Congress established U.S. circuit courts of appeals for each of the nine judicial circuits
and assigned the sitting judge of the U.S. Circuit Courts for the Eighth Circuit to sit also
on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, effective June 16, 1891. The
act also authorized an additional judgeship for the Eighth Circuit's new court.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is a federal court with appellate
jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:
* District of Minnesota
* Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa
* Western and Eastern Districts of Missouri
* Western and Eastern Districts of Arkansas
* District of North Dakota
* District of South Dakota
* District of Nebraska
2 Seats (7 and 10) have traditionally been reserved for Minnesota.
2 Seats (4 and 13) for Iowa.
2 Seats (3 and 6) for Missouri.
2 Seats (8 and 11) for Arkansas.
1 Seat (9) for North Dakota.
1 Seat (12) for South Dakota.
1 Seat (5) for Nebraska.
Seats 1 and 2 were transferred to the newly-created Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals when
it was split from the Eighth Circuit on February 28, 1929.
