The U.S. D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals

The U.S. D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals is the federal appellate court which hears appeals from the District of Columbia Circuit. This court should not be confused with the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, which hears appeals from the local trial courts. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit only hears federal-level appeals.

However, the jurisdiction of this court is quite different than other U.S. Courts of Appeal, and typically will hear cases from federal agencies which are based in the geographical area of the District of Columbia. Many of these cases are not first tried in a district court, but will rather go straight to the U.S. D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The address for the court is: E. Barrett Prettyman, U.S. Courthouse and William B. Bryant Annex, 333 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20001. The main phone number for the clerk's office is 202-216-7000.

The main website for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit is located at www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/home.nsf#. This site provides details about the courthouse, judges, attorney informaiton, court rules and procedures and even how to file a complaint of judicial misconduct. There is also a link to PACER, or Public Access to Court Electronic Records, where registered users may search for court case information online.

Visitors to the site can also download necessary forms for an upcoming case or to file a motion or brief. The judges publish their oral arguments and opinions to be read here, and details on court fees and how to pay them are found on this page.

The court currently has 13 active judges, one of which is the chief judge. This position is rotated among all judges in the court, and is responsible for daily business of the court.