Following is a list of allArticle IIIUnited States federal judges appointed byPresidentJohn Adams. In total,John Adams appointed 23 Article IIIUnited States federal judges during his tenure (1797–1801) asPresident of the United States. Of these, 3 were appointments to theSupreme Court of the United States, 16 were to theUnited States circuit courts, and 4 to theUnited States district courts. Fourteen of the sixteen circuit court judges appointed by Adams were to positions created at the end of his tenure in office, in the Judiciary Act of 1801, 2 Stat. 89, which became known as theMidnight Judges Act. All of these offices were abolished by the repeal of this Act on July 1, 1802, by 2 Stat. 132. The remaining two were to judgeships for the District of Columbia, authorized under a different Act of Congress, not the Judiciary Act.

Nonetheless, Adams made an indelible impact on thefederal judiciary with the appointment ofJohn Marshall asChief Justice to succeedOliver Ellsworth, who had retired due to ill health. Adams himself called this appointment "the proudest act of my life."^[1]

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  It is without question that the most significant impact John Adams had on the judiciary was the appointment of Chief JusticeJohn Marshall.
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  William Cranch was later elevated by Thomas Jefferson to Chief Judge of theDistrict of Columbia Circuit, and was one of the longest-serving federal judges in U.S. history.
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  Elijah Paine was one of two District Court judges appointed by Adams whose service surpassed the forty year mark.

Also appointed, but declined:John Jay (Chief Justice).

This article is part of a series about John Adams
Personal Early life Family Diplomacy Electoral history 1st Vice President of the United States Vice presidency Washington administration Inaugurations first second 2nd President of the United States Inauguration Presidency timeline Cabinet Judicial appointments XYZ Affair Alien and Sedition Acts Fries's Rebellion Treaty of Tellico Treaty of Tripoli State of the Union Address 1797 1798 1799 1800 Publications Thoughts on Government Defense of Constitutions Vice Presidential and Presidential elections 1789 election 1792 election 1796 election 1800 election Legacy Bibliography Memorials
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Also appointed, but declined:Thomas Bee (5th circuit),Joseph Clay Jr. (5th circuit),Jared Ingersoll (3rd circuit),Thomas Johnson (D.C. circuit),Charles Lee (4th circuit), andJohn Sitgreaves (5th circuit).

• Marbury v. Madison (1803)
• Stuart v. Laird (1803)
• United States v. More (1805)

• Federal Judicial Center

• Presidency of John Adams
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• United States federal judges appointed by John Adams

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