United States federal judge

In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, circuit judges of the U.S. Courts of Appeals, district judges of the U.S. District Courts, and judges of the U.S. Court of International Trade. These judges are often called "Article Three judges".

U.S. federal judges are not elected officials, unlike the president and vice president of the United States and U.S. senators and representatives. They are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, pursuant to the Appointments Clause of Article Two of the U.S. Constitution. Article Three of the Constitution gives federal judges life tenure. They hold their seats until they die, resign, or are removed from office through impeachment.

Strictly speaking, the term "federal judge" does not include U.S. magistrate judges or the judges of lesser federal tribunals such as the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the U.S. Tax Court, and other "Article One tribunals". Nor does it apply to U.S. government agencies' administrative law judges. Although these judges serve on courts of the U.S. federal government, they do not have life tenure, and their authority derives from Congress via Article One of the Constitution, not independently via Article Three. These judges are often known as "Article One judges".