--- title: "John Baylor Nalbandian | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-baylor-nalbandian" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # John Baylor Nalbandian 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: 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 Sixth Circuit, 2018-present - Special Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court (2007) - He then practiced in Washington, D.C., at Jones Day for five years, before joining Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Cincinnati in 2000, where he became a partner. - Law Clerk, Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1994-1995 - American federal judge serving on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit - In summary: John Baylor Nalbandian is a well‐qualified, appointed federal appellate judge on the Sixth Circuit, with a career in law clerking, private practice, and judicial service, and a record in both civil and criminal appellate cases ### Education - University of Virginia-Main Campus — J.D. (1994) - University of Virginia School of Law, Order of the Coif; managing editor of the Virginia Law Review — J.D. (1994) - in Economics, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania — B.S. (1991) ### Additional information - Nominated by President Donald Trump on January 24, 2018 to replace Judge John M. Rogers, who was assuming senior status. - He received his commission on May 17, 2018. - His nomination was reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 19, 2018, cloture invoked on May 11, and confirmed by a 53–45 Senate vote on May 15, 2018. - Board member, State Justice Institute (2010–2018) - Private practice, Cincinnati, OH, 2000-2018 - Private practice, Washington, D.C., 1995-2000 - He clerked for Hon. Jerry E. Smith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1994–1995). - Nalbandian married Caroline May in 1994 and has two children. - Born 1969 in Fort Ord, California. - Date of birth: 1969-01-01 - Republican and has been described by the American Bar Association as “Well Qualified”. - Judge Nalbandian’s cases span federal sentencing, civil procedure, and class actions. - Lawrence High School - Member of the Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel for the Eastern District of Kentucky - His mother was born in a Japanese American internment camp during World War II. - Birth place: Fort Ord, CA ## 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/4625006) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4625006) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4625006) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/8608/john-baylor-nalbandian/) - [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/8608/john-baylor-nalbandian/) - [Wikidata: John Baylor Nalbandian](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47493108) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-baylor-nalbandian", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-baylor-nalbandian", "name": "John Baylor Nalbandian | KnowJudges", "description": "John Baylor Nalbandian, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. 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