--- title: "Edith Hollan Jones | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/edith-hollan-jones" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Edith Hollan Jones 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 - Judicial role: Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1985–present) - Edith Hollan Jones (née Hollan; born April 7, 1949, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a senior United States circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1985 and serving as Chief Judge from 2006 to 2012 - Before joining the federal judiciary, Jones practiced bankruptcy law in Houston, Texas, from 1974 to 1985, becoming the first female partner at Andrews, Kurth, Campbell & Jones. - Recognized for her judicial leadership and professional service, Judge Jones has been a prominent figure in the Fifth Circuit’s history, contributing to both legal scholarship and public service ### Education - University of Texas School of Law in, where she was on the Texas Law Review — J.D. (1974) - B.A. in Economics from Cornell University in 1971 ### Additional information - Chief Judge: January 16, 2006 – October 1, 2012, succeeding Carolyn Dineen King. - Member, Judicial Conference of the United States, 2006-2012 - Jones has served on the Boy Scouts of America board, received the Silver Beaver Award in 2003, and was a White House Fellow (2002–2008) under President George W. Bush. - Appointed: February 27, 1985, by President Ronald Reagan to a new seat on the Fifth Circuit. - Confirmed: April 3, 1985, by the U.S. Senate; commissioned April 4, 1985. - Private practice, Houston, TX, 1974-1985 - Private practice, Houston, Texas, 1974-1985 - She also held the role of general counsel for the Republican Party of Texas (1982–1983). - Jones grew up in San Antonio, Texas, graduating fourth in her class from Alamo Heights High School in 1967 as a National Merit Scholar. - Date of birth: 1949-01-01 - Over three decades, she has heard a broad range of civil and criminal cases and was considered multiple times for a U.S. Supreme Court nomination. - Also active in the Garland Walker American Inns of Court and the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation. - She continues to live in Houston, Texas, with her family. - received the Order of the Coif. - Birth place: Philadelphia, 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/1382901) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382901) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382901) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1655/edith-hollan-jones/) - [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/1655/edith-hollan-jones/) - [Judge Edith Hollan Jones](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1382901) - [Wikidata: Edith Jones](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q377110) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/edith-hollan-jones", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/edith-hollan-jones", "name": "Edith Hollan Jones | KnowJudges", "description": "Edith Hollan Jones, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. 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