Succession of Seats
The court has eleven seats for active judges after the elimination of seat seven under the Court Security Improvement Act of 2007. The seat that was originally the Chief Justiceship is numbered as Seat 1; the other seats are numbered in order of their creation. If seats were established simultaneously, they are numbered in the order in which they were filled. Judges who retire into senior status remain on the bench but leave their seat vacant. That seat is filled by the next circuit judge appointed by the President.
| Seat 1 |
| Established on February 9, 1893 as Chief Justice by 27 Stat. 434 |
| Alvey |
1893–1905 |
| Shepard |
1905–1917 |
| Smyth |
1917–1924 |
| Martin |
1924–1937 |
| Groner |
1937–1948 |
| Stephens |
1948–1948 |
| Seat redesignated on June 25, 1948 as Circuit Judge persuant to 62 Stat. 869, 62 Stat. 985, and 68 Stat. 1245 |
| Stephens |
1948–1955 |
| Burger |
1956–1969 |
| Wilkey |
1970–1984 |
| Williams |
1986–2001 |
| Brown |
2005–present |
|
| Seat 2 |
| Established on February 9, 1893 as Associate Justice by 27 Stat. 434 |
| Morris |
1893–1905 |
| McComas |
1905–1907 |
| Van Orsdel |
1907–1937 |
| J. Miller |
1937–1945 |
| Prettyman |
1945–1948 |
| Redesignated on June 25, 1948 as Circuit Judge by 62 Stat. 869, 985 |
| Prettyman |
1948–1962 |
| Wright |
1962–1986 |
| D. Ginsburg |
1986–2011 |
| (vacant) |
2011–present |
|
| Seat 3 |
| Established on February 9, 1893 as Associate Justice by 27 Stat. 434 |
| Shepard |
1893–1905 |
| Duell |
1905–1906 |
| C. Robb |
1906–1937 |
| Vinson |
1938–1943 |
| W. Miller |
1945–1948 |
| Redesignated on June 25, 1948 as Circuit Judge by 62 Stat. 869, 985 |
| W. Miller |
1948–1964 |
| Leventhal |
1965–1979 |
| R. B. Ginsburg |
1980–1993 |
| Tatel |
1994–present |
|
| Seat 4 |
| Established on June 19, 1930 as Associate Justice by 46 Stat. 785 |
| Hitz |
1931–1935 |
| Stephens |
1935–1948 |
| Redesignated on June 25, 1948 as Circuit Judge by 62 Stat. 869, 985 |
| Proctor |
1948–1953 |
| Danaher |
1953–1969 |
| R. Robb |
1969–1982 |
| Scalia |
1982–1986 |
| Sentelle |
1987–present |
|
| Seat 5 |
| Established on June 19, 1930 as Associate Justice by 46 Stat. 785 |
| Groner |
1931–1937 |
| Edgerton |
1937–1948 |
| Redesignated on June 25, 1948 as Circuit Judge by 62 Stat. 869, 985 |
| Edgerton |
1948–1963 |
| McGowan |
1963–1981 |
| Bork |
1982–1988 |
| Thomas |
1990–1991 |
| Rogers |
1994–present |
|
| Seat 6 |
| Established on May 31, 1938 as Associate Justice by 52 Stat. 584 |
| Rutledge |
1939–1943 |
| Clark |
1945–1948 |
| Redesignated on June 25, 1948 as Circuit Judge by 62 Stat. 869, 985 |
| Clark |
1948–1954 |
| Bastian |
1954–1965 |
| Tamm |
1965–1985 |
| Buckley |
1985–1996 |
| Roberts |
2003–2005 |
| (vacant) |
2005–present |
|
| Seat 7 |
| Established on August 3, 1949 by 63 Stat. 493 |
| Bazelon |
1949–1979 |
| Edwards |
1980–2005 |
| Seat Eliminated on January 7, 2008 by Court Security Improvement Act of 2007 |
|
| Seat 8 |
| Established on August 3, 1949 by 63 Stat. 493 |
| Fahy |
1949–1967 |
| MacKinnon |
1969–1983 |
| Starr |
1983–1989 |
| Henderson |
1990–present |
|
| Seat 9 |
| Established on August 3, 1949 by 63 Stat. 493 |
| Washington |
1949–1965 |
| Robinson |
1966–1989 |
| Randolph |
1990–2008 |
| (vacant) |
2008–present |
|
| Seat 10 |
| Established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 |
| Wald |
1979–1999 |
| Griffith |
2005–present |
|
| Seat 11 |
| Established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 |
| Mikva |
1979–1994 |
| Garland |
1997–present |
|
| Seat 12 |
| Established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 |
| Silberman |
1985–2000 |
| Kavanaugh |
2006–present |
|