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Judgeship Reassignments

As part of its power to establish Article III federal courts and judgeships, Congress has on occasion reassigned judgeships to different courts or altered them in other ways. 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 theadvanced search of the Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges, 1789-present (Senior Status/Termination—>Termination Type—>Reassignment).

Former Judgeship(s)New Judgeships(s)YearStatuteNumberReason
North Carolina, District ofNorth Carolina, Edenton, New Bern, and Wilmington Districts of17941 Stat. 3951district reorganization
North Carolina, Edenton, New Bern, and Wilmington Districts ofNorth Carolina, District of 17971 Stat. 5171district reorganization
New Jersey, District ofNew Jersey, Eastern and Western Districts of 18012 Stat. 891district reorganization
North Carolina, District of North Carolina, Albemarle, Cape Fear, and Pamptico Districts of18012 Stat. 891district reorganization
New Jersey, Eastern and Western Districts of New Jersey, District of18022 Stat. 1321district reorganization
Tennessee, District ofTennessee, Eastern and Western Districts of 18022 Stat. 1651district reorganization
New York, District of New York, Northern District of18143 Stat. 1201district reorganization
New York, District ofNew York, Southern District of 18143 Stat. 1201district reorganization
Pennsylvania, District ofPennsylvania, Eastern District of 18183 Stat. 4621district reorganization
Virginia, District ofVirginia, Eastern District of 18193 Stat. 4781district reorganization
Louisiana, District ofLouisiana, Eastern and Western Districts of18233 Stat. 7741district reorganization
Alabama, District ofAlabama, Northern and Southern Districts of 18244 Stat. 91district reorganization
Mississippi, District ofMississippi, Northern and Southern Districts of18385 Stat. 2471district reorganization
Tennessee, Eastern and Western Districts ofTennessee, Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of18395 Stat. 3131district reorganization
Alabama, Northern and Southern Districts ofAlabama, Middle, Northern, and Southern Districts of18395 Stat. 3151district reorganization
Louisiana, Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana, District of 18455 Stat. 7721district reorganization
Florida, District of Florida, Northern District of 18479 Stat. 1311district reorganization
Georgia, District of Georgia, Northern and Southern Districts of18489 Stat. 2801district reorganization
Louisiana, District of Louisiana, Eastern District of 18499 Stat. 4011district reorganization
Arkansas, District of Arkansas, Eastern and Western Districts of18519 Stat. 5941district reorganization
California, Northern District ofCalifornia, Northern and Southern Districts of185210 Stat. 761individual judgeship change
California, Northern and Southern Districts of California, Northern District of 185410 Stat. 2651individual judgeship change
Ohio, District of Ohio, Southern District of 185510 Stat. 6041district reorganization
Illinois, District of Illinois, Northern District of 185510 Stat. 6061district reorganization
Texas, District of Texas, Eastern District of 185711 Stat. 1641district reorganization
Missouri, District of Missouri, Western District of 185711 Stat. 1971district reorganization
Michigan, District of Michigan, Eastern District of 186312 Stat. 6601district reorganization
Virginia, Eastern District of Virginia, District of 186413 Stat. 1241district reorganization1
Virginia, Western District of West Virginia, District of 186413 Stat. 1241district reorganization1
California, Northern District of California, District of 186614 Stat. 3001district reorganization
Louisiana, Eastern District ofLouisiana, District of 186614 Stat. 4001district reorganization
Wisconsin, District of Wisconsin, Eastern District of 187016 Stat. 1711district reorganization
Virginia, District of Virginia, Eastern District of 187116 Stat. 4031district reorganization
Arkansas, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, Eastern District of 187116 Stat. 4711individual judgeship change
North Carolina, Albemarle, Cape Fear, and Pamptico Districts ofNorth Carolina, Eastern District of 187217 Stat. 2151district reorganization
Tennessee, Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Tennessee, Eastern and Middle Districts of 187820 Stat. 1321individual judgeship change
Louisiana, District of Louisiana, Eastern District of 188121 Stat. 5071district reorganization
Georgia, Northern and Southern Districts of Georgia, Southern District of 188222 Stat. 471individual judgeship change
Iowa, District of Iowa, Southern District of 188222 Stat. 1721district reorganization
Alabama, Middle, Northern, and Southern Districts ofAlabama, Middle and Northern Districts of 188624 Stat. 2131individual judgeship change
California, District of California, Northern District of 188624 Stat. 3081district reorganization
West Virginia, District of West Virginia, Northern District of 190131 Stat. 7361district reorganization
