--- title: "Jane Branstetter Stranch | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jane-branstetter-stranch" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Jane Branstetter Stranch U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit · U.S. Circuit Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth 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 Sixth Circuit, 2010-present - American judge who held the role of a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 2010 until July 14, 2025, when she assumed senior status - On August 6, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Stranch to replace Judge Martha Craig Daughtrey on the Sixth Circuit - Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit - Her practice focused on labor and employment law, ERISA pension cases, personal injury, wrongful death, and complex civil litigation - Before joining the federal bench, Stranch practiced law in Nashville at Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, progressing from law clerk to partner. ### Education - Vanderbilt Law School in, earning membership in the Order of the Coif for academic excellence — J.D. (1978) ### Additional information - Served until July 14, 2025, when she took senior status, a semi-retirement role for federal judges over 65 with at least 15 years on the bench. - The Senate confirmed her 71–21 on September 13, 2010. - Appointed: 2010 by Barack Obama - Private practice, Nashville, TN, 1978-2010 - She taught labor law at Belmont University (1981–83) and litigated most of her cases in federal courts. - Stranch was born Kathy Jane Branstetter in Nashville, TN, and attended the University of Virginia (1971–72) and the University of Tennessee (1972–73) before earning a B.A. summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University in 1975. - Born September 17, 1953, Nashville, Tennessee. - Date of birth: 1953-01-01 - Recognized for her meticulous legal analysis, fairness, and practical understanding of litigation. - Her successor is Whitney Hermandorfer. - She authored notable opinions on issues such as mandatory sentencing and federal vaccine mandates, balancing fidelity to the law with awareness of practical consequences. - Her career is seen as a model for bridging advocacy and judicial service. - Stranch is married to attorney James Stranch III and has four children, two of whom are lawyers. - Birth place: Nashville, TN ## 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/1393306) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3122/jane-branstetter-stranch/) - [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/3122/jane-branstetter-stranch/) - [Wikidata: Jane Branstetter Stranch](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6151190) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jane-branstetter-stranch", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jane-branstetter-stranch", "name": "Jane Branstetter Stranch | KnowJudges", "description": "Jane Branstetter Stranch, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-07", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jane-branstetter-stranch#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jane-branstetter-stranch#judge", "name": "Jane Branstetter Stranch", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jane-branstetter-stranch", "jobTitle": "U.S. Circuit Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393306", "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3122/jane-branstetter-stranch/" ], "birthDate": "1953", "birthPlace": "Nashville, TN", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Vanderbilt University" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Vanderbilt University" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of Virginia" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Vanderbilt University" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "National federal courts", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/national-federal-courts" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jane Branstetter Stranch", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jane-branstetter-stranch" } ] } ] } ```