{ "id": "epakxbvz8r", "slug": "robert-e-bacharach", "title": "Robert E. Bacharach", "updated": "2026-09-29", "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-a-to-c", "label": "Surnames A to C", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-a-to-c" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: 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", "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" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Robert Edwin Bacharach (born 1959) is an American jurist serving as a United States circuit judge of the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit since 2013.", "snippet": "Robert Edwin Bacharach (born 1959) is an American jurist serving as a United States circuit judge of the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit since 2013.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-a-to-c", "markdown": "# Robert E. Bacharach\n\nRobert Edwin Bacharach (born 1959) is an American jurist serving as a United States circuit judge of the [United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-court-of-appeals-for-the-tenth-circuit) since 2013.[1](https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/judge/judge-robert-e-bacharach) He was appointed by President Barack Obama.[2](https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/documents/news/Bacharach_News_Release_030113.pdf) His chambers are in [Oklahoma City](https://www.edgepedia.org/oklahoma-city).[2](https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/documents/news/Bacharach_News_Release_030113.pdf)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit[3](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394126) |\n| Appointed by | Barack Obama[3](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394126) |\n| Confirmed | February 25, 2013 (Senate voted 93 to 0)[3](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394126) • [4](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1130022) |\n| Born | 1959, Clarksdale, Mississippi[3](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394126) |\n| Education | B.A., University of Oklahoma, 1981; J.D., Washington University School of Law, 1985[3](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394126) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nBacharach was born in 1959 in [Clarksdale, Mississippi](https://www.edgepedia.org/clarksdale-mississippi).[3](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394126) He received a [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) from the [University of Oklahoma](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-oklahoma) in 1981 and a Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law in 1985.[3](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394126) At Washington University he graduated Order of the Coif and served on the executive board of the Washington University Law Quarterly.[2](https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/documents/news/Bacharach_News_Release_030113.pdf)\n\n## Legal career\n\nAfter graduating from law school, Bacharach served as a law clerk to Judge William J. Holloway, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit from 1985 to 1987.[3](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394126) Holloway was then the chief judge of the Tenth Circuit.[2](https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/documents/news/Bacharach_News_Release_030113.pdf) Bacharach was in private practice in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, from 1987 to 1999, and served as a U.S. magistrate judge for the Western District of Oklahoma from 1999 to 2013.[3](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394126) He is the author of \"Section 1983 and the Availability of a Federal Forum: A Reappraisal of the Police Brutality Cases,\" published in the Memphis State University Law Review.[2](https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/documents/news/Bacharach_News_Release_030113.pdf)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nBacharach was nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit on January 23, 2012; no Senate vote occurred on that nomination.[3](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394126) He was renominated on January 4, 2013.[3](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394126) The Senate confirmed his nomination on February 25, 2013, by a vote of 93 to 0.[3](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394126) • [4](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1130022) He received his commission on February 28, 2013.[3](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394126) Chief Judge Mary Beck Briscoe announced his appointment, and Judge Holloway administered the oath of office in Oklahoma City.[2](https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/documents/news/Bacharach_News_Release_030113.pdf)\n\n## Writing on legal writing\n\nBacharach has written a book on legal writing, titled Legal Writing: A Judge's Perspective on the Science and [Rhetoric](https://www.edgepedia.org/rhetoric) of the Written Word, that draws lessons from the field of psycholinguistics.[5](https://www.law.com/litigationdaily/2021/06/28/a-federal-appellate-judge-who-embraces-simple-language-and-thwacks-legalese/) In a 2021 interview, he said: \"I just think that it's a myth—that many of us have now dispelled—that we're writing for some far more sophisticated audience that has to have a law degree to understand it.\"[5](https://www.law.com/litigationdaily/2021/06/28/a-federal-appellate-judge-who-embraces-simple-language-and-thwacks-legalese/)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Judge Robert E. Bacharach | Tenth Circuit](https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/judge/judge-robert-e-bacharach)\n2. [Appointment of the Honorable Robert E. Bacharach](https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/documents/news/Bacharach_News_Release_030113.pdf)\n3. [https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394126](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394126)\n4. [Senate Roll Call Vote, RS1130022](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1130022)\n5. [A Federal Appellate Judge Who Embraces Simple Language and 'Thwacks' Legalese](https://www.law.com/litigationdaily/2021/06/28/a-federal-appellate-judge-who-embraces-simple-language-and-thwacks-legalese/)\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 A to C*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 28, 2026; Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Sep 28, 2026; Sep 29, 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/robert-e-bacharach", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-e-bacharach.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": "\"Robert E. Bacharach\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-e-bacharach. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Robert E. Bacharach](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-e-bacharach)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-e-bacharach](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-e-bacharach). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Robert E. Bacharach\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-e-bacharach. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Robert Edwin Bacharach is an American jurist serving as a United States circuit judge of the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit since 2013." }