[Judges](/kyj) / [U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit](/kyj/court/us/u-s-court-of-appeals-for-the-federal-circuit) / Raymond Charles Clevenger III Raymond Charles Clevenger III Senior U.S. Circuit Judge · [U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit](/kyj/court/us/u-s-court-of-appeals-for-the-federal-circuit) Last updated November 1, 2026 Status: Retired Snapshot Biography Courtroom Rules Sources Raymond C. Clevenger III: retirement effective 2026-10-02. Raymond Charles Clevenger III at a glance Most recent role Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Court [U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit](/kyj/court/us/u-s-court-of-appeals-for-the-federal-circuit) Jurisdiction National federal courts · Federal Judicial service Retired Service record and verification Judicial service and assignments [U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit](/kyj/court/us/u-s-court-of-appeals-for-the-federal-circuit) · U.S. Circuit Judge · Retired · 2026-10-02 · [Assignment source ↗](https://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/contact-us/) [U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit](/kyj/court/us/u-s-court-of-appeals-for-the-federal-circuit) · U.S. Circuit Judge · Retired · 2026-10-02 · [Assignment source ↗](https://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/contact-us/) Appointment and verification Appointment method Presidential appointment with Senate confirmation Appointing authority George H.W. Bush Source authority Federal Judicial Center Biographical Directory [Official profile ↗](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1379236) · [Official roster ↗](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1379236) 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 Rule sources checked July 26, 2026 – July 30, 2026 . 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 unnecessary [Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument ↗](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-appellate-procedure) 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 ↗](https://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/home/oral-argument/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 ↗](https://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/home/oral-argument/attending-oral-arguments/) Sources Identity source checked July 25, 2026 . Biography sources checked October 11, 2026 . 01 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 ↗](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1379236) 02 CourtListener judicial biographical directory Identity source · HTML · CourtListener / Free Law Project · Source checked August 2, 2026 [View CourtListener judicial biographical directory ↗](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/649/raymond-charles-clevenger-iii/) 03 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 ↗](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-appellate-procedure) 04 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 ↗](https://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/home/oral-argument/attending-oral-arguments/) [Public Records & Data Use](/public-records-data-use) · [Corrections policy](/corrections) [Wikidata: Raymond C. Clevenger](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7298633) [Notices & Announcements - U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit](https://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/home/the-court/notices-announcements/) Found an error? [Let us know](mailto:info@knowjudges.com?subject=Found%20an%20error%20on%20KnowJudges.com&body=We%20found%20an%20error%20on%20the%20page%20https%3A%2F%2Fknowjudges.com%2Fkyj%2Fjudge%2Fraymond-charles-clevenger-iii.%0A%0APlease%20correct%20this%20with%3A%0A%0A%5Bdescribe%20the%20correction%5D%0A%0AHere%20is%20the%20source%20supporting%20our%20claim%3A%0A%0A%5Battach%20a%20link%20or%20PDF%5D) Version 2.7.3.