Raymond Charles Clevenger III at a glance
- Most recent role
- Senior U.S. Circuit Judge
- Jurisdiction
- National federal courts · Federal
- Judicial service
- Retired
Raymond Charles Clevenger III
Senior U.S. Circuit Judge · U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Service record and verification
Judicial service and assignments
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit · U.S. Circuit Judge · Retired · 2026-10-02 · Assignment source ↗
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit · U.S. Circuit Judge · Retired · 2026-10-02 · Assignment source ↗
Appointment and verification
- Appointment method
- Presidential appointment with Senate confirmation
- Appointing authority
- George H.W. Bush
- Source authority
- Federal Judicial Center Biographical Directory
Biography
Professional career
- Special assistant to the general counsel, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1972-present
- Judge, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 1990-2006
- From 1967 to 1990, Clevenger practiced law at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering in Washington, D.C., and London, and also held the role of a special assistant to the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation in 1972
- Law clerk, Hon. Byron White, Supreme Court of the United States, 1966-1967
- He held the role of a law clerk to Justice Byron R. White of the U.S. Supreme Court during the October 1966 term
- Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Education
- Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1959, graduating magna cum laude, and later a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Yale Law School in 1966, also magna cum laude and in the Order of the Coif.
- Clevenger attended public schools in Topeka, then Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.
Additional information
- Retired: October 2, 2026.
- Senior status: February 1, 2006 – October 2, 2026 (over 20 years).
- Active service: April 30, 1990 – February 1, 2006 (nearly 16 years).
- Appointed: January 24, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush to the Federal Circuit, replacing Oscar Hirsh Davis.
- Confirmed: April 27, 1990, by the U.S. Senate; commissioned April 30, 1990.
- Private practice, Washington, D.C., 1967-1990
- Date of birth: 1937-01-01
- During his tenure, Clevenger sat on about 800 panel cases and authored over 1,200 opinions for the Federal Circuit.
- Chief Judge Kimberly A. Moore praised Clevenger for “more than three decades” of careful judgment and thoughtful writing, noting that he continued to hear appeals as a senior judge long after earning the right to step back.
- His career combined legal scholarship, private practice, and decades of service on one of the most prestigious U.S. appellate courts.
- Birth place: Topeka, KS
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Oral argument
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.
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 unnecessaryFederal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument ↗
Argument Check In
Courtwide
Arguing counsel must check in with the courtroom deputy at least 30 minutes before the day's session starts.
Arguing counsel must check-in with the courtroom deputy at their assigned courtroom at least thirty minutes before the start of the day's session.Federal Circuit: Attending Oral Arguments ↗
Same Day Changes
Courtwide
Same-day changes to arguing counsel or time divisions are generally not allowed without a prior new appearance and amended response to the notice of oral argument.
Same-day changes to arguing counsel or time divisions are generally not allowed, absent prior filing of a new entry of appearance and an amended Response to Notice of Oral Argument in the case.Federal Circuit: Attending Oral Arguments ↗
Sources
Identity source checked July 25, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 11, 2026.
Federal Judicial Center biography
Identity source · HTML · Federal Judicial Center Biographical Directory · effective April 30, 1990 · Source checked July 25, 2026
View Federal Judicial Center biography ↗CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · CourtListener / Free Law Project · Source checked August 2, 2026
View CourtListener judicial biographical directory ↗Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument
Courtwide source · HTML · Supreme Court of the United States and Judicial Conference of the United States · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument ↗Federal Circuit: Attending Oral Arguments
Courtwide source · HTML · United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit · Source checked July 30, 2026
View Federal Circuit: Attending Oral Arguments ↗