Federal law cases arising in Fayetteville and argued before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas may be appealed to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, which is based in St. Louis, Missouri. Any appeals of an 8th Circuit Court decision would go on to the U.S. Supreme Court for consideration.
The Western District has administrative headquarters at the U.S. Courthouse in Fort Smith and divisional operations at five other cities, including Fayetteville. Federal court proceedings are held at the John Paul Hammerschmidt Federal Building at 35 E. Mountain St. Other Western District courthouses are at El Dorado, Hot Springs and Texarkana.
Federal Judges
As of spring 2026, there were 11 active judges as well as one justice who had assumed “senior status,” a semi-retirement status that allows a federal judge to continue hearing appeals but on a reduced level.
When a judge of the appellate court steps down or retires, absences are filled by appointment from the president of the United States.
Three of the current 8th Circuit Court’s judges are from Arkansas:
- The Hon. Morris S. Arnold of Little Rock, who was appointed May 26, 1992. Arnold has taken senior status and continues to hear cases as needed.
- The Hon. Lavenski R. Smith of Little Rock, who was appointed July 19, 2002.
- The Hon. Bobby E. Shepherd of El Dorado, who was appointed October 10, 2006.
All three earned law degrees at the University of Arkansas. Arnold earned his Bachelor of Laws prior to when the UA School of Law changed its law degree from a “Bachelor of Laws” to a “Juris Doctor.” He went on to earn a Master of Laws and a Doctor of Juridical Laws from Harvard. Shepherd and Smith both earned J.D.s at the UA School of Law.
The 8th Circuit covers Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Past Arkansas Appellate Judges
Five more judges from Arkansas have previously served on the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals:
- Henry Clay Caldwell, who served from 1891 to 1903
- Walter Garret Riddick, who served from 1941 to 1953
- Pat Mehaffy, who served from 1963 to 1974
- J. Smith Henley, who served from 1975 to 1982, after which he took senior status
- Richard S. Arnold, who served from 1980 to 2001
Both Pat Mehaffy and Richard S. Arnold served as chief judge for part of their tenure on the court. All but Caldwell, who read law in the 1850s and began practicing law soon after, earned law degrees at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.