History / Courts

U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts

53 judges have served since Sep 26, 1789. Now: Brian Edward Murphy DJulia Eleanor Kobick DMyong Jin Joun DMargaret Rose Guzman DAngel Kelley DAllison Dale Burroughs DLeo Theodore Sorokin DMark Gerald Mastroianni DIndira Talwani DDenise Jefferson Casper DRichard Gaylore Stearns D.

Judges
53
29 D · 21 R · 1 U · 1 F · 1 W
Longest tenure
41 years
Joseph Louis Tauro
Current
22 months
Brian Edward Murphy, since Dec 6, 2024
history/court/district-court-for-the-district-of-massachusettsEvery holder, newest first
+53
180018201840186018801900192019401960198020002020John Lowell · 1789-09-26 – 1801-02-20John Davis · 1801-02-20 – 1841-07-10 · FederalistPeleg Sprague · 1841-07-16 – 1865-03-13 · WhigThomas Leverett Nelson · 1879-01-10 – 1897-11-21 · RepublicanFrancis Cabot Lowell · 1898-01-10 – 1905-04-15 · RepublicanJames Madison Morton, Jr. · 1912-08-12 – 1932-01-19 · RepublicanHugh Dean McLellan · 1932-02-10 – 1941-09-30 · RepublicanArthur Daniel Healey · 1941-12-19 – 1948-09-16 · DemocratWilliam T. McCarthy · 1949-02-02 – 1960-05-31 · DemocratAndrew Augustine Caffrey · 1961-08-16 – 1986-10-17 · RepublicanEdward Francis Harrington · 1988-02-22 – 2001-03-01 · RepublicanF. Dennis Saylor, IV · 2004-06-02 – 2025-07-31 · RepublicanJohn Lowell · 1865-03-11 – 1879-01-09 · RepublicanFrederic Dodge · 1905-02-23 – 1912-09-10 · RepublicanJames Arnold Lowell · 1922-09-22 – 1933-11-30 · RepublicanGeorge Clinton Sweeney · 1935-08-24 – 1966-09-30 · DemocratFrank Jerome Murray · 1967-04-05 – 1977-07-15 · DemocratA. David Mazzone · 1978-02-10 – 1993-06-03 · DemocratRichard Gaylore Stearns · 1993-11-24 – present · DemocratElisha Hume Brewster · 1922-09-22 – 1941-10-14 · RepublicanCharles Edward Wyzanski, Jr. · 1941-12-19 – 1971-09-01 · DemocratLevin Hicks Campbell · 1971-11-30 – 1972-08-31 · RepublicanFrank Harlan Freedman · 1972-10-17 – 1992-01-01 · RepublicanNathaniel M. Gorton · 1992-09-24 – 2025-05-31 · RepublicanFrancis Joseph William Ford · 1938-06-24 – 1972-07-01 · DemocratJoseph Louis Tauro · 1972-10-17 – 2013-09-26 · RepublicanIndira Talwani · 2014-05-12 – present · DemocratBailey Aldrich · 1954-04-27 – 1959-09-15 · RepublicanWendell Arthur Garrity, Jr. · 1966-06-24 – 1985-12-01 · DemocratDouglas Preston Woodlock · 1986-06-16 – 2015-06-01 · RepublicanAngel Kelley · 2021-09-15 – present · DemocratAnthony Julian · 1959-09-10 – 1972-08-01 · RepublicanWalter Jay Skinner · 1973-12-19 – 1992-09-14 · RepublicanReginald C. Lindsay · 1993-11-24 – 2009-03-12 · DemocratDenise Jefferson Casper · 2010-12-20 – present · DemocratJohn Joseph McNaught · 1979-03-23 – 1991-02-01 · DemocratPatti B. Saris · 1993-11-24 – 2024-12-02 · DemocratBrian Edward Murphy · 2024-12-06 – present · DemocratDavid Sutherland Nelson · 1979-03-23 – 1991-09-27 · DemocratNancy Gertner · 1994-02-14 – 2011-05-22 · DemocratTimothy Spafard Hillman · 2012-06-06 – 2022-07-01 · DemocratMargaret Rose Guzman · 2023-03-03 – present · DemocratRobert Ernest Keeton · 1979-03-23 – 2003-02-28 · DemocratMark Gerald Mastroianni · 2014-06-05 – present · DemocratRya Weickert Zobel · 1979-03-23 – 2014-04-01 · DemocratLeo Theodore Sorokin · 2014-06-10 – present · DemocratMark Lawrence Wolf · 1985-04-04 – 2013-01-01 · RepublicanAllison Dale Burroughs · 2014-12-19 – present · DemocratWilliam G. Young · 1985-04-04 – 2021-07-01 · RepublicanMyong Jin Joun · 2023-07-14 – present · DemocratMichael Adrian Ponsor · 1994-02-14 – 2011-08-15 · DemocratJulia Eleanor Kobick · 2023-11-13 – present · DemocratGeorge A. O'Toole, Jr. · 1995-05-26 – 2018-01-01 · Democrat
Brian Edward Murphy D
Dec 6, 2024 – present · 22 months · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 47–45
Julia Eleanor Kobick D
Nov 13, 2023 – present · 2.9 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 52–46
Myong Jin Joun D
Jul 14, 2023 – present · 3.3 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 52–46
Margaret Rose Guzman D
Mar 3, 2023 – present · 3.6 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 49–48
Angel Kelley D
Sep 15, 2021 – present · 5.1 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 52–44
Allison Dale Burroughs D
Dec 19, 2014 – present · 12 years · appointed by Barack Obama
Leo Theodore Sorokin D
Jun 10, 2014 – present · 12 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 91–0
Mark Gerald Mastroianni D
Jun 5, 2014 – present · 12 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 92–2
Indira Talwani D
May 12, 2014 – present · 12 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 94–0
Timothy Spafard Hillman D
Jun 6, 2012 – Jul 1, 2022 · 10 years · appointed by Barack Obama · senior status Jul 1, 2022 · confirmed 88–1
Denise Jefferson Casper D
Dec 20, 2010 – present · 16 years · appointed by Barack Obama
F. Dennis Saylor, IV R
Jun 2, 2004 – Jul 31, 2025 · 21 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Jul 31, 2025 · confirmed 89–0
