former chief judge may continue active service on the court for the remainder of their appointed term.

Current federal chief judges

The table below lists the 112 acting chief judges within the Article III Federal Courts. It was last updated on November 15, 2024.

Current federal chief judges
Name	Court	Nominating president	Term	Term as chief
David Barron	United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit	Barack Obama (D)	May 23, 2014 - present	2022 - present
Lance Walker	United States District Court for the District of Maine	Donald Trump (R)	October 17, 2018-present	2024-Present
Dennis Saylor	United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts	George W. Bush (R)	July 30, 2003 - present	2019 - present
Landya McCafferty	United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire	Barack Obama (D)	February 21, 2014 - present	2018 - present
Raúl Arias-Marxuach	United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico	Donald Trump (R)	May 13, 2019	2021 - present
John J. McConnell, Jr.	United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island	Barack Obama (R)	May 6, 2011 - present	2019 - present
Debra Livingston	United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit	George W. Bush (R)	May 17, 2007 - present	2020 - present
Michael Shea	United States District Court for the District of Connecticut	Barack Obama (D)	December 7, 2012 - present	2022 - present
Margo Brodie	United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York	Barack Obama (D)	February 27, 2012 - present	2021 - present
Brenda K. Sannes	United States District Court for the Northern District of New York	Barack Obama (D)	November 20, 2014 - present	2022 - present
Laura Swain	United States District Court for the Southern District of New York	Bill Clinton (D)	July 11, 2000 - present	2021 - present
Elizabeth A. Wolford	United States District Court for the Western District of New York	Barack Obama (D)	December 17, 2013 - present	2021 - present
Christina Reiss	United States District Court for the District of Vermont	Barack Obama (D)	December 21, 2009 - present	2024 - present
Michael Chagares	United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit	George W. Bush (R)	April 20, 2006 - present	2021 - present
Colm Connolly	United States District Court for the District of Delaware	Donald Trump (R)	August 3, 2018 - present	2021 - present
Renee Bumb	United States District Court for the District of New Jersey	George W. Bush (R)	January 25, 2006 - present	2023 - present
Mitchell Goldberg	United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania	George W. Bush (R)	October 31, 2008 - present	2024 - present
Matthew Brann	United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania	Barack Obama (D)	December 27, 2012 - present	2021 - present
Mark Hornak	United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania	Barack Obama (D)	October 19, 2011 - present	2018 - present
Albert Diaz	United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit	Barack Obama (D)	December 22, 2010 - present	2023 - present
George L. Russell, III	United States District Court for the District of Maryland	Barack Obama (D)	December 17, 2010 - present	2024 - present
Richard Myers II	United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina	Donald Trump (R)	December 10, 2019 - present	2021 - present
Catherine Eagles	United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina	Barack Obama (D)	December 22, 2010 - present	2023 - present
Martin Reidinger	United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina	George W. Bush (R)	January 9, 2007 - present	2020 - present
Timothy M. Cain	United States District Court for the District of South Carolina	Barack Obama (D)	September 20, 2011 - present	2024 - present
Mark Davis	United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia	George W. Bush (R)	June 23, 2008 - present	2018 - present
Elizabeth K. Dillon	United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia	Barack Obama (D)	December 19, 2014 - present	2024 - present
Thomas Kleeh	United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia	Donald Trump (R)	November 5, 2018 - present	2022 - present
Frank W. Volk	United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia	Donald Trump (R)	October 17, 2019 - present	2024 - present
Jennifer Elrod	United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit	George W. Bush (R)	October 19, 2007 - present	2024 - present
Nannette Jolivette-Brown	United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana	Barack Obama (D)	October 4, 2011 - present	2018 - present
Shelly Deckert Dick	United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana	Barack Obama (D)	May 10, 2013 - present	2018 - present
Terry A. Doughty	United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana	Donald Trump (R)	March 7, 2018 - present	2022 - present
Debra M. Brown	United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi	Barack Obama (D)	November 5, 2013 - present	2021 - present
Halil Ozerden	United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi	George W. Bush (R)	May 1, 2007 - present	2024 - present
James Gilstrap	United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas	Barack Obama (D)	December 6, 2011 - present	2018 - present
