U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Overview
The Wider View, Briefly
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is one of the thirteen U.S. courts of appeals in the federal judiciary. It is an intermediate appellate court, established in 1891 and headquartered in San Francisco, that reviews decisions of federal district courts within its circuit as well as certain federal administrative agency decisions, such as immigration matters from the Board of Immigration Appeals.
Jurisdiction
The Ninth Circuit covers nine western states — Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington — plus the territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Within this territory, the circuit encompasses 15 federal judicial districts, including California's four federal districts (Northern, Eastern, Southern, Central) and Washington's two (Eastern, Western). The court maintains four principal courthouses where panels regularly sit:
- San Francisco, CA — James R. Browning U.S. Court of Appeals Building (headquarters)
- Pasadena, CA — Richard H. Chambers U.S. Court of Appeals Building
- Seattle, WA — William K. Nakamura Courthouse
- Portland, OR — Pioneer Courthouse
What the court hears
As an appellate court, the Ninth Circuit hears appeals across the full range of federal civil and criminal law arising from its district courts, plus direct review of certain federal agency decisions. Its subject-matter jurisdiction is general rather than specialized, though the court is widely recognized for a substantial volume of immigration appeals, along with environmental and natural resources law, intellectual property, and technology-sector litigation, reflecting the industries and geography of the states it covers.
Practicing before the court
To argue or file in the Ninth Circuit, an attorney must be separately admitted to the bar of the Ninth Circuit; admission to a state bar within the circuit's territory is not sufficient on its own. Admission is governed by Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 46(a) and Ninth Circuit Rule 46-1, using Form 31 (Application and Oath for Admission). It generally requires active membership in good standing in a state bar or another federal bar, a sponsor who is already a member in good standing of the Ninth Circuit bar (unless admitted via a mass swearing-in ceremony within the prior three months), and disclosure of any bar discipline history or pending disciplinary matters.
Attorneys
Admitted to the Ninth Circuit
Admission to the Ninth Circuit is a distinct credential, separate from state bar membership. The attorneys listed below hold it, ready to carry a matter forward should an appeal reach this court. Continuity from trial preparation to appellate argument matters most here, and each name on this page reflects that standard.
Matters
Before the Ninth Circuit
This is the firm's record before the Ninth Circuit: matters briefed, argued, or otherwise carried through this court, each held to the same standard regardless of size or profile. That record builds case by case, on preparation that begins well before a notice of appeal is filed. What follows shows what happened in each matter, not a forecast for the next one before this court.
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.
From trial to appeal.
When Your Matter Reaches This Court
An appeal is built on the record made before it. That is why our appellate work begins alongside the trial team from the outset. Whether a matter is heading to the Ninth Circuit or already there, we welcome the conversation. Our litigation experience spans trial and appellate courts alike.