History of the First Circuit
A hub page linking to individual histories of the Circuit Court of Appeals and each First Circuit district court (Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island).
Third Circuit
Maintained by the Third Circuit Libraries; links to Chief Judges, court photographs, judicial portraits, oral history interviews, and a milestones timeline.
Fourth Circuit
Covers circuit history, judge biographies and lineage, and a detailed history of the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Richmond — one of only two buildings in central Richmond to survive the 1865 evacuation fire.
Fifth Circuit
Covers the circuit's 1891 founding, its 1981 split that created the Eleventh Circuit, and lists of every Chief Judge and Clerk of Court since 1891.
Sixth Circuit
Links to a full history of the circuit maintained by the Sixth Circuit Library and Court Archivist.
Seventh Circuit
A narrative tour of the circuit's five successive Chicago courthouses from 1860 to today's Dirksen Building, including the 1871 Chicago Fire's effect on the first courthouse.
Eighth Circuit Historical Society (includes District Court Branches)
Covers the seven states of the circuit through a branch structure, one for each district court plus the circuit court of appeals.
Ninth Judicial Circuit Historical Society
Publishes the Western Legal History journal and hosts programs on the legal history of the West.
A Court Transformed: The Ninth Circuit, the 1978 Judgeship Act, and the Carter Judges - February 17, 2018
Tenth Circuit Historical Society
Includes a podcast, oral histories, courthouse history pages, and judge biographies.
The Eleventh Circuit Historical Society
A private nonprofit preserving the history of the Eleventh Circuit's courts and judges, including the "old Fifth Circuit" judges from Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.
Historical Society of the D.C. Circuit
Covers judge portraits, an extensive oral-history collection, courts history, and the Great Hall Exhibition.
District of Rhode Island Historical and Educational Information
A hub with historical, educational, and biographical sections covering judges, magistrate judges, clerks of court, and chief probation officers.
District of Maine
Detailed architectural and institutional history of the Edward T. Gignoux U.S. Courthouse in Portland, built in 1911.
Southern District of New York
Built for the SDNY's 225th anniversary — covers court histories and proceedings booklets back to 1939, judge biographies, historic documents, and courthouse locations from 1789 to today.
District of Maryland
Founded in 2007 after the discovery of the "Lincoln Pardon," a rediscovered 1863 pardon document; features oral histories, historic cases, and judicial portraits by era.
Southern District of West Virginia
A full list of district judges since 1861 with appointing presidents, plus photos and links for each of the district's historic courthouses.
Eastern District of Louisiana
Includes a CLE history video, rotating featured-judge articles, notable cases, and historical documents.
Middle District of Louisiana
Opens with a video on the district's 1972 founding, followed by a general history of the federal judiciary from the Constitutional Convention onward.
Western District of Michigan
Founded in 2002; publishes a journal, The Stereoscope, with in-depth historical articles and sells a book, "A Lincoln Legacy," on the district's founding judge.
Historical Society of the Eastern District of Tennessee
Formed in 1993; published a court history book, "Justice in the Valley," and maintains a long-running newsletter archive.
Middle District of Tennessee
Covers the district's founding in 1797 and its Civil War-era history, including the impeachment of Confederate-sympathizing federal judge West Humphreys, plus judge and legislative history.
Northern District of Illinois Court Historical Association
Includes a short video the court library produced about the Court History Museum.
History of the Federal Court in the Western District of Wisconsin
Covers the district's 1870 founding, courthouse history, and a full list of district judges and clerks of court to the present.
District of Minnesota
Links to a full downloadable history of the district, beginning with the 1849 territorial court in Stillwater.
Northern District of Mississippi
Includes historic courthouse photos and descriptions, a full roster of the district's judges since 1838, and legislative history of authorized judgeships.
Central District of California Historical Decades
Covers the Los Angeles federal courthouse's history decade by decade, including its landmark status tied to Mendez v. Westminster School District (1946), a precursor to Brown v. Board of Education.
Southern District of California
Part of the court's Judicial Learning Center; covers the district's 1966 founding and links to judge histories, courthouses, and the walking tour.
A Court At the Heart of America: Northern District of Illinois Documentary
A full-length documentary plus a trailer and five topic-based segments covering crime and punishment, corruption, civil rights, business regulation, and the rule of law.
And Justice for All: Indiana's Federal Courts (YouTube)
A 60-minute documentary providing an overview of the history of the federal courts in Indiana, using reenactments to focus on three historically significant cases.
Northern District of Oklahoma
Links to a full district history, a judicial succession chart, and rosters of clerks, probation officers, U.S. attorneys, and marshals.
District of Oregon Historical Society
Runs an annual dinner and picnic, a "Famous Cases" lecture series, and a large oral history collection covering judges and attorneys who shaped the district.
D.C. Circuit Historical Society Oral History Gallery
An extensive collection of recorded interviews and transcriptions from judges and lawyers of the D.C. Circuit's legal community.
History of the Third Circuit
This is a LibGuide created by the library and posted on the intranet, so it is only available to court users.
Federal Circuit History
This is a LibGuide created by the library and posted on the intranet, so it is only available to court users.
Court History - Eighth Circuit
This is a research guide created by the library and posted on the intranet, so it is only available to court users.
Ninth Circuit - Proposals to Split
This is a guide created by the library and posted on the intranet, so it is only available to court users.
Court History - Tenth Circuit
This is a site created by the library and posted on the intranet, so it is only available to court users.
Explore Ammi B. Young's Customhouse Designs - Fourth Circuit
Catherine Obrien says, "I made a story map about Ammi B. Young, the architect who designed our courthouse in 1858, which I thought might be of interest to other circuit libraries. I was curious where other buildings he designed have survived, both within the 4th Circuit and across the country. I used StoryMap JS, available for free from the Knight Lab in the Journalism school at Northwestern University."
For more information about the Breyer Learning Center and Civics in the First Circuit, please contact: Allison Guenthner 617-748-9347 |