--- title: "Carl E. Stewart | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/carl-e-stewart" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Carl E. Stewart U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · U.S. Circuit Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit - State: National federal courts - Role: U.S. Circuit Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Chief Justice, Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 2012-2019 - He held the role of Chief Judge from 2012 to 2019, becoming the first African American to hold that position on the Fifth Circuit - Elected as a district judge in Louisiana’s First Judicial District Court in 1985 and later served on the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal from 1991 to 1994 - Judge, Louisiana District Court, First Judicial District, Caddo Parish, LA, 1985-1991 - Assistant U.S. Attorney, Western District of Louisiana, 1979-1983 - In 1979, he became an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, prosecuting cases involving civil rights violations, fraud, and corruption, earning commendations from the Justice Department - Staff Attorney, Louisiana Attorney General's Office, 1978-1979 - He then worked in private practice and joined the Louisiana Attorney General’s office in 1978 - After law school, Stewart served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps as a captain, acting as a defense attorney for soldiers at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, from 1974 to 1977. - Carl Edmond Stewart was born on January 2, 1950, in Shreveport, Louisiana, to Corine, a maid, and Richard Stewart, a postal worker, and grew up during the civil rights era, which inspired his dedication to justice and public service - Recognized for his commitment to fairness, collegiality, and equal justice, and has authored influential opinions on federal law ### Education - Loyola University New Orleans College of Law in — J.D. (1974) - Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Dillard University in 1971 ### Additional information - In 2019, he received the Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award, the nation’s highest honor for a federal judge. - received his commission on May 9, 1994. - Private practice, Shreveport, LA, 1983-1985 - Private practice, Shreveport, LA, 1977-1978 - Captain, United States Army JAG Corps, 1975-1977 - Date of birth: 1950-01-02 - He has been active in judicial governance, serving on the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States and as Strategic Planning Coordinator, and has chaired the Advisory Committee on the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. - Birth place: Shreveport, LA ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### appellate oral argument Scope: courtwide In federal courts of appeals, oral argument is allowed unless a three-judge panel unanimously finds one of Rule 34's specified grounds for dispensing with it; the clerk provides the date, time, place, and time allocation. Evidence excerpt: Oral argument must be allowed in every case unless a panel of three judges who have examined the briefs and record unanimously agrees that oral argument is unnecessary [Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-appellate-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1388336) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1388336) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1388336) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3107/carl-e-stewart/) - [Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-appellate-procedure) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3107/carl-e-stewart/) - [Wikidata: Carl E. Stewart](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5040071) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/carl-e-stewart", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/carl-e-stewart", "name": "Carl E. Stewart | KnowJudges", "description": "Carl E. Stewart, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-09", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/carl-e-stewart#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/carl-e-stewart#judge", "name": "Carl E. 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