United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals.
Jurisdiction
Its territory covers the states of Connecticut, New York, and Vermont, and it has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following United States [federal judicial district|federal judicial districts] and areas:- District of Connecticut
- Eastern District of New York
- Northern District of New York
- Southern District of New York
- Western District of New York
- District of Vermont
Because the Second Circuit includes New York City, it has long been one of the most prestigious and influential federal appellate courts in the United States, especially in matters of contract law, securities law, and antitrust law. In the 20th century, it came to be considered one of the two most prominent federal appellate courts, along with the United States [Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit|U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit]. Several notable judges have served on the Second Circuit, including three later named Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of [the United States|Associate Justices] of the Supreme Court of the [United States|United States Supreme Court]: John Marshall Harlan II, Thurgood Marshall, and Sonia Sotomayor. Judge Learned Hand served on the court from 1924 to 1961, as did his cousin, Augustus Noble Hand, from 1927 until 1953. Judge Henry Friendly served from 1959 to 1986.