United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

About This Court

Hears appeals from the district courts of the 4th Circuit, listed below. Proceedings are governed by the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, along with the court's own rules.

Active Judges 15

Name	Appointed By	Confirmed	Law School
G. Agee	George W. Bush	2008	University of Virginia School of Law
DeAndrea Benjamin	Joseph R. Biden	2023	University of South Carolina School of Law
Nicole Berner	Joseph R. Biden	2024	University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
Albert Diaz	Barack Obama	2010	New York University School of Law
Roger Gregory	William J. Clinton	2001	University of Michigan Law School
Pamela Harris	Barack Obama	2014	Yale Law School
Toby Heytens	Joseph R. Biden	2021	University of Virginia School of Law
Robert King	William J. Clinton	1998	West Virginia University College of Law
Paul Niemeyer	George H.W. Bush	1990	Notre Dame Law School
A. Quattlebaum	Donald J. Trump	2018	University of South Carolina School of Law
Julius Richardson	Donald J. Trump	2018	University of Chicago Law School
Allison Rushing	Donald J. Trump	2019	Duke University School of Law
Stephanie Thacker	Barack Obama	2012	West Virginia University College of Law
James Wilkinson	Ronald Reagan	1984	University of Virginia School of Law
James Wynn	Barack Obama	2010	Marquette University Law School

Senior Judges 4

Name	Appointed By	Confirmed	Law School
Henry Floyd	Barack Obama	2011	University of South Carolina School of Law
Barbara Keenan	Barack Obama	2010	George Washington University Law School
Diana Motz	William J. Clinton	1994	University of Virginia School of Law
William Traxler	William J. Clinton	1998	University of South Carolina School of Law

Local Rules

The Local Rules and Internal Operating Procedures of the Fourth Circuit, which supplement the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. See the court's official website for the authoritative text.

Title II. Appeal from a Judgment or Order of a District Court 11

Rule	Title
Local Rule 3	Appeal as of Right - How Taken
I.O.P. 3.1	Transmission of District Court Order
Local Rule 5	Interlocutory Orders
Local Rule 6	Appeal in a Bankruptcy Case
I.O.P. 6.1	Bankruptcy Appeals
Local Rule 8	Stay or Injunction Pending Appeal
Local Rule 9	Release in a Criminal Case
Local Rule 10	The Record on Appeal
Local Rule 11	Forwarding the Record
I.O.P. 11.1	Sanctions for Court Reporter's Failure to File a Timely Transcript
Local Rule 12	Docketing the Appeal; Filing a Representation Statement; Filing the Record

Title IV. Review or Enforcement of an Order of an Administrative Agency, Board, Commission, or Officer 2

Rule	Title
Local Rule 15	Review or Enforcement of an Agency Order - How Obtained; Intervention
Local Rule 18	Procedures

Title V. Extraordinary Writs 1

Rule	Title
Local Rule 21	Writs of Mandamus and Prohibition, and Other Extraordinary Writs

Title VI. Habeas Corpus; Proceedings in Forma Pauperis 3

Rule	Title
Local Rule 22	Habeas Corpus and Section 2255 Proceedings
I.O.P. 22.1	Death Penalty Cases
Local Rule 24	Prisoner Appeals

Title VII. General Provisions 36

Rule	Title
Local Rule 25	Filing and Service
Local Rule 26	State Holidays and Inclement Weather
Local Rule 26.1	Disclosure Statement
Local Rule 27	Motions
Local Rule 28	Briefs
Local Rule 29	Brief of an Amicus Curiae
Local Rule 30	Appendix to the Briefs
Local Rule 31	Serving and Filing Briefs
Local Rule 32	Form of Briefs, Appendices, and Other Papers
Local Rule 32.1	Citation of Unpublished Dispositions
Local Rule 33	Circuit Mediation Conferences
Local Rule 34	Oral Argument
I.O.P. 34.1	Calendar Assignments and Panel Composition
I.O.P. 34.2	Disposition Without Oral Argument
I.O.P. 34.3	Audio Files of Oral Argument
Local Rule 35	En Banc Proceedings. (Transferred to Local Rule 40)
Local Rule 36	Entry of Judgment; Notice
I.O.P. 36.1	Opinion Preparation Assignments
I.O.P. 36.2	Circulation of Opinions in Argued Cases
I.O.P. 36.3	Summary Opinions
I.O.P. 36.4	Internet Citations in Opinions
Local Rule 39	Costs
Local Rule 40	Panel Rehearing; En Banc Determination
I.O.P. 40.1	Submission of Petitions for Rehearing to the Court
I.O.P. 40.2	Panel Rehearing
Local Rule 41	Motion for Stay of the Mandate
I.O.P. 41.1	Issuance of the Mandate
I.O.P. 41.2	Petitions for Writs of Certiorari
Local Rule 42	Voluntary Dismissals
Local Rule 45	Dismissals for Failure to Prosecute
I.O.P. 45.1	Clerk's Office
I.O.P. 45.2	Public Information
Local Rule 46	Attorneys
Local Rule 47	Local Rules by Courts of Appeals
I.O.P. 47.1	Judicial Conference
I.O.P. 47.2	Membership in the Judicial Conference of the Circuit

District Courts in the 4th Circuit 9

District of Maryland Baltimore, Maryland Eastern District of North Carolina Raleigh, North Carolina Middle District of North Carolina Greensboro, North Carolina Western District of North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina District of South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina Eastern District of Virginia Alexandria, Virginia Western District of Virginia Roanoke, Virginia Northern District of West Virginia Clarksburg, West Virginia Southern District of West Virginia Charleston, West Virginia