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 comprises the states of Connecticut, New York, and Vermont, and the court has appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following 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 hears oral arguments at the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse at 40 Foley Square in Lower Manhattan. Due to renovations at that building, from 2006 until early 2013, the court temporarily relocated to the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse across Pearl Street from Foley Square, and certain court offices temporarily relocated to the Woolworth Building at 233 Broadway.
Current composition of the court
Second Circuit Court of Appeals - Oral arguments in Domenech v. Parts Authority - Oral arguments by New York labor lawyer Abdul K. Hassan, Esq. before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The Court of Appeals (Judges ...
With 11 active and 11 senior judges, the Second Circuit is midsized among the thirteen United States courts of appeals.
As of September 5, 2016, the active judges on the court are as follows: Eleven former circuit judges continue to serve on senior status:
Vacancies and pending nominations
List of former judges
Chief judge
Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their circuits, and preside over any panel on which they serve unless the circuit justice (i.e., 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. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position.
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 filled. Judges who retire into senior status remain on the bench but leave their seat vacant. That seat is filled by the next circuit judge appointed by the president.
Notables
- Judge Learned Hand served on the Second Circuit from 1924 to 1961, as did his cousin, Augustus Noble Hand, from 1927 until 1953.
- Judge Henry Friendly served on the court from 1959 to 1986, and wrote a large number of notable and enduring opinions.
- Three U.S. Supreme Court Justices previously served on the Second Circuit: John Marshall Harlan II, Thurgood Marshall, and Sonia Sotomayor.
See also
- Federal judicial appointment history#Second Circuit
References
External links
- United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- Recent opinions from FindLaw