# United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory covers the states of Connecticut, New York, and Vermont, and it has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* District of Connecticut
* Eastern District of New York
* Northern District of New York
* Southern District of New York
* Western District of New York
* District of Vermont
The Second Circuit has its clerk's office and courtrooms at the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse at 40 Foley Square in Lower Manhattan.
Because the Second Circuit includes New York City, it has long been one of the largest and most influential American federal appellate courts, especially in matters of contract law, securities law, and antitrust law. In the 20th century, it came to be considered one of the two most prestigious federal appellate courts, along with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Several notable judges have served on the Second Circuit, including three later named Associate Justices of the United States Supreme Court: John Marshall Harlan II, Thurgood Marshall, and Sonia Sotomayor. Judge Learned Hand served on the court from 1924 to 1961, as did his cousin, Augustus Noble Hand, from 1927 until 1953. Judge Henry Friendly served from 1959 to 1986.
* Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse at 500 Pearl Street; the court's former temporary home
* Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse at 40 Foley Square

## Current composition of the court

As of July 13, 2024:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Term of service | Term of service | Appointed by |
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Active | Chief | Senior | Appointed by |
| 66 | Chief Judge | Debra Ann Livingston | New York, NY | 1959 | 2007–present | 2020–present | — | G.W. Bush |
| 69 | Circuit Judge | Raymond Lohier | New York, NY | 1965 | 2010–present | — | — | Obama |
| 72 | Circuit Judge | Richard J. Sullivan | New York, NY | 1964 | 2018–present | — | — | Trump |
| 73 | Circuit Judge | Joseph F. Bianco | Central Islip, NY | 1966 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 74 | Circuit Judge | Michael H. Park | New York, NY | 1976 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 75 | Circuit Judge | William J. Nardini | New Haven, CT | 1969 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 76 | Circuit Judge | Steven Menashi | New York, NY | 1979 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 77 | Circuit Judge | Eunice C. Lee | New York, NY | 1970 | 2021–present | — | — | Biden |
| 78 | Circuit Judge | Beth Robinson | Burlington, VT | 1965 | 2021–present | — | — | Biden |
| 79 | Circuit Judge | Myrna Pérez | New York, NY | 1974 | 2021–present | — | — | Biden |
| 80 | Circuit Judge | Alison Nathan | New York, NY | 1972 | 2022–present | — | — | Biden |
| 81 | Circuit Judge | Sarah A. L. Merriam | Bridgeport, CT | 1971 | 2022–present | — | — | Biden |
| 82 | Circuit Judge | Maria Araújo Kahn | New Haven, CT | 1964 | 2023–present | — | — | Biden |
| 41 | Senior Circuit Judge | Jon O. Newman | Hartford, CT | 1932 | 1979–1997 | 1993–1997 | 1997–present | Carter |
| 42 | Senior Circuit Judge | Amalya Kearse | New York, NY | 1937 | 1979–2002 | — | 2002–present | Carter |
| 50 | Senior Circuit Judge | John M. Walker Jr. | New Haven, CT | 1940 | 1989–2006 | 2000–2006 | 2006–present | G.H.W. Bush |
| 52 | Senior Circuit Judge | Dennis Jacobs | New York, NY | 1944 | 1992–2019 | 2006–2013 | 2019–present | G.H.W. Bush |
| 53 | Senior Circuit Judge | Pierre N. Leval | New York, NY | 1936 | 1993–2002 | — | 2002–present | Clinton |
| 54 | Senior Circuit Judge | Guido Calabresi | New Haven, CT | 1932 | 1994–2009 | — | 2009–present | Clinton |
| 55 | Senior Circuit Judge | José A. Cabranes | New Haven, CT | 1940 | 1994–2023 | — | 2023–present | Clinton |
| 59 | Senior Circuit Judge | Robert D. Sack | New York, NY | 1939 | 1998–2009 | — | 2009–present | Clinton |
| 62 | Senior Circuit Judge | Barrington D. Parker Jr. | New York, NY | 1944 | 2001–2009 | — | 2009–present | G.W. Bush |
| 63 | Senior Circuit Judge | Reena Raggi | Brooklyn, NY | 1951 | 2002–2018 | — | 2018–present | G.W. Bush |
| 64 | Senior Circuit Judge | Richard C. Wesley | Geneseo, NY | 1949 | 2003–2016 | — | 2016–present | G.W. Bush |
| 67 | Senior Circuit Judge | Gerard E. Lynch | New York, NY | 1951 | 2009–2016 | — | 2016–present | Obama |
| 68 | Senior Circuit Judge | Denny Chin | New York, NY | 1954 | 2010–2021 | — | 2021–present | Obama |
| 70 | Senior Circuit Judge | Susan L. Carney | New Haven, CT | 1951 | 2011–2022 | — | 2022–present | Obama |

## List of former judges

| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
| 1 | William James Wallace | New York | 1837–1917 | 1891–1907 | — | — | Arthur / Operation of law | retirement |
| 2 | Emile Henry Lacombe | New York | 1846–1924 | 1891–1916 | — | — | Cleveland / Operation of law | retirement |
| 3 | Nathaniel Shipman | Connecticut | 1828–1906 | 1892–1902 | — | — | B. Harrison | retirement |
| 4 | William Kneeland Townsend | Connecticut | 1849–1907 | 1902–1907 | — | — | T. Roosevelt | death |
| 5 | Alfred Conkling Coxe Sr. | New York | 1847–1923 | 1902–1917 | — | — | T. Roosevelt | retirement |
| 6 | Henry Galbraith Ward | New York | 1851–1933 | 1907–1921 | — | 1921–1924 | T. Roosevelt | retirement |
| 7 | Walter Chadwick Noyes | Connecticut | 1865–1926 | 1907–1913 | — | — | T. Roosevelt | resignation |
| 8 | Martin Augustine Knapp | New York | 1843–1923 | 1910–1916 | — | — | | reassigned to the 4th Circuit |
| 9 | Henry Wade Rogers | Connecticut | 1853–1926 | 1913–1926 | — | — | Wilson | death |
| 10 | Charles Merrill Hough | New York | 1858–1927 | 1916–1927 | — | — | Wilson | death |
| 11 | Martin Thomas Manton | New York | 1880–1946 | 1918–1939 | — | — | Wilson | resignation |
| 12 | Julius Marshuetz Mayer | New York | 1865–1925 | 1921–1924 | — | — | Harding | resignation |
| 13 | Learned Hand | New York | 1872–1961 | 1924–1951 | 1948–1951 | 1951–1961 | Coolidge | death |
| 14 | Thomas Walter Swan | Connecticut | 1877–1975 | 1926–1953 | 1951–1953 | 1953–1975 | Coolidge | death |
| 15 | Augustus Noble Hand | New York | 1869–1954 | 1927–1953 | — | 1953–1954 | Coolidge | death |
| 16 | Harrie B. Chase | Vermont | 1889–1969 | 1929–1954 | 1953–1954 | 1954–1969 | Coolidge | death |
| 17 | Julian Mack | Illinois | 1866–1943 | 1929–1940 | — | 1940–1943 | | death |
| 18 | Charles Edward Clark | Connecticut | 1889–1963 | 1939–1963 | 1954–1959 | — | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 19 | Robert P. Patterson | New York | 1891–1952 | 1939–1940 | — | — | F. Roosevelt | resignation |
| 20 | Jerome Frank | New York | 1889–1957 | 1941–1957 | — | — | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 21 | Harold Medina | New York | 1888–1990 | 1951–1958 | — | 1958–1980 | Truman | retirement |
| 22 | Carroll C. Hincks | Connecticut | 1889–1964 | 1953–1959 | — | 1959–1964 | Eisenhower | death |
| 23 | John Marshall Harlan II | New York | 1899–1971 | 1954–1955 | — | — | Eisenhower | elevation to Supreme Court |
| 24 | J. Edward Lumbard | New York | 1901–1999 | 1955–1971 | 1959–1971 | 1971–1999 | Eisenhower | death |
| 25 | Sterry R. Waterman | Vermont | 1901–1984 | 1955–1970 | — | 1970–1984 | Eisenhower | death |
| 26 | Leonard P. Moore | New York | 1898–1982 | 1957–1971 | — | 1971–1982 | Eisenhower | death |
