US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

28 U.S.C. § 48

Terms of court

(a)

Circuits

Places

District of Columbia

Washington.

First

Boston.

Second

New York.

Third

Philadelphia.

Fourth

Richmond, Asheville.

Fifth

New Orleans, Fort Worth, Jackson.

Sixth

Cincinnati.

Seventh

Chicago.

Eighth

St. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha, St. Paul.

Ninth

San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle.

Tenth

Denver, Wichita, Oklahoma City.

Eleventh

Atlanta, Jacksonville, Montgomery.

Federal

District of Columbia, and in any other place listed above as the court by rule directs.
The courts of appeals shall hold regular sessions at the places listed below, and at such other places within the respective circuit as each court may designate by rule.
(b)
Each court of appeals may hold special sessions at any place within its circuit as the nature of the business may require, and upon such notice as the court orders. The court may transact any business at a special session which it might transact at a regular session.
(c)
Any court of appeals may pretermit any regular session of court at any place for insufficient business or other good cause.
(d)
The times and places of the sessions of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit shall be prescribed with a view to securing reasonable opportunity to citizens to appear before the court with as little inconvenience and expense to citizens as is practicable.
(e)
Each court of appeals may hold special sessions at any place within the United States outside the circuit as the nature of the business may require and upon such notice as the court orders, upon a finding by either the chief judge of the court of appeals (or, if the chief judge is unavailable, the most senior available active judge of the court of appeals) or the judicial council of the circuit that, because of emergency conditions, no location within the circuit is reasonably available where such special sessions could be held. The court may transact any business at a special session outside the circuit which it might transact at a regular session.
(f)
If a court of appeals issues an order exercising its authority under subsection (e), the court—
(1)
through the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, shall—
(A)
send notice of such order, including the reasons for the issuance of such order, to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives; and
(B)
not later than 180 days after the expiration of such court order submit a brief report to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives describing the impact of such order, including—
(i)
the reasons for the issuance of such order;
(ii)
the duration of such order;
(iii)
the impact of such order on litigants; and
(iv)
the costs to the judiciary resulting from such order; and
(2)
shall provide reasonable notice to the United States Marshals Service before the commencement of any special session held pursuant to such order.

June 25, 1948, ch. 64662 Stat. 872Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 655, § 3665 Stat. 723Pub. L. 96–452, § 494 Stat. 1994Pub. L. 97–164, title I, § 10496 Stat. 26Pub. L. 102–572, title V, § 501106 Stat. 4512Pub. L. 109–63, § 2(a)119 Stat. 1993(, ; , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , .)

Historical and Revision Notes

Feb. 9, 1893, ch. 74, § 627 Stat. 435July 30, 1894, ch. 172, § 228 Stat. 161Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 854, § 22531 Stat. 1225Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 12636 Stat. 1132July 17, 1916, ch. 24639 Stat. 385Jan. 8, 1925, ch. 5743 Stat. 729July 3, 1926, ch. 73544 Stat. 809Feb. 28, 1929, ch. 363, § 345 Stat. 1347May 17, 1932, ch. 19047 Stat. 158Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 223 and § 11–205 District of Columbia Code, 1940 ed. (, ; , ; , ; , ; , ; , ; , ; , ; , ).

section 223 of title 28This section consolidates , U.S.C., 1940 ed., with part of section 11–205 of the District of Columbia Code.

Reference to San Juan as a place for holding court in the First Circuit was omitted. The revised section will permit the holding of terms at San Juan when the public interest requires.

The phrase “and at such other places within the respective circuits as may be designated by rule of court” was added to enable each court of appeals to hold such additional regular terms as changing circumstances might require.

The provisions of such section 223, for furnishing suitable rooms and accommodation at Oakland City, were omitted as obsolete since the erection of a new Federal building there.

The provisions as to fixed times for holding court in the Fifth Circuit was omitted as inconsistent with the practice in the other circuits. Words “San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle” were substituted for “San Francisco and two other places designated by the court” to conform with the practice in the Ninth Circuit.

Changes were made in phraseology.

Senate Revision Amendment

By Senate amendment, Jacksonville (Fla.) was added as a place for holding a regular session of the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. See 80th Congress Senate Report No. 1559.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 109–632005—Subsecs. (e), (f). added subsecs. (e) and (f).

Pub. L. 102–5721992—Subsec. (c). struck out “, with the consent of the Judicial Conference of the United States,” after “pretermit”.

Pub. L. 97–164, § 104(a)1982—Subsec. (a). , (b), designated introductory provisions and table of circuits as subsec. (a) and substituted provisions directing the courts of appeals to hold regular sessions at the places listed in the table and at such other places within the circuits as each court might designate by rule, for provisions which directed that terms or sessions of courts of appeals be held annually at the places listed in the table and at such other places as the courts might designate by rule and authorized each court of appeals to hold special terms at any place within its circuit, and added to the table an item for the Federal circuit, with sessions to be held in the District of Columbia and in any other place listed elsewhere in the table as the Federal circuit court might by rule direct.

Pub. L. 97–164, § 104(c)Subsec. (b). , added subsec. (b).

Pub. L. 97–164, § 104(c)Subsec. (c). , designated existing provisions following table of circuits as subsec. (c) and substituted “regular session” for “regular term or session”.

Pub. L. 97–164, § 104(c)Subsec. (d). , added subsec. (d).

Pub. L. 96–4521980— substituted “New Orleans, Fort Worth, Jackson” for “New Orleans, Atlanta, Fort Worth, Jacksonville, Montgomery” in item relating to fifth circuit, and added item relating to eleventh circuit.

1951—Act , inserted last par.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1992 Amendment

Pub. L. 102–572section 1101(a) of Pub. L. 102–572section 905 of Title 2Amendment by effective , see , set out as a note under , The Congress.

Effective Date of 1982 Amendment

Pub. L. 97–164section 402 of Pub. L. 97–164section 171 of this titleAmendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .

Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Pub. L. 96–452section 12 of Pub. L. 96–452section 41 of this titleAmendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .

Survey of Judicial Business in Alaska

Pub. L. 86–70, § 23(a)73 Stat. 147

“The Judicial Conference of the United States, with the assistance of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, shall conduct a study, including a field survey, of the Federal judicial business arising in the State of Alaska with a view toward directing the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to hold such terms of court in Anchorage or such other Alaskan cities as may be necessary for the prompt and efficient administration of justice.”
, , , provided that: