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Some of the reasons for reassignments have been the abolition of a court and the transfer of its judges to a new court; the splitting of a judicial circuit to establish a new circuit; the reorganization of judicial districts within a state; and a change in the judicial districts served by an individual judgeship. The chart below provides information on all Article III judgeship reassignments. The data can be sorted by clicking on the header of any column. Further details about district reorganization and changes to individual judgeships on the U.S. district courts can be found on the legislative history page for each state (e.g., **Alabama**). Biographies of judges who were reassigned can be located through the **advanced search of the Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges, 1789-present** (Senior Status/Termination—>Termination Type—>Reassignment). Former Judgeship(s)
New Judgeships(s)
Year
Statute
Number
ReasonNorth Carolina, District of
North Carolina, Edenton, New Bern, and Wilmington Districts of
1794
1 Stat. 395
1
district reorganizationNorth Carolina, Edenton, New Bern, and Wilmington Districts of
North Carolina, District of
1797
1 Stat. 517
1
district reorganizationNew Jersey, District of
New Jersey, Eastern and Western Districts of
1801
2 Stat. 89
1
district reorganizationNorth Carolina, District of
North Carolina, Albemarle, Cape Fear, and Pamptico Districts of
1801
2 Stat. 89
1
district reorganizationNew Jersey, Eastern and Western Districts of
New Jersey, District of
1802
2 Stat. 132
1
district reorganizationTennessee, District of
Tennessee, Eastern and Western Districts of
1802
2 Stat. 165
1
district reorganizationNew York, District of
New York, Northern District of
1814
3 Stat. 120
1
district reorganizationNew York, District of
New York, Southern District of
1814
3 Stat. 120
1
district reorganizationPennsylvania, District of
Pennsylvania, Eastern District of
1818
3 Stat. 462
1
district reorganizationVirginia, District of
Virginia, Eastern District of
1819
3 Stat. 478
1
district reorganizationLouisiana, District of
Louisiana, Eastern and Western Districts of
1823
3 Stat. 774
1
district reorganizationAlabama, District of
Alabama, Northern and Southern Districts of
1824
4 Stat. 9
1
district reorganizationMississippi, District of
Mississippi, Northern and Southern Districts of
1838
5 Stat. 247
1
district reorganizationLouisiana, Eastern and Western Districts of
Louisiana, District of
1845
5 Stat. 772
1
district reorganizationFlorida, District of
Florida, Northern District of
1847
9 Stat. 131
1
district reorganizationGeorgia, District of
Georgia, Northern and Southern Districts of
1848
9 Stat. 280
1
district reorganizationLouisiana, District of
Louisiana, Eastern District of
1849
9 Stat. 401
1
district reorganizationArkansas, District of
Arkansas, Eastern and Western Districts of
1851
9 Stat. 594
1
district reorganizationCalifornia, Northern and Southern Districts of
California, Northern District of
1854
10 Stat. 265
1
individual judgeship changeOhio, District of
Ohio, Southern District of
1855
10 Stat. 604
1
district reorganizationIllinois, District of
Illinois, Northern District of
1855
10 Stat. 606
1
district reorganizationTexas, District of
Texas, Eastern District of
1857
11 Stat. 164
1
district reorganizationMissouri, District of
Missouri, Western District of
1857
11 Stat. 197
1
district reorganizationMichigan, District of
Michigan, Eastern District of
1863
12 Stat. 660
1
district reorganizationVirginia, Eastern District of
Virginia, District of
1864
13 Stat. 124
1
district reorganization1Virginia, Western District of
West Virginia, District of
1864
13 Stat. 124
1
district reorganization1California, Northern District of
California, District of
1866
14 Stat. 300
1
district reorganizationLouisiana, Eastern District of
Louisiana, District of
1866
14 Stat. 400
1
district reorganizationWisconsin, District of
Wisconsin, Eastern District of
1870
16 Stat. 171
1
district reorganizationVirginia, District of
Virginia, Eastern District of
1871
16 Stat. 403
1
district reorganizationArkansas, Eastern and Western Districts of
Arkansas, Eastern District of
1871
16 Stat. 471
1
individual judgeship changeNorth Carolina, Albemarle, Cape Fear, and Pamptico Districts of
North Carolina, Eastern District of
1872
17 Stat. 215
1
district reorganizationTennessee, Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of
Tennessee, Eastern and Middle Districts of
1878
20 Stat. 132
1
individual judgeship changeLouisiana, District of
Louisiana, Eastern District of
1881
21 Stat. 507
1
district reorganizationGeorgia, Northern and Southern Districts of
Georgia, Southern District of
1882
22 Stat. 47
1
individual judgeship changeIowa, District of
Iowa, Southern District of
1882
22 Stat. 172
1
district reorganizationAlabama, Middle, Northern, and Southern Districts of
Alabama, Middle and Northern Districts of
1886
24 Stat. 213
1
individual judgeship changeCalifornia, District of
California, Northern District of
1886
24 Stat. 308
1
district reorganizationWest Virginia, District of
West Virginia, Northern District of
1901
31 Stat. 736
1
district reorganizationKentucky, District of
Kentucky, Western District of
1901
31 Stat. 781
1
district reorganizationWashington, District of
Washington, Western District of
1905
33 Stat. 824
1
district reorganizationSouth Carolina, District of
South Carolina, Eastern and Western Districts of
1912
36 Stat. 1087
1
district reorganizationCircuit, Second
Circuit, Fourth
1916
36 Stat. 539
1
at-large judgeship change2Oklahoma, Eastern District of
