--- title: "Robert A. Katzmann | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/robert-a-katzmann-1708" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Robert A. Katzmann U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit · U.S. Circuit Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit - State: National federal courts - Role: U.S. Circuit Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1999-present - Robert Allen Katzmann (1953–2021) was a distinguished U.S. Circuit Judge of the Second Circuit, Chief Judge from 2013 to 2020, and a prominent advocate for immigrant legal rights - Founded the Immigrant Justice Corps (2014), the first U.S. fellowship program for recent graduates to provide legal aid to immigrants - Walsh Professor of Government, professor of law and professor of public policy, 1992-1999 - Visiting professor, University of California, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. program, 1990-1992 - adjunct professor of law, 1984-1989 - Law clerk, Hon. Hugh H. Bownes, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, 1980-1981 - held the role of a law clerk to Judge Hugh H. Bownes (1st Cir.) (1980–81) - Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit - Launched Justice For All: Courts and the Community, a civic education initiative to connect courts with communities ### Education - Columbia College — B.A. (1973) - Yale Law School, where he was an Article and Book Review Editor of the Yale Law Journal — J.D. ### Additional information - acting program director, 1998-present - Wayne Morse chair in law and politics, University of Oregon, 1992-present - In 2021, he assumed senior status but died on June 9, 2021. - He held the role of Chief Judge from September 1, 2013, to August 31, 2020. - Nominated by President Bill Clinton on March 8, 1999, Katzmann was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on July 14, 1999. - President, Governance Institute, 1986-1999 - Faculty, Georgetown University, 1984-1999 - Fellow, Brookings Institution, 1981-1999 - adjunct professor of public policy, 1987-1992 - Special assistant to the director, Federal Judicial Center, 1986-1988 - Born April 22, 1953 in New York City, Katzmann obtained an A.B. (summa cum laude) from Columbia University (1973), an A.M. and Ph.D. in government from Harvard University (1976, 1978), and a J.D. from Yale Law School (1980), where he edited the Yale Law Journal. - Date of birth: 1953-01-01 - Created the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, the first government-funded legal counsel program for detained non-citizens. - Forest Hills High School - Katzmann received numerous awards, including the Learned Hand Medal (Federal Bar Council) and the Edward Weinfeld Award (New York County Lawyers Association). - He was remembered as a visionary leader in law, a scholar, and a mentor, with a legacy marked by judicial excellence and advocacy for underserved communities. - Notable works: Judging Statutes, Regulatory Bureaucracy, Courts and Congress, and numerous edited volumes. - Birth place: New York, NY ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1708/robert-a-katzmann/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1708/robert-a-katzmann/) - [Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1708/robert-a-katzmann/) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1708/robert-a-katzmann/) - [Hon. Robert A. Katzmann](https://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judges/bios/rak.html) - [Wikidata: Robert Katzmann](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7346271) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/robert-a-katzmann-1708", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/robert-a-katzmann-1708", "name": "Robert A. Katzmann | KnowJudges", "description": "Robert A. Katzmann, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-09", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/robert-a-katzmann-1708#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/robert-a-katzmann-1708#judge", "name": "Robert A. 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