Biden Can Flip Second Circuit After Judge Hall Goes Senior (1)

Second Circuit Judge Peter Hall’s decision to take senior status Thursday opens the door for President Joe Biden to potentially flip the circuit back to a Democratic-appointed majority.

Hall was appointed to the New York-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 2004 by George W. Bush. Republican appointees filled seven of the circuit’s 13 seats before Hall took senior status, a form of semi-retirement. If Biden appoints his successor, Democratic appointees could reclaim that majority.

The circuit was one that President Donald Trump flipped during his presidency.

Three judges on the Second Circuit have announced they’d ...