George A. O'Toole, Jr. D
May 26, 1995 – Jan 1, 2018 · 23 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Jan 1, 2018
Nancy Gertner D
Feb 14, 1994 – May 22, 2011 · 17 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status May 22, 2011
Michael Adrian Ponsor D
Feb 14, 1994 – Aug 15, 2011 · 17 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Aug 15, 2011
Richard Gaylore Stearns D
Nov 24, 1993 – present · 33 years · appointed by William J. Clinton
Reginald C. Lindsay D
Nov 24, 1993 – Mar 12, 2009 · 15 years · appointed by William J. Clinton
Patti B. Saris D
Nov 24, 1993 – Dec 2, 2024 · 31 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Dec 2, 2024
Nathaniel M. Gorton R
Sep 24, 1992 – May 31, 2025 · 33 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status May 31, 2025
Edward Francis Harrington R
Feb 22, 1988 – Mar 1, 2001 · 13 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Mar 1, 2001
Douglas Preston Woodlock R
Jun 16, 1986 – Jun 1, 2015 · 29 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Jun 1, 2015
Mark Lawrence Wolf R
Apr 4, 1985 – Jan 1, 2013 · 28 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Jan 1, 2013
William G. Young R
Apr 4, 1985 – Jul 1, 2021 · 36 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Jul 1, 2021
John Joseph McNaught D
Mar 23, 1979 – Feb 1, 1991 · 12 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter
David Sutherland Nelson D
Mar 23, 1979 – Sep 27, 1991 · 13 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Sep 27, 1991
Robert Ernest Keeton D
Mar 23, 1979 – Feb 28, 2003 · 24 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Feb 28, 2003
Rya Weickert Zobel D
Mar 23, 1979 – Apr 1, 2014 · 35 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Apr 1, 2014
A. David Mazzone D
Feb 10, 1978 – Jun 3, 1993 · 15 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Jun 3, 1993
Walter Jay Skinner R
Dec 19, 1973 – Sep 14, 1992 · 19 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon · senior status Sep 14, 1992
Frank Harlan Freedman R
Oct 17, 1972 – Jan 1, 1992 · 19 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon · senior status Jan 1, 1992
Joseph Louis Tauro R
Oct 17, 1972 – Sep 26, 2013 · 41 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon · senior status Sep 26, 2013
Levin Hicks Campbell R
Nov 30, 1971 – Aug 31, 1972 · 9 months · appointed by Richard M. Nixon
Frank Jerome Murray D
Apr 5, 1967 – Jul 15, 1977 · 10 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Jul 15, 1977
Wendell Arthur Garrity, Jr. D
Jun 24, 1966 – Dec 1, 1985 · 19 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Dec 1, 1985
Andrew Augustine Caffrey R
Aug 16, 1961 – Oct 17, 1986 · 25 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower · senior status Oct 17, 1986
Anthony Julian R
Sep 10, 1959 – Aug 1, 1972 · 13 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower · senior status Aug 1, 1972
Bailey Aldrich R
Apr 27, 1954 – Sep 15, 1959 · 5.4 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower
William T. McCarthy D
Feb 2, 1949 – May 31, 1960 · 11 years · appointed by Harry S Truman · senior status May 31, 1960
Arthur Daniel Healey D
Dec 19, 1941 – Sep 16, 1948 · 6.7 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Charles Edward Wyzanski, Jr. D
Dec 19, 1941 – Sep 1, 1971 · 30 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt · senior status Sep 1, 1971
Francis Joseph William Ford D
Jun 24, 1938 – Jul 1, 1972 · 34 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt · senior status Jul 1, 1972
George Clinton Sweeney D
Aug 24, 1935 – Sep 30, 1966 · 31 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt · senior status Sep 30, 1966
Hugh Dean McLellan R
Feb 10, 1932 – Sep 30, 1941 · 9.6 years · appointed by Herbert Hoover
James Arnold Lowell R
Sep 22, 1922 – Nov 30, 1933 · 11 years · appointed by Warren G. Harding
Elisha Hume Brewster R
Sep 22, 1922 – Oct 14, 1941 · 19 years · appointed by Warren G. Harding · senior status Oct 14, 1941
James Madison Morton, Jr. R
Aug 12, 1912 – Jan 19, 1932 · 19 years · appointed by William H. Taft
Frederic Dodge R
Feb 23, 1905 – Sep 10, 1912 · 7.5 years · appointed by Theodore Roosevelt
Francis Cabot Lowell R
Jan 10, 1898 – Apr 15, 1905 · 7.3 years · appointed by William McKinley
Thomas Leverett Nelson R
Jan 10, 1879 – Nov 21, 1897 · 19 years · appointed by Rutherford B. Hayes
John Lowell R
Mar 11, 1865 – Jan 9, 1879 · 14 years · appointed by Abraham Lincoln
Peleg Sprague W
Jul 16, 1841 – Mar 13, 1865 · 24 years · appointed by John Tyler
John Davis F
Feb 20, 1801 – Jul 10, 1841 · 40 years · appointed by John Adams
John Lowell
Sep 26, 1789 – Feb 20, 1801 · 11 years · appointed by George Washington

Dates are from the Federal Judicial Center (commission to senior status or departure). Consecutive terms of one person are merged.