--- title: "James C. Ho | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-c-ho" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # James C. Ho 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 - Judge, Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 2018-present - U.S. Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, appointed by President Donald Trump in 2018, and the circuit’s only Asian‐American judge - Law Clerk, Supreme Court of the United States, 2005-2006 - Law clerkships: Hon. Jerry E. Smith, 5th Cir. (1999–2000) Justice Clarence Thomas, U.S. Supreme Court (2005–2006) - Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, 2001-2003 - Law Clerk, Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1999-2000 - Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit - Notable fact: First Asian‐American and immigrant judge on the Fifth Circuit - Adjunct professor at University of Texas School of Law; author of numerous law review articles ### Education - B.A. in Public Policy, Stanford University (1995) J.D., University of Chicago Law School (1999) ### Additional information - Chief counsel, Subcommittee on Immigration, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 2005-present - Civil Rights Division, 2001-present - Appointed: January 4, 2018, by President Donald J. Trump, confirming a seat vacated by Carolyn Dineen King - Private practice: Washington, D.C. (2000–2001) and Dallas, TX (2006–2008, 2010–2017) - Solicitor general, State of Texas, 2008-2010 - Chief counsel, Subcommittee on the Constitution, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 2003-2005 - Government service: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division & Office of Legal Counsel (2001–2003) Chief Counsel, Senate Judiciary Committee subcommittees on the Constitution and Immigration (2003–2005) - Born: February 27, 1973, in Taipei, Taiwan - Date of birth: 1973-01-01 - Presented 50 oral arguments in federal/state courts; won multiple appeals, including three merits cases at the U.S. Supreme Court - Recognized in leading legal rankings (Benchmark, Chambers, Law360, The Legal 500) - Judge Ho’s career spans all three branches of the federal government, and his work is cited favorably at every judicial level. - Polytechnic School - Awarded Best Brief Award from the National Association of Attorneys General for each year as Texas Solicitor General - Immigration: Moved to the U.S. as a child; became a naturalized citizen at age 9 - Married to Allyson Newton; twin children - Lives in Dallas, Texas - Birth place: Taipei, Taiwan ## 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/4025386) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4025386) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4025386) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/8658/james-c-ho/) - [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/8658/james-c-ho/) - [Wikidata: James Ho](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q41517228) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-c-ho", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-c-ho", "name": "James C. 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