--- title: "D. Michael Fisher | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/d-michael-fisher" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # D. Michael Fisher U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit · U.S. Circuit Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit - State: National federal courts - Role: U.S. Circuit Judge - Service status: senior - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 2003-present - Law clerk in private practice, 1969-present - Attorney general, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1997-2003 - He was elected Attorney General of Pennsylvania in 1996 and re-elected in 2000, personally arguing major cases in state and federal appellate courts, including a successful Supreme Court case in 1998 ensuring parolees meet conditions of release. - Assistant district attorney, Allegheny County, PA, 1970-1974 - Michael Fisher, born November 7, 1944, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Allegheny County ### Education - A.B. from Georgetown University in 1966 and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1969. ### Additional information - He assumed senior status on February 1, 2017. - During his tenure, he has participated in notable rulings, including affirming a Third Circuit decision on defamation and privacy in 2014. - Nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit by President George W. Bush on May 1, 2003, to fill the seat vacated by Carol Los Mansmann. - received his commission on December 11, 2003. - Fisher also ran as the Republican nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002 but was defeated by Ed Rendell. - Private practice, Pennsylvania, 1970-1997 - State senator, Pennsylvania, 1980-1996 - State representative, Pennsylvania, 1974-1980 - Fisher also served in the United States Army Reserve from 1969 to 1975. - Date of birth: 1944-01-01 - Before his federal judicial appointment, Fisher had a long political career in Pennsylvania. - Seton-La Salle Catholic High School - Served six years in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and sixteen years in the State Senate, where he was Majority Whip and chaired the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. - Fisher has also been recognized for his leadership and service with awards such as the William Gaston Award from Georgetown University Law Center. - handling nearly 1,000 cases including 25 homicides. - In addition to his judicial duties, Fisher serves as the Distinguished Jurist in Residence at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, teaching courses in Federal Appellate Advocacy and Federal Habeas Corpus. - He chairs the Committee on Federal-State Jurisdiction of the U.S. Judicial Conference and has been active in the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Federal Practice Committee. - Overall, D. Michael Fisher’s career spans significant contributions in law, politics, and education, reflecting his influence on both state and federal legal systems. - Birth place: Pittsburgh, PA ## 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/1392071) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392071) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392071) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1063/dennis-michael-fisher/) - [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/1063/dennis-michael-fisher/) - [Wikidata: D. Michael Fisher](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5203737) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/d-michael-fisher", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/d-michael-fisher", "name": "D. Michael Fisher | KnowJudges", "description": "D. Michael Fisher, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third 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/d-michael-fisher#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/d-michael-fisher#judge", "name": "D. 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