Judge J. Michelle Childs, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, has published A Distinctive Court: A Glimpse into the History and Significance of the D.C. Circuit in the Fordham Law Review.
Judge Childs visited Fordham University School of Law as the 2025 Distinguished Jurist in Residence and presented the article as a lecture on February 26, 2025. From the introduction:
In the first half of this Essay, I will begin by describing the distinct origins, structure, and docket of the D.C. Circuit. From its early years, the D.C. Circuit has considered issues involving the federal government. With the growth of the administrative state in the twentieth century, the D.C. Circuit became more involved in reviewing regulations. Today, the D.C. Circuit’s composition, jurisdiction, and docket reflect its role in examining issues of national importance, particularly around regulations. To resolve those questions, we often reflect on our nation’s history and our court’s responsibility for shaping the nation’s future. In the second half, I will turn to history and change. Cases before the D.C. Circuit may require that we engage with history, either because the record under review includes a historical archive, or because we turn to history to shed light on a question of law. At times, we must also reflect on the historical significance of our cases. Our decisions, ultimately, will face the court of history. And because our cases involve weighty national issues, their impact may extend well into the future. Our court, however, has proved resilient to change, adapting to new challenges.
For more on the history of all the courts in the District of Columbia Circuit, be sure to check out the website of the Historical Society of the District of Columbia Circuit.
--Dan Ernst
