United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
About This Court
The Middle District of North Carolina is one of three federal judicial districts in North Carolina, situated within the Fourth Circuit. The district covers a broad swath of the central Piedmont region, encompassing counties such as Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Orange, Person, Randolph, Richmond, Rockingham, Rowan, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin. Greensboro serves as the principal seat of the court.
The district is home to a number of major universities and research institutions, including Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Wake Forest University, which contributes to litigation involving intellectual property, employment, and higher education matters. The region's manufacturing heritage and growing financial and technology sectors also shape the types of commercial disputes filed in the district.
With seven active Article III judges, the Middle District handles a caseload that reflects the diversity of its population centers, ranging from Greensboro and Winston-Salem in the west to Durham and Chapel Hill in the east.
Proceedings are governed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and Federal Rules of Evidence, along with the court's local rules. Bankruptcy cases are handled by the companion Bankruptcy Court, Middle District of North Carolina. Appeals go to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Caseload
The district sees a notable volume of civil rights, employment discrimination, and intellectual property cases, in part due to the concentration of universities and research institutions within its boundaries. Federal criminal matters including drug trafficking and firearms offenses are also a consistent component of the docket.
Bar Admission
Attorneys seeking admission to practice before the Middle District of North Carolina must be admitted to the North Carolina State Bar or the bar of another state and must apply for admission pursuant to the court's local rules, which include a requirement of sponsorship by a current member of the district's bar.
Clerk's Office
324 West Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
(336) 332-6000
Active Judges 7
| Name | Appointed By | Confirmed | Law School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loretta Biggs | Barack Obama | 2014 | Howard University School of Law |
| David Bragdon | Donald J. Trump | 2025 | University of Virginia School of Law |
| Catherine Eagles | Barack Obama | 2010 | George Washington University Law School |
| Lindsey Freeman | Donald J. Trump | 2025 | University of Pennsylvania Law School (now Carey Law School) |
| William Osteen | George W. Bush | 2007 | University of North Carolina School of Law |
| Thomas Schroeder | George W. Bush | 2007 | Notre Dame Law School |
| Norwood Tilley | Ronald Reagan | 1988 | Wake Forest University School of Law |
Local Rules
The Local Rules of the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, which supplement the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. See the court's official website for the authoritative text.