--- title: "Raymond M. Kethledge | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/raymond-m-kethledge" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Raymond M. Kethledge 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, 2008-present - Kethledge appeared on President Donald Trump’s list of potential Supreme Court nominees in 2016 and was considered a finalist to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy in 2018 - Law clerk, Hon. Anthony Kennedy, Supreme Court of the United States, 1997-1998 - After law school, Kethledge clerked for Judge Ralph B. Guy Jr. on the Sixth Circuit (1994–1995) and for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy (1997–1998). - Law clerk, Hon. Ralph B. Guy, Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 1993-1994 - Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit - Following his clerkships, he returned to Michigan to practice law, becoming a partner at Honigman, Miller, Schwartz & Cohn and later co-founding a boutique litigation firm, Bush Seyferth PLLC ### Education - Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School in 1993, where he ranked second in his class - Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Michigan in 1989 - Wayne State University - University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts ### Additional information - Private practice, Michigan, 1994-present - Advisory Committee on Criminal Rules, becoming its chair in 2019. - received his commission on July 7, 2008. - Private practice, Michigan, 2002-2008 - Counsel, Ford Motor Company, 2001-2002 - Private practice, Michigan, 1998-2001 - Spencer Abraham, MI, 1995-1997 - He also held the role of judiciary counsel to Senator Spencer Abraham from 1995 to 1997. - Raymond Michael Kethledge was born on December 11, 1966, in Summit, New Jersey, and grew up in Michigan. - Date of birth: 1966-01-01 - handling trial, appellate, and class-action cases. - Judiciary counsel, U.S. Sen. - Conservative commentators have described him as “Gorsuch 2.0,” highlighting his originalist approach and conservative credentials. - Widely regarded as an originalist, emphasizing adherence to the Constitution as understood at the time of its ratification. - United States and Tyler v. - Birmingham Groves High School - He has authored opinions reflecting this approach, including concurring opinions in Turner v. - Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Department, which reference historical context in interpreting constitutional rights. - He has also been a critic of the Chevron deference doctrine, aligning him with conservative judicial thought. - Noted for not being a typical D.C. insider, which distinguishes him from many other federal judges. - His grandfather, Raymond W. Ketchledge, was an engineer notable for inventing an acoustically guided torpedo used in World War II. - Kethledge has maintained strong ties to Michigan, enjoys the outdoors, and is a member of the Republican Party. - Birth place: Summit, NJ ## 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/1392731) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392731) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392731) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1765/raymond-m-kethledge/) - [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/1765/raymond-m-kethledge/) - [Wikidata: Raymond Kethledge](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7298928) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/raymond-m-kethledge", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/raymond-m-kethledge", "name": "Raymond M. 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