Kentucky, District of Kentucky, Western District of 190131 Stat. 7811district reorganization
Washington, District of Washington, Western District of 190533 Stat. 8241district reorganization
South Carolina, District of South Carolina, Eastern and Western Districts of 191236 Stat. 10871district reorganization
Circuit, SecondCircuit, Fourth191636 Stat. 5391at-large judgeship change2
Oklahoma, Eastern District of Oklahoma, Northern District of 192543 Stat. 9451district reorganization
Indiana, District of Indiana, Northern District of 192845 Stat. 4371district reorganization
Indiana, District of Indiana, Southern District of 192845 Stat. 4371district reorganization
Circuit, SeventhCircuits, Second and Sixth192936 Stat. 5391at-large judgeship change2
Circuit, Eighth Circuit, Tenth 192945 Stat. 13462circuit split
Mississippi, Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi, Southern District of 192945 Stat. 14221individual judgeship change
Circuits, Second and Sixth Circuit, Second 193036 Stat. 5391at-large judgeship change2
Alabama, Middle and Northern Districts of Alabama, Middle District of 193649 Stat. 14761individual judgeship change
Washington, Western District ofWashington, Eastern and Western Districts of194054 Stat. 161individual judgeship change
Tennessee, Eastern and Middle Districts of Tennessee, Eastern District of 194054 Stat. 12161individual judgeship change
Florida, Northern and Southern Districts of Florida, Northern District of 194754 Stat. 2191individual judgeship change
District of Columbia, District of (chief justice)District of Columbia, District of194862 Stat. 8691statutory position change3
Circuit, District of Columbia (chief justice)Circuit, District of Columbia 194862 Stat. 8691statutory position change3
Court of Customs and Patent Appeals (presiding judge)Court of Customs and Patent Appeals (chief judge)194862 Stat. 8891statutory position change4
Court of Claims (chief justice)Court of Claims (chief judge)194862 Stat. 8981statutory position change4
Pennsylvania, Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Pennsylvania, Middle District of 195568 Stat. 81individual judgeship change
Washington, Eastern and Western Districts of Washington, Western District of 196175 Stat. 801individual judgeship change
Florida, Northern and Southern Districts of Florida, Middle, Northern, and Southern Districts of 196276 Stat. 2471district reorganization
Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of 196276 Stat. 2473district reorganization
South Carolina, Eastern District of South Carolina, District of 196579 Stat. 9511district reorganization
South Carolina, Eastern and Western Districts of South Carolina, District of 196579 Stat. 9512district reorganization
South Carolina, Western District of South Carolina, District of 196579 Stat. 9511district reorganization
California, Northern District of California, Eastern District of 196680 Stat. 752district reorganization
California, Southern District of California, Central District of 196680 Stat. 75105district reorganization
California, Southern District of California, Eastern District of 196680 Stat. 751district reorganization
Florida, Middle, Northern, and Southern Districts ofFlorida, Middle District of196680 Stat. 751individual judgeship change
Alabama, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama, Southern District of 197084 Stat. 2941individual judgeship change
Louisiana, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of 197285 Stat. 7411district reorganization
Washington, Eastern and Western Districts of Washington, Western District of 197892 Stat. 16291individual judgeship change
Illinois, Eastern District of Illinois, Central District of 197993 Stat. 615district reorganization
Illinois, Eastern District of Illinois, Southern District of 197993 Stat. 615district reorganization
Illinois, Southern District of Illinois, Central District of 197993 Stat. 62district reorganization
Customs CourtCourt of International Trade198094 Stat. 172795abolition/creation of court
Circuit, Fifth Circuit, Eleventh198194 Stat. 1994125circuit split
Court of ClaimsCircuit, Federal 198296 Stat. 2565abolition/creation of court
Court of Customs and Patent AppealsCircuit, Federal 198296 Stat. 2555abolition/creation of court
West Virginia, Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia, Southern District of 198396 Stat. 26011individual judgeship change
West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Northern District of 198396 Stat. 26011individual judgeship change
Arkansas, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, Eastern District of 1990104 Stat. 508925individual judgeship change
Iowa, Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa, Northern District of 1990104 Stat. 50891individual judgeship change
Oklahoma, Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma, Western District of 1990104 Stat. 50891individual judgeship change

1. 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.