--- title: "Theodore Alexander McKee | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/theodore-alexander-mckee" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Theodore Alexander McKee U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit · U.S. Circuit Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit - State: National federal courts - Role: U.S. Circuit Judge - Service status: senior - 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 Third Circuit, 1994-present - 1994–2022: Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, appointed by President Bill Clinton (nominated March 22, 1994; confirmed June 8, 1994) - 2010–2016: Chief Judge of the Third Circuit - Judge, Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County [Pennsylvania], 1984-1994 - 1984–1994: Judge, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, First Judicial District, PA - 1977–1980: Assistant U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, working in the General Crimes Unit, then Narcotics and Firearms Unit, and later Political Corruption Unit - Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ### Education - a J.D. in 1975 from Syracuse University College of Law, graduating magna cum laude, as a member of the Order of the Coif and the Justinian Honor Society. - McKee obtained a B.A. in 1969 from the State University of New York at Cortland ### Additional information - General counsel, Philadelphia Pennsylvania Parking Authority, 1983-present - In 2018, McKee authored a unanimous panel decision upholding a Boyertown Area School District policy allowing transgender students to use their preferred locker rooms. - Member, Judicial Conference of the United States, 2010-2016 - Lecturer, Rutgers Law School, 1980-1991 - Deputy city solicitor, Philadelphia, PA, 1980-1983 - Deputy city solicitor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1980-1983 - 1980–1983: Deputy City Solicitor, Philadelphia; later General Counsel, Philadelphia Parking Authority - Private practice, Philadelphia, PA, 1975-1977 - Private practice, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1975-1977 - Date of birth: 1947-01-01 - He has also served on the Judicial Conference of the United States and various nonprofit boards, including the Vera Institute of Justice and Syracuse University. - McKee is the son of Clarence V. McKee, the first Black high school basketball player in Indiana, and Etta V. Payne. - He is a father of two daughters and has been active in community service, including volunteer work at Germantown Friends School. - Birth place: Rochester, NY ## 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/1384731) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1384731) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1384731) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2151/theodore-alexander-mckee/) - [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/2151/theodore-alexander-mckee/) - [Judge Theodore Alexander McKee](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1384731) - [Wikidata: Theodore McKee](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7781915) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/theodore-alexander-mckee", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/theodore-alexander-mckee", "name": "Theodore Alexander McKee | KnowJudges", "description": "Theodore Alexander McKee, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third 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/theodore-alexander-mckee#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/theodore-alexander-mckee#judge", "name": "Theodore Alexander McKee", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/theodore-alexander-mckee", "jobTitle": "U.S. Circuit Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.fjc.gov/node/1384731", "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2151/theodore-alexander-mckee/" ], "birthDate": "1947", "birthPlace": "Rochester, NY", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of New York at Cortland" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "State University of New York at Cortland" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Syracuse University College of Law" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "National federal courts", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/national-federal-courts" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Theodore Alexander McKee", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/theodore-alexander-mckee" } ] } ] } ```