Circuit Courts in the Balance

National attention is often focused on the U.S. Supreme Court, but federal circuit courts are the end of the line for hundreds of legal disputes every year. They have an impact on many critical issues — access to high-quality education, health care, protections for consumers and workers, civil rights, and the quality of the air we breathe and water we drink.

This map shows the current composition of the 13 federal circuit courts as of August 2022. Using a color gradient, it shows which federal circuit courts have a higher concentration of judges appointed by presidents from each party. The darker the color, the more judges appointed by that party.