Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals New Orleans

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals—New Orleans

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is located at 600 S. Maestri Place, Suite 115, New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is one step below the United States Supreme Court.

The Court consists of twenty-six different justices. These justices come from a variety of backgrounds and include specialists in criminal, civil, and family law.  The Court also has a healthy mix of new and experienced justices.

The justices are appointed by presidents and the justices have lifetime appointments.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has broad jurisdiction and hears nearly all categories of cases, but its largest percentage of cases are criminal.  The Court has a long history of maritime cases.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals hears cases from Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

The Fifth Court of Appeals is an intermediate-appellate court. Generally a case goes from the trial court to the intermediate-appellate court and then if necessary, to the United States Supreme Court.

Communication with the Court is through the Clerk. The Clerk’s contact information is:

Lyle W. Cayce, Clerk

Thomas Plunkett, Chief Deputy Clerk

600 S. Maestri Place, Suite 115
New Orleans, LA 70130-3408

Main Number (504) 310-7700

While some cases have oral argument most cases can be resolved on the briefing. The brief is the most important part of the case. When oral argument occurs, the questions generally arise from the briefing.  No new evidence and generally no new arguments are made during oral argument.