List of United States federal judges by longevity of service


This is a list of Article III United States federal judges by longevity of service. The judges on the lists below were presidential appointees who have been confirmed by the Senate, and who served on the federal bench for over 40 years. It includes neither Article I judges nor Article IV judges.

Total combined service

United States Supreme Court

No Justice has served actively on the United States Supreme Court for over 40 years, but five have eclipsed that timespan through senior service. Justice John Paul Stevens served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from November 2, 1970 to December 19, 1975, and thereafter served on the Supreme Court until assuming senior status on June 29, 2010, just four months short of 40 years of active federal judicial service. Justice Stephen Johnson Field served on the Supreme Court for 34 years, following 6 years on the California Supreme Court, for 40 years of mixed state and federal judicial service.
RankJudgeAppointed byBegan active serviceEnded active serviceEnded senior statusTotal active serviceTotal service
1Ford34 years, 194 days43 years, 211 days
2F.D.R.19 years, 29 days42 years, 66 days
3Eisenhower33 years, 278 days40 years, 282 days
4F.D.R.36 years, 211 days40 years, 279 days
5Kennedy31 years, 77 days40 years, 3 days

United States courts of appeals

Only one intermediate appellate court judge has served more than 40 years actively, however many have eclipsed that timespan through senior service:
RankJudgeCourtAppointed byBegan active serviceEnded active serviceEnded senior statusTotal active serviceTotal service
19th Cir.Kennedy
23rd Cir.F.D.R.
39th Cir.NixonIncumbent
42nd Cir.Coolidge
58th Cir.L.B.J.
62nd Cir.L.B.J.
79th Cir.NixonIncumbent
81st Cir.NixonIncumbent
93rd Cir.L.B.J.
1010th Cir.L.B.J.
1110th Cir.Hoover
127th Cir.FordIncumbent
135th Cir.
11th Cir.		Ford
n/a

Incumbent
148th Cir.F.D.R.
151st Cir.L.B.J.
162d Cir.Eisenhower
175th Cir.
11th Cir.		Ford
n/a

Incumbent
186th Cir.Nixon
195th Cir.
11th Cir.		L.B.J.
n/a


20D.C. Cir.Truman
213rd Cir.Nixon
221st Cir.Eisenhower
238th Cir.Nixon
246th Cir.CarterIncumbent
2510th Cir.Nixon
2610th Cir.Carter
273rd Cir.F.D.R.
285th Cir.Hoover
295th Cir.
11th Cir.		Eisenhower
n/a
n/a

305th Cir.Eisenhower
316th Cir.Carter
328th Cir.Wilson
333rd Cir.T. Roosevelt
342nd Cir.CarterIncumbent
342nd Cir.CarterIncumbent
343rd Cir.CarterIncumbent
373rd Cir.Nixon
385th Cir.
11th Cir.		Carter
n/a

Incumbent
385th Cir.CarterIncumbent
385th Cir.CarterIncumbent
415th Cir.
11th Cir.		Ford
n/a

422nd Cir.Coolidge
439th Cir.CarterIncumbent
449th Cir.CarterIncumbent
458th Cir.L.B.J.
4610th Cir.CarterIncumbent
4710th Cir.Nixon
489th Cir.CarterIncumbent
497th Cir.L.B.J.
509th Cir.Eisenhower
51D.C. Cir.CarterIncumbent
529th Cir.Carter
539th Cir.CarterIncumbent

United States district courts

Judges who have sat on a United States District Court for more than 40 years.
RankJudgeCourtAppointed byBegan active serviceEnded active serviceEnded senior statusTotal active serviceTotal service
1M.D. Pa.Kennedy
2D.N.C.Jeffersonn/a
3N.D. Ala.Truman
4N.D. IowaKennedy
5S.D. Fl.
N.D. Fl.
M.D. Fl.		Kennedy


6E.D.N.Y.L.B.J.Incumbent
7C.D. Cal.L.B.J.
8E.D. Pa.L.B.J.
9D. Md.L.B.J.
10M.D. Ga.Eisenhower
11S.D. Cal.
E.D. Cal.		Eisenhower
n/a


12S.D.N.Y.Eisenhower
13D. Kan.Kennedy
14S.D. Tex.NixonIncumbent
15S.D. Fl.NixonIncumbent
16W.D.N.YL.B.J.
17W.D. Wash.NixonIncumbent
18S.D. Ala.Truman
19E.D. Va.Nixon
20S.D.N.Y.Truman
21E.D. Pa.Nixon
22D. Del.Monroen/a
23M.D. Fl.NixonIncumbent
24E.D. Pa.Nixon
25W.D. La.Eisenhower
26E.D. La.L.B.J.
27S.D.N.Y.Wilson
28N.D. Ill.F.D.R.
29N.D. Cal.Nixon
30W.D. Mo.Harding
31S.D. Cal.Nixon
32E.D. Ark.Nixon
33W.D. Tenn.F.D.R.
34D. Neb.Nixon
35N.D. Ala.NixonIncumbent
36D. AlaskaL.B.J.
37N.D. Ga.Nixon
38D. Mont.Taft
39D. Minn.Hoover
40W.D. Mo.
E.D. Mo.		Truman
41E.D. Pa.Eisenhower
42D. Mass.Nixon
43W.D. Okla.F.D.R.
44D. Del.Eisenhower
45E.D. Mich.Nixon
56D. Minn.FordIncumbent
47S.D. Miss.L.B.J.
48M.D. Ala.
S.D. Ala.		L.B.J.


