Bench Memos

Law & the Courts

Fifth Circuit Summary

The Fifth Circuit (Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi) has 17 active judgeships, all of which are filled. It has 12 appointees of Republican presidents (Reagan 2, GW Bush 4, Trump 6) and only five appointees of Democratic presidents (Clinton 1, Obama 2, and Biden 2).

Among appointees of Republican presidents, there are four who are already eligible to take senior status: Edith Jones, Priscilla Richman (formerly known as Priscilla Owen), Jerry Smith, and Leslie Southwick. Kurt Engelhardt will become senior-eligible in April 2025, and Catharina Haynes will do so right near the end of Donald Trump’s presidential term, in November 2028.


On the Democratic side, Carl Stewart and James Graves are eligible. Stephen Higginson will become eligible in late 2026.

Ed Whelan holds the Antonin Scalia Chair in Constitutional Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and is a regular contributor to National Review’s Bench Memos blog.
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