President Barack Obama has a vacancy to fill on the federal appeals court in Atlanta.

On Friday, Judge Stanley Birch, appointed in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush, retired from the court. He will join JAMS Inc., a private mediation and arbitration firm.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has 12 judges and has jurisdiction over federal cases from Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Because Birch is from Atlanta, Obama is expected to replace him with a lawyer or judge from Georgia. Obama's nominee must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before he or she takes the bench.

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. (center) is flanked by GOP whip Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. (left) and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, as Thune speak to reporters at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. Earlier Tuesday, the Senate passed the budget reconciliation package of President Donald Trump's signature bill of big tax breaks and spending cuts. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Credit: AP