SCOTUS Shuffles Circuit Assignments; Kavanaugh Gets Seventh

Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh will be the circuit justice for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

The U.S. Supreme Court announced new circuit assignments Oct. 19, as it does whenever a new justices joins the court.

The circuit assignments designate to which justices applications should be addressed. Such applications include routine deadline extension requests and emergency stay requests. The circuit assignment doesn’t often make a difference in the most consequential matters, as those are often referred to the entire court for consideration. But they can affect run-of-the-mill requests, like requests for extensions to file petitions.

Most circuit assignments remained the same.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.'s load got a little lighter. He is no longer the circuit justice for the Ninth Circuit, which, because it includes California, is by far the busiest circuit in the country. Justice Elena Kagan will take applications from that circuit.

In return, Kagan swapped out her assignments from the Sixth and Seventh Circuits. Justice Sonia Sotomayor will take on the Sixth Circuit, which includes Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. She’s also remains the circuit justice for the Tenth Circuit, which includes Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

Kavanaugh picks up the Seventh Circuit, which encompasses Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois.

Justices Clarence Thomas (Eleventh Circuit), Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Second Circuit), Stephen G. Breyer (First Circuit), Samuel A. Alito Jr. (Third and Fifth circuits), and Neil M. Gorsuch (Eighth Circuit), retained their previous assignments.