| 27 | Henry Friendly | New York | 1903–1986 | 1959–1974 | 1971–1973 | 1974–1986 | Eisenhower | death |
| 28 | J. Joseph Smith | Connecticut | 1904–1980 | 1960–1971 | — | 1971–1980 | Eisenhower | death |
| 29 | Irving Kaufman | New York | 1910–1992 | 1961–1987 | 1973–1980 | 1987–1992 | Kennedy | death |
| 30 | Paul R. Hays | New York | 1903–1980 | 1961–1974 | — | 1974–1980 | Kennedy | death |
| 31 | Thurgood Marshall | New York | 1908–1993 | 1961–1965 | — | — | Kennedy | resignation |
| 32 | Robert P. Anderson | Connecticut | 1906–1978 | 1964–1971 | — | 1971–1978 | L. Johnson | death |
| 33 | Wilfred Feinberg | New York | 1920–2014 | 1966–1991 | 1980–1988 | 1991–2014 | L. Johnson | death |
| 34 | Walter R. Mansfield | New York | 1911–1987 | 1971–1981 | — | 1981–1987 | Nixon | death |
| 35 | William Hughes Mulligan | New York | 1918–1996 | 1971–1981 | — | — | Nixon | resignation |
| 36 | James L. Oakes | Vermont | 1924–2007 | 1971–1992 | 1988–1992 | 1992–2007 | Nixon | death |
| 37 | William H. Timbers | Connecticut | 1915–1994 | 1971–1981 | — | 1981–1994 | Nixon | death |
| 38 | Murray Gurfein | New York | 1907–1979 | 1974–1979 | — | — | Ford | death |
| 39 | Ellsworth Van Graafeiland | New York | 1915–2004 | 1974–1985 | — | 1985–2004 | Ford | death |
| 40 | Thomas Meskill | Connecticut | 1928–2007 | 1975–1993 | 1992–1993 | 1993–2007 | Ford | death |
| 43 | Richard J. Cardamone | New York | 1925–2015 | 1981–1993 | — | 1993–2015 | Reagan | death |
| 44 | Lawrence W. Pierce | New York | 1924–2020 | 1981–1990 | — | 1990–1995 | Reagan | retirement |
| 45 | Ralph K. Winter Jr. | Connecticut | 1935–2020 | 1981–2000 | 1997–2000 | 2000–2020 | Reagan | death |
| 46 | George C. Pratt | New York | 1928–present | 1982–1993 | — | 1993–1995 | Reagan | retirement |
| 47 | Roger Miner | New York | 1934–2012 | 1985–1997 | — | 1997–2012 | Reagan | death |
| 48 | Frank Altimari | New York | 1928–1998 | 1985–1996 | — | 1996–1998 | Reagan | death |
| 49 | J. Daniel Mahoney | New York | 1931–1996 | 1986–1996 | — | — | Reagan | death |
| 51 | Joseph M. McLaughlin | New York | 1933–2013 | 1990–1998 | — | 1998–2013 | G.H.W. Bush | death |
| 56 | Fred I. Parker | Vermont | 1938–2003 | 1994–2003 | — | — | Clinton | death |
| 57 | Rosemary S. Pooler | New York | 1938–2023 | 1998–2022 | — | 2022–2023 | Clinton | death |
| 58 | Chester J. Straub | New York | 1937–2024 | 1998–2008 | — | 2008–2024 | Clinton | death |
| 60 | Sonia Sotomayor | New York | 1954–present | 1998–2009 | — | — | Clinton | elevation to Supreme Court |
| 61 | Robert Katzmann | New York | 1953–2021 | 1999–2021 | 2013–2020 | 2021 | Clinton | death |
| 65 | Peter W. Hall | Vermont | 1948–2021 | 2004–2021 | — | 2021 | G.W. Bush | death |
| 71 | Christopher F. Droney | Connecticut | 1954–present | 2011–2019 | — | 2019–2020 | Obama | retirement |
* ↑ Wallace was appointed as a circuit judge for the Second Circuit in 1882 by Chester A. Arthur. The Judiciary Act of 1891 reassigned his seat to what is now the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
* ↑ Lacombe was appointed as a circuit judge for the Second Circuit in 1887 by Grover Cleveland. The Judiciary Act of 1891 reassigned his seat to what is now the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

## Chief judges

Chief Judge :
| Hand | 1948–1951 |
| Swan | 1951–1953 |
| Chase | 1953–1954 |
| Clark | 1954–1959 |
| Lumbard | 1959–1971 |
| Friendly | 1971–1973 |
| Kaufman | 1973–1980 |
| Feinberg | 1980–1988 |
| Oakes | 1988–1992 |
| Meskill | 1992–1993 |
| Newman | 1993–1997 |
| Winter | 1997–2000 |
| Walker | 2000–2006 |
| Jacobs | 2006–2013 |
| Katzmann | 2013–2020 |
