Biden to Get New Sixth Circuit Seat as Gibbons Steps Back

Sixth Circuit Judge Julia Smith Gibbons plans to take senior status, opening an opportunity for President Joe Biden to flip a seat on an appellate court dominated by Republican appointees.

Sixth Circuit Clerk Deborah Hunt confirmed Friday the judge’s decision to seek semi-retirement, which allows for a reduced workload.

Gibbons is a 21-year veteran of the court and was elevated to the circuit by George W. Bush in 2002.

She was originally appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1983 to the US District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. She was the youngest district court judge in the country at ...