Oklahoma, Northern District of
1925
43 Stat. 945
1
district reorganizationIndiana, District of
Indiana, Northern District of
1928
45 Stat. 437
1
district reorganizationIndiana, District of
Indiana, Southern District of
1928
45 Stat. 437
1
district reorganizationCircuit, Seventh
Circuits, Second and Sixth
1929
36 Stat. 539
1
at-large judgeship change2Circuit, Eighth
Circuit, Tenth
1929
45 Stat. 1346
2
circuit splitMississippi, Northern and Southern Districts of
Mississippi, Southern District of
1929
45 Stat. 1422
1
individual judgeship changeCircuits, Second and Sixth
Circuit, Second
1930
36 Stat. 539
1
at-large judgeship change2Alabama, Middle and Northern Districts of
Alabama, Middle District of
1936
49 Stat. 1476
1
individual judgeship changeTennessee, Eastern and Middle Districts of
Tennessee, Eastern District of
1940
54 Stat. 1216
1
individual judgeship changeFlorida, Northern and Southern Districts of
Florida, Northern District of
1947
54 Stat. 219
1
individual judgeship changeDistrict of Columbia, District of (chief justice)
District of Columbia, District of
1948
62 Stat. 869
1
statutory position change3Circuit, District of Columbia (chief justice)
Circuit, District of Columbia
1948
62 Stat. 869
1
statutory position change3Court of Customs and Patent Appeals (presiding judge)
Court of Customs and Patent Appeals (chief judge)
1948
62 Stat. 889
1
statutory position change4Court of Claims (chief justice)
Court of Claims (chief judge)
1948
62 Stat. 898
1
statutory position change4Pennsylvania, Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of
Pennsylvania, Middle District of
1955
68 Stat. 8
1
individual judgeship changeWashington, Eastern and Western Districts of
Washington, Western District of
1961
75 Stat. 80
1
individual judgeship changeFlorida, Northern and Southern Districts of
Florida, Middle District of
1962
76 Stat. 247
1
district reorganizationFlorida, Southern District of
Florida, Middle District of
1962
76 Stat. 247
3
district reorganizationSouth Carolina, Eastern District of
South Carolina, District of
1965
79 Stat. 951
1
district reorganizationSouth Carolina, Eastern and Western Districts of
South Carolina, District of
1965
79 Stat. 951
2
district reorganizationSouth Carolina, Western District of
South Carolina, District of
1965
79 Stat. 951
1
district reorganizationCalifornia, Northern District of
California, Eastern District of
1966
80 Stat. 75
2
district reorganizationCalifornia, Southern District of
California, Central District of
1966
80 Stat. 75
105
district reorganizationCalifornia, Southern District of
California, Eastern District of
1966
80 Stat. 75
1
district reorganizationAlabama, Middle and Southern Districts of
Alabama, Southern District of
1970
84 Stat. 294
1
individual judgeship changeLouisiana, Eastern District of
Louisiana, Middle District of
1972
85 Stat. 741
1
district reorganizationWashington, Eastern and Western Districts of
Washington, Western District of
1978
92 Stat. 1629
1
individual judgeship changeIllinois, Eastern District of
Illinois, Central District of
1979
93 Stat. 6
15
district reorganizationIllinois, Eastern District of
Illinois, Southern District of
1979
93 Stat. 6
15
district reorganizationIllinois, Southern District of
Illinois, Central District of
1979
93 Stat. 6
2
district reorganizationCustoms Court
Court of International Trade
1980
94 Stat. 1727
95
abolition/creation of courtCircuit, Fifth
Circuit, Eleventh
1981
94 Stat. 1994
125
circuit splitCourt of Claims
Circuit, Federal
1982
96 Stat. 25
65
abolition/creation of courtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
Circuit, Federal
1982
96 Stat. 25
55
abolition/creation of courtWest Virginia, Northern and Southern Districts of
West Virginia, Southern District of
1983
96 Stat. 2601
1
individual judgeship changeWest Virginia, Southern District of
West Virginia, Northern District of
1983
96 Stat. 2601
1
individual judgeship changeArkansas, Eastern and Western Districts of
Arkansas, Eastern District of
1990
104 Stat. 5089
25
individual judgeship changeIowa, Northern and Southern Districts of
Iowa, Northern District of
1990
104 Stat. 5089
1
individual judgeship changeOklahoma, Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of
Oklahoma, Western District of
1990
104 Stat. 5089
1
individual judgeship change1. After granting statehood to West Virginia in 1863, Congress in 1864 reorganized the Western District of Virginia as the District of West Virginia. The Eastern District of Virginia was reorganized as the District of Virginia. 
			2. The 1910 statute creating the Commerce Court provided that the court's five judges would serve simultaneously on the U.S. courts of appeals as judges at-large, whose circuit assignments could be changed by order of the chief justice of the United States.
			3. In the Judicial Code of 1948, Congress created the position of chief judge—a rotating office governed by seniority rules—for the U.S. district courts and U.S. courts of appeals. To bring the District of Columbia's federal courts into harmony with others, Congress eliminated their separate statutory chief justice positions.
			4. As part of an overall effort to standardize terminology in the Judicial Code of 1948, Congress renamed the presiding judge of the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals and the chief justice of the Court of Claims as chief judges.
			5. In the instances noted here, the reassignment of active judgeships entailed the reassignment of one or more judges on senior status as well.
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