49N.D. Miss.Coolidge
50S.D.N.Y.Nixon
51E.D. Mich.Ford
52D. Mont.Truman
53N.D. W.Va.L.B.J.
54D. Col.Nixon
55N.D. Fl.FordIncumbent
56W.D. Pa.Eisenhower
57S.D. Ind.Truman
58D.S.C.Nixon
59E.D. Mich.Nixon
60S.D. Cal.Nixon
61D. Mass.F.D.R.
62D.D.C.Wilson
63E.D. Okla.
N.D. Okla.
W.D. Okla.		Kennedy
64D.D.C.F.D.R.
65S.D. Ind.Kennedy
66S.D.N.Y.Truman
67D. Me.Monroen/a
68S.D.N.Y.FordIncumbent
69W.D. Pa.FordIncumbent
70W.D. Wash.F.D.R.
71W.D.N.Y.F.D.R.
72N.D. Ill.Ford
73S.D.N.Y.Nixon
74S.D.W.Va.FordIncumbent
75E.D. Pa.Coolidge
76D. Md.Nixon
77W.D. Va.
D. W.Va.
N.D. W.Va.		Lincoln
n/a
n/a

n/a
78E.D.N.Y.Eisenhower
78N.D. Ala.Nixon
80M.D.N.C.Coolidge
81E.D.N.Y.Nixon
82D. Ariz.L.B.J.
83E.D. Mo.CarterIncumbent
84N.D. Ga.CarterIncumbent
85W.D. Pa.Truman
86E.D. Wis.L.B.J.
87D. Kan.Eisenhower
88D. Col.CarterIncumbent
89N.D. OhioHardingn/a
90E.D. Va.Eisenhower
91W.D. La.Coolidge
92D. UtahEisenhower
93W.D. Pa.CarterIncumbent
94S.D. Fla.CarterIncumbent
95D. Md.Kennedy
96S.D.N.Y.Nixon
97E.D. Okla.
N.D. Okla.
W.D. Okla.		Kennedy
98D. UtahCarterIncumbent
99E.D. Ill.
C.D. Ill.		Carter
n/a

Incumbent
100W.D. Va.Nixon
101M.D. Tenn.Carter
102N.D.N.Y.Truman
103S.D.N.Y.L.B.J.
104C.D. Cal.Nixon
105E.D. Mich.
E.D. Mich.		Eisenhower
Nixon


106E.D. Tex.L.B.J.
107D.N.D.Cleveland
108D. Kans.Ford
109S.D. Fl.L.B.J.
110W.D. La.Nixon
111D. Mass.CarterIncumbent
112W.D. La.Kennedy
113D.D.C.Truman
114S.D. Tex.F.D.R.
115D.D.C.CarterIncumbent
116D. Vt.J. Adamsn/a
117S.D.N.Y.Harding
118D. Conn.Carter
119N.D. Ill.CarterIncumbent
119M.D. Fla.CarterIncumbent
119N.D. Ga.CarterIncumbent
119M.D. Pa.CarterIncumbent
119N.D. Ga.CarterIncumbent
124S.D.N.Y.Carter
125E.D. Tex.Eisenhower
126E.D. Mich.CarterIncumbent
126E.D. Mo.CarterIncumbent
126W.D. Mo.CarterIncumbent
129M.D. Pa.Nixon
130N.D. Tex.McKinley
131D.N.D.Eisenhower
132W.D. Pa.CarterIncumbent
132W.D. Wis.CarterIncumbent
132E.D. Okla.CarterIncumbent
132D.N.J.CarterIncumbent
136E.D. Ky.CarterIncumbent
136S.D. Ga.CarterIncumbent
138D.P.R.CarterIncumbent
139S.D. Fl.Carter
140C.D. Cal.CarterIncumbent
141N.D. Cal.Ford
142N.D. Ind.Eisenhower
143W.D. Okla.Carter
144N.D. Cal.
S.D. Cal.
D. Cal.
N.D. Cal.		Fillmore
n/a
n/a
n/a

n/a
145S.D. Fla.Grantn/a
146D. Mass.J. Adamsn/a
147W.D. Wash.CarterIncumbent
148S.D. Ill.Hoover
149S.D.N.Y.J. Q. Adamsn/a
150S.D. Cal.Nixon
151D.R.I.Monroen/a
152D.D.C.L.B.J.
153E.D. Ill.
S.D. Ill.		Nixon
n/a


154D. Minn.Kennedy
155D. Conn.Carter
156E.D.N.C.CarterIncumbent
156S.D. OhioCarterIncumbent
158D. Or.Carter
159E.D. Wash.CarterIncumbent
160D.P.R.CarterIncumbentn/a
160N.D. Cal.CarterIncumbent