David Godbey	United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas	George W. Bush (R)	August 1, 2002 - present	2022 - present
Randy Crane	United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas	George H.W. Bush (R)	March 19, 2002 - present	2022 - present
Alia Moses	United States District Court for the Western District of Texas	George W. Bush (R)	November 15, 2002 - present	2022 - present
Jeffrey Sutton	United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit	George W. Bush (R)	May 5, 2003 - present	2021 - present
David Bunning	United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky	George W. Bush (R)	February 19, 2002 - present	2025 - present
Greg N. Stivers	United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky	Barack Obama (D)	December 5, 2014 - present	2018 - present
Sean Cox	United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan	George W. Bush (R)	June 12, 2006 - present	2022 - present
Hala Jarbou	United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan	Donald Trump (R)	September 10, 2020 - present	2022 - present
Sara Lioi	United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio	George W. Bush (R)	March 14, 2007 - present	2023 - present
Sarah Daggett Morrison	United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio	Donald Trump (R)	June 14, 2019 - present	2024 - present
Travis Randall McDonough	United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee	Barack Obama (D)	December 10, 2015	2020 - present
William L. Campbell Jr.	United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee	Donald Trump (R)	January 12, 2018 - present	2024 - present
Sheryl H. Lipman	United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee	Barack Obama (D)	May 1, 2014 - present	2017 - present
Diane Sykes	United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit	George W. Bush (R)	July 1, 2004 - present	2023 - present
Sara Lynn Darrow	United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois	Barack Obama (D)	August 3, 2011 - present	2019 - present
Virginia Kendall	United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois	George W. Bush (R)	January 3, 2006 - present	2024 - present
Nancy J. Rosenstengel	United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois	Barack Obama (D)	May 12, 2014 - present	2019 - present
Holly Brady	United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana	Barack Obama (D)	April 16, 2019 - present	2023 - present
Tanya Walton Pratt	United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana	Barack Obama (D)	January 20, 2010 - present	2021 - present
Pamela Pepper	United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin	Barack Obama D)	December 8, 2014 - present	2019 - present
James D. Peterson	United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin	Barack Obama (D)	May 12, 2014 - present	2017 - present
Steven Colloton	United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit	George W. Bush (R)	September 10, 2003 - present	2024 - present
Kristine Gerhard Baker	United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas	Barack Obama (D)	November 2, 2011 - present	2023 - present
Susan Hickey	United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas	Barack Obama (D)	October 19, 2011 - present	2019 - present
Charles Williams	United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa	Donald Trump (R)	September 10, 2018 - present	2024 - present
Stephanie Rose	United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa	Barack Obama (D)	September 17, 2012 - present	2022 - present
Patrick Schiltz	United States District Court for the District of Minnesota	George W. Bush (R)	April 28, 2006 - present	2022 - present
Stephen Clark	United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri	Donald Trump (R)	June 12, 2019 - present	2022 - present
Mary Elizabeth Phillips	United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri	Barack Obama (D)	March 22, 2012 - present	2019 - present
Robert F. Rossiter, Jr.	United States District Court for the District of Nebraska	Barack Obama (D)	June 29, 2016 - present	2021 - present
Peter Welte	United States District Court for the District of North Dakota	Donald Trump (R)	August 5, 2019 - present	2019 - present
Roberto Lange	United States District Court for the District of South Dakota	Barack Obama (D)	October 21, 2009 - present	2020 - present
Mary Murguia	United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit	Barack Obama (D)	January 4, 2011- present	2021 - present
Sharon L. Gleason	United States District Court for the District of Alaska	Barack Obama (D)	January 4, 2012 - present	2022 - present
Jennifer Zipps	United States District Court for the District of Arizona	Barack Obama (D)	October 5, 2011 - present	2024 - present
Dolly Gee	United States District Court for the Central District of California	Barack Obama (D)	January 4, 2010 - present	2024 - present
Troy L. Nunley	United States District Court for the Eastern District of California	Barack Obama (D)	January 4, 2013 - present	2024 - present
Richard Seeborg	United States District Court for the Northern District of California	Barack Obama (D)	January 4, 2010 - present	2021 - present
