{
 "id": "epn5js3swh",
 "slug": "james-l-edmondson",
 "title": "James L. Edmondson",
 "updated": "2026-10-15",
 "topic_path": [
  {
   "id": "society",
   "label": "Society and history",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law",
   "label": "Law and justice",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law.practice",
   "label": "Courts and legal practice",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law.practice.people",
   "label": "Legal biographies",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us",
   "label": "United States judges",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal",
   "label": "US federal judges",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3",
   "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges",
   "label": "United States courts of appeals judges",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-d-to-j",
   "label": "Surnames D to J",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-d-to-j"
  }
 ],
 "geo": [
  {
   "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-d-to-j",
   "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Surnames D to J",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-d-to-j",
   "path": [
    {
     "id": "geo.us",
     "label": "United States",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021",
     "label": "United States · 2021 and later",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society",
     "label": "Society and history",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law",
     "label": "Law and justice",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice",
     "label": "Courts and legal practice",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people",
     "label": "Legal biographies",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us",
     "label": "United States judges",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal",
     "label": "US federal judges",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges",
     "label": "United States courts of appeals judges",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-d-to-j",
     "label": "Surnames D to J",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-d-to-j"
    }
   ]
  }
 ],
 "excerpt": "James Larry Edmondson, born 1947, is an American jurist on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1986.",
 "snippet": "James Larry Edmondson, born 1947, is an American jurist on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1986.",
 "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-d-to-j",
 "markdown": "# James L. Edmondson\n\nJames Larry Edmondson (born 1947) is an American jurist serving as a senior judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit since 2012.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup> He was appointed to the court by President Ronald Reagan in 1986.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup> He served as chief judge of the Eleventh Circuit from 2002 to 2009.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup>\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup> |\n| Appointed by | Ronald Reagan<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup> |\n| Confirmed | April 29, 1986, by voice vote<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup> |\n| Senior status | July 15, 2012<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup> |\n| Born | 1947, Jasper, Georgia<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup> |\n| Education | B.A., Emory University, 1968; J.D., University of Georgia School of Law, 1971; LL.M., University of Virginia School of Law, 1990<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup> |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nEdmondson was born in 1947 in Jasper, Georgia.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup> He received a [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) degree from [Emory University](https://www.edgepedia.org/emory-university) in 1968 and a [Juris Doctor](https://www.edgepedia.org/juris-doctor) from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1971.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup> Later in his career, he earned a Master of Laws from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1990.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup>\n\n## Legal career\n\nAfter law school, Edmondson served as a law clerk to Judge Sidney O. Smith of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia from 1971 to 1973.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup> He then entered private practice, first in Jasper, Georgia, in 1973, and then in [Lawrenceville, Georgia](https://www.edgepedia.org/lawrenceville-georgia), from 1973 to 1986.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup> From 1975 to 1984, he was an instructor at the University of Georgia School of Law.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup>\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident [Ronald Reagan](https://www.edgepedia.org/ronald-reagan) nominated Edmondson to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on March 26, 1986.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup> The Senate confirmed him by voice vote on April 29, 1986, and he received his commission on May 7, 1986.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup> He served as chief judge of the Eleventh Circuit from 2002 to 2009, and during that period was also a member of the [Judicial Conference of the United States](https://www.edgepedia.org/judicial-conference-of-the-united-states) from 2002 to 2009.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup> He assumed senior status on July 15, 2012.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: James Larry Edmondson](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1380396)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States courts of appeals judges › Surnames D to J*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
 "same_as": [],
 "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/james-l-edmondson",
 "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/james-l-edmondson.md",
 "license": {
  "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0",
  "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license",
  "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.",
  "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0"
 },
 "credit": "\"James L. Edmondson\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/james-l-edmondson. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.",
 "credit_md": "\"[James L. Edmondson](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-l-edmondson)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/james-l-edmondson](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-l-edmondson). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).",
 "credit_html": "\"<a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/james-l-edmondson\">James L. Edmondson</a>\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/james-l-edmondson\">https://www.edgepedia.org/james-l-edmondson</a>. <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\">Edgepedia Community License 1.0</a>.",
 "speakable": "James Larry Edmondson, born 1947, is an American jurist on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1986."
}