U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Overview
Understanding This Court
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is one of the 13 U.S. courts of appeals in the federal judiciary, sitting as the intermediate appellate court between the federal district courts and the U.S. Supreme Court. It is headquartered at the John Minor Wisdom United States Courthouse in New Orleans, Louisiana, with its clerk's office located at the F. Edward Hebert Federal Building, also in New Orleans.
Jurisdiction
The Fifth Circuit has appellate jurisdiction over the federal district courts in three states:
- Louisiana — Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts
- Mississippi — Northern and Southern Districts
- Texas — Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western Districts
What the court hears
The court reviews final decisions, and certain interlocutory orders, from the district courts within its three-state jurisdiction. It also reviews final orders of certain federal administrative agencies, including petitions for review of Board of Immigration Appeals removal and reopening or reconsideration decisions, and petitions for review or applications for enforcement of National Labor Relations Board orders. The court's docket includes energy and oil-and-gas disputes, immigration, admiralty and maritime matters, and complex commercial litigation, alongside the general mix of civil, criminal, and habeas appeals typical of a federal circuit court.
Practicing before the court
Admission to a state bar does not by itself permit an attorney to practice before the Fifth Circuit. An attorney must separately apply for admission to the circuit's bar under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 46 and the court's local rules, be a member in good standing of the bar of a U.S. state, the District of Columbia, another U.S. court of appeals, a U.S. district court, or the U.S. Supreme Court, and be moved for admission by an existing member of the Fifth Circuit bar. Admission terms last five years, after which the attorney must apply for readmission to remain on the bar's rolls.
Attorneys
Admitted to the Fifth Circuit
Appearing before the Fifth Circuit requires its own admission, separate from membership in a state bar within the circuit. The attorneys below hold that credential. This reflects who is admitted to appear before the court, not a record of matters argued here.
Matters
Fifth Circuit Experience
Admission establishes standing before this court. What follows is different: matters the firm has actually briefed and argued here, case by case. They describe work completed before the Fifth Circuit, not a forecast of how the next one will go.
Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict a similar outcome in any future matter. Every engagement is unique and must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances.
Prepared for the circuit, case by case.
Talk to Us About Your Fifth Circuit Appeal
Every appeal before the Fifth Circuit turns on its own record, and we prepare accordingly. If yours is headed there, we're ready to talk it through. For a broader look at how we approach appellate and trial work alike, see our litigation experience.