The Clerk of Court is an officer appointed by the court to work with the Chief Judge and other judges in overseeing the court’s administration, managing cases for the court. A Chief Judge returns to regular active service at the expiration of his or her term.Ĭhief Judges of the Fifth Circuit include: A Chief Judge serves for a term of seven years or until age 70, whichever occurs first, although the age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position. A vacancy in the office of chief judge is filled by the judge highest in seniority who meets these requirements. To serve as Chief Judge, 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. There have been eleven Chief Judges for the Fifth Circuit since the office was created in 1948. Today, the work of the Fifth Circuit is performed by the seventeen active judges and nine senior judges. Of the twenty-six judgeships then authorized for the former Fifth Circuit, fourteen were assigned to the new Fifth Circuit and twelve to the Eleventh Circuit. The Act transferred judges whose official duty stations were in the new Eleventh Circuit to that circuit. The judicial districts of Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and the Canal Zone remained with the Fifth Circuit, while the judicial districts in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida became part of the new Eleventh Circuit. In 1981, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Reorganization Act divided the court and created a new circuit. Today, the court’s home is the John Minor Wisdom United States Court of Appeals Building in New Orleans, Louisiana. McKee as the first Clerk of Court and swore and admitted sixty-six attorneys to practice before the court. The Fifth Circuit convened for the first time on June 16, 1891, in the Customs House in New Orleans, and appointed James M. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, often referred to as the Fifth Circuit, is one of thirteen federal appellate courts. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit - Brief History