Richard R. Clifton at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- Jurisdiction
- National federal courts · Federal
- Judicial service
- July 30, 2002–present
Richard R. Clifton
Judge · U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Available research
Biography
Professional career
- Adjunct professor, Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii, 1983-1989
- Adjunct professor, Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii, 1978-1980
- Private practice, Honolulu, HI, 1977-2002
- Law clerk, Hon. Herbert Y.C. Choy, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 1975-1976
Judicial service
- Judge, Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 2002-present
- Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Education
- Princeton University · A.B., 1972
- Yale University · J.D., 1975
Personal record
Born 1950 · Framingham, MA
Courtroom rules and guidance
Appellate Oral Argument
In federal courts of appeals, oral argument is allowed unless a three-judge panel unanimously finds one of Rule 34's specified grounds for dispensing with it; the clerk provides the date, time, place, and time allocation.
Oral argument must be allowed in every case unless a panel of three judges who have examined the briefs and record unanimously agrees that oral argument is unnecessaryFederal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument ↗
Sources
Federal Judicial Center biography
Identity source · HTML · checked July 25, 2026
https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391546CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · checked August 2, 2026
https://www.courtlistener.com/person/654/richard-r-clifton/Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-appellate-procedure