| Livingston | 2020–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 thirteen seats for active judges, 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 6, 1869 by the Judiciary Act of 1869 as a circuit judgeship for the Second Circuit ||||
| Reassigned on June 16, 1891 to the newly formed U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit by the Judiciary Act of 1891 ||||
| Wallace | NY | 1891–1907 |
| Ward | NY | 1907–1921 |
| Mayer | NY | 1921–1924 |
| L. Hand | NY | 1924–1951 |
| Medina | NY | 1951–1958 |
| Friendly | NY | 1959–1974 |
| Van Graafeiland | NY | 1974–1985 |
| Altimari | NY | 1985–1996 |
| Pooler | NY | 1998–2022 |
| Nathan | NY | 2022–present |
Seat 2 :
| Established on March 3, 1887 by 24 Stat. 492 as a circuit judgeship for the Second Circuit ||||
| Reassigned on June 16, 1891 to the newly formed U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit by the Judiciary Act of 1891 ||||
| Lacombe | NY | 1891–1916 |
| Hough | NY | 1916–1927 |
| A. Hand | NY | 1927–1953 |
| Harlan II | NY | 1954–1955 |
| Lumbard | NY | 1955–1971 |
| Mulligan | NY | 1971–1981 |
| Cardamone | NY | 1981–1993 |
| Cabranes | CT | 1994–2023 |
| Kahn | CT | 2023–present |
Seat 3 :
| Established on June 16, 1891 by the Judiciary Act of 1891 ||||
| Shipman | CT | 1892–1902 |
| Townsend | CT | 1902–1907 |
| Noyes | CT | 1907–1913 |
| Rogers | CT | 1913–1926 |
| Swan | CT | 1926–1953 |
| Hincks | CT | 1953–1959 |
| Smith | CT | 1960–1971 |
| Meskill | CT | 1975–1993 |
| Calabresi | CT | 1994–2009 |
| Droney | CT | 2011–2019 |
| Nardini | CT | 2019–present |
Seat 4 :
| Established on April 17, 1902 by 32 Stat. 106 ||||
| Coxe | NY | 1902–1917 |
| Manton | NY | 1918–1939 |
| Patterson | NY | 1939–1940 |
| Frank | NY | 1941–1957 |
| Moore | NY | 1958–1971 |
| Mansfield | NY | 1971–1981 |
| Winter | CT | 1981–2000 |
| B. Parker | NY | 2001–2009 |
| Carney | CT | 2011–2022 |
| Merriam | CT | 2022–present |
Seat 5 :
| Established on January 17, 1929 by 45 Stat. 1081 ||||
| Chase | VT | 1929–1954 |
| Waterman | VT | 1955–1970 |
| Oakes | VT | 1971–1992 |
| F. Parker | VT | 1994–2003 |
| Hall | VT | 2004–2021 |
| Robinson | VT | 2021–present |
Seat 6 :
| Established on May 31, 1938 by 52 Stat. 584 ||||
| Clark | CT | 1939–1963 |
| Anderson | CT | 1964–1971 |
| Timbers | CT | 1971–1981 |
| Pratt | NY | 1982–1993 |
| Leval | NY | 1993–2002 |
| Wesley | NY | 2003–2016 |
| Sullivan | NY | 2018–present |
Seat 7 :
| Established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 ||||
| Kaufman | NY | 1961–1987 |
| Walker | NY | 1989–2006 |
| Livingston | NY | 2007–present |
Seat 8 :
| Established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 ||||
| Hays | NY | 1961–1974 |
| Gurfein | NY | 1974–1979 |
| Pierce | NY | 1981–1990 |
| McLaughlin | NY | 1990–1998 |
| Straub | NY | 1998–2008 |
| Lynch | NY | 2009–2016 |
| Park | NY | 2019–present |
Seat 9 :
| Established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 ||||
| Marshall | NY | 1961–1965 |
| Feinberg | NY | 1966–1991 |
| Jacobs | NY | 1992–2019 |
| Menashi | NY | 2019–present |
Seat 10 :
| Established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 ||||
| Newman | CT | 1979–1997 |
| Katzmann | NY | 1999–2021 |
| Lee | NY | 2021–present |
Seat 11 :
| Established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 ||||
| Kearse | NY | 1979–2002 |
| Raggi | NY | 2002–2018 |
| Bianco | NY | 2019–present |
Seat 12 :
| Established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 ||||
| Miner | NY | 1985–1997 |
| Sack | NY | 1998–2009 |
| Chin | NY | 2010–2021 |
| Pérez | NY | 2021–present |
Seat 13 :
| Established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 ||||
| Mahoney | NY | 1986–1996 |
| Sotomayor | NY | 1998–2009 |
| Lohier | NY | 2010–present |