# United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit *Federal appellate court for the District of Minnesota and nine other federal districts* The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, abbreviated "8th Cir." in case citations, hears appeals from ten federal district courts. They are the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa, the District of [[Minnesota]], the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri, and the Districts of Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. Federal appeals from the District of Minnesota therefore go to this court. It is one of the 13 federal courts of appeals in the United States.[^1] The 25th United States Congress established the court through the Eighth and Ninth Circuits Act of 1837. Its active bench has 11 judges. The court's principal seat is the Thomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse in St. Louis, Missouri. It also sits at the Warren E. Burger United States Courthouse in St. Paul, Minnesota.[^1] In 1929 Congress enacted a statute that split the circuit. Seven states stayed in the Eighth Circuit: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri and Arkansas. Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas and Oklahoma went to a newly created Tenth Circuit.[^1] ## Chief judges The chief judge handles administrative duties for the circuit. The chief judge also presides over any panel on which he or she sits, except when the circuit justice sits on the same panel. The circuit justice is the Supreme Court justice assigned to the circuit. The Supreme Court's chief is nominated specifically to that office. The circuit's chief judgeship instead passes from one circuit judge to another.[^1] A judge is eligible to become chief only if three conditions are met. The judge must have at least one year of active service on the court, must be younger than 65, and must not have held the post before. When the post falls vacant, it goes to the most senior eligible judge. Seniority is measured first by commission date and then by age. A chief judge serves for seven years or until turning 70, whichever comes first.[^1] If no judge is eligible, the youngest judge over 65 with at least one year on the court acts as chief until an eligible judge emerges. If no judge has more than a year on the court, the most senior judge acts as chief. A judge may give up the chief judgeship, or an acting chief judgeship, and still remain an active circuit judge.[^1] The office of chief judge dates from 1948. Under the original rule, the post went to the longest-serving judge who had neither elected to retire nor declined the position; since 1958, retirement of this kind has been called senior status. From August 6, 1959, a judge aged 70 or older could not become or remain chief. The rules now in force took effect on October 1, 1982.[^1] ## Succession of seats Over its history the court has had 13 seats for active judges. Two of them were transferred to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, which leaves 11 seats today. Seats are numbered according to the order in which they were first filled.[^1] A judge who takes senior status continues to hear cases but gives up his or her seat. The President can then appoint a new judge to that seat.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit* (revision 1381971375, retrieved 2026-10-26) — the court's jurisdiction, its creation by the Eighth and Ninth Circuits Act of 1837, its 11 active judges, its courthouses, the 1929 division of the circuit, the rules for chief judges, and its seat history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Eighth_Circuit