Dana Sabraw	United States District Court for the Southern District of California	George W. Bush (R)	September 26, 2003 - present	2021 - present
Derrick Kahala Watson	United States District Court for the District of Hawaii	Barack Obama (D)	April 23, 2013 - present	2022 - present
David C. Nye	United States District Court for the District of Idaho	Donald Trump (R)	August 1, 2017 - present	2019 - present
Brian Morris	United States District Court for the District of Montana	Barack Obama (D)	May 23, 2013 - present	2020 - present
Miranda Du	United States District Court for the District of Nevada	Barack Obama (D)	March 30, 2012- present	2019 - present
Michael McShane	United States District Court for the District of Oregon	George W. Bush (R)	July 23, 2008 - present	2019 - present
Stanley Bastian	United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington	Barack Obama (D)	May 1, 2014 - present	2020 - present
David G. Estudillo	United States District Court for the Western District of Washington	George W. Bush (R)	October 7, 2021 - present	2022 - present
Jerome Holmes	United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit	George W. Bush (R)	April 1, 2003 - present	2015 - present
Philip Brimmer	United States District Court for the District of Colorado	George W. Bush (R)	October 14, 2008 - present	2019 - present
Eric Melgren	United States District Court for the District of Kansas	George W. Bush (R)	October 6, 2008 - present	2021 - present
William P. Johnson	United States District Court for the District of New Mexico	George W. Bush (R)	December 21, 2001 - present	2018 - present
Ronald White	United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma	George W. Bush (R)	October 2, 2003 - present	2017 - present
John Heil III	United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma	Donald Trump (R)	May 27, 2020 - present	2021 - present
Timothy DeGiusti	United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma	George W. Bush (R)	August 9, 2007 - present	2019 - present
Robert Shelby	United States District Court for the District of Utah	Barack Obama (D)	September 25, 2012 - present	2018 - present
Scott W. Skavdahl	United States District Court for the District of Wyoming	Barack Obama (D)	November 7, 2011 - present	2018 - present
William Pryor	United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit	George W. Bush (R)	June 10, 2005 - present	2020 - present
Emily Coody Marks	United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama	Donald Trump (R)	August 3, 2018 - present	2019 - present
David Proctor	United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama	George W. Bush (R)	May 28, 2003 - present	2020 - present
Jeffrey Beaverstock	United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama	Donald Trump (R)	August 3, 2018 - present	2021 - present
Marcia Howard	United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida	George W. Bush (R)	February 20, 2007 - present	2024 - present
Mark E. Walker	United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida	Barack Obama (D)	December 7, 2012 - present	2018 - present
Cecilia Altonaga	United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida	George W. Bush (R)	May 7, 2003 - present	2021 - present
Leslie Abrams Gardner	United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia	Barack Obama (D)	November 18, 2014 - present	2024 - present
Timothy Batten	United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia	George W. Bush (R)	March 28, 2006 - present	2021 - present
Stan Baker	United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia	Donald Trump (R)	August 30, 2018 - present	2024 - present
Srikanth Srinivasan	United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit	Barack Obama (D)	May 24, 2013 - present	2020 - present
James E. Boasberg	United States District Court for the District of Columbia	Barack Obama (D)	March 17, 2011 - present	2023 - present
Kimberly Moore	United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit	George W. Bush (R)	September 8, 2006 - present	2021 - present
Mark A. Barnett	United States Court of International Trade	Barack Obama (D)	May 28, 2013 - present	2021 - present
Kathleen Kerrigan	United States Tax Court	Barack Obama (D)	May 4, 2012 - present	2022 - present
Elaine Kaplan	United States Court of Federal Claims	Barack Obama (D)	November 1, 2013 - present	2021 - present
Kevin A. Ohlson	United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces	Barack Obama (D)	November 1, 2013 - present	2021 - present
Margaret Bartley	United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims	Barack Obama (D)	June 28, 2012 - present	2019 - present
Frances Tydingco-Gatewood	United States District Court for the District of Guam	George W. Bush (R)	August 8, 2006 - present	2006 - present
Robert Molloy	United States District Court for the District of the Virgin Islands	Donald Trump (R)	April 27, 2020 - present	2021 - present
Ramona V. Manglona	United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands	Barack Obama (D)	July 26, 2011 - present	2011 - present

See also

• United States federal courts
• Federal judicial appointments by president
• Judicial vacancies in federal courts
• Federal courts by state