Relative of justice or judge ineligible to appointment
28 U.S.C. § 458
in effect(a)(1) No person shall be appointed to or employed in any office or duty in any court who is related by affinity or consanguinity within the degree of first cousin to any justice or judge of such court. (2) With respect to the appointment of a judge of a court exercising judicial power under article III of the United States Constitution (other than the Supreme Court), subsection (b) shall apply in lieu of this subsection.
(b)(1) In this subsection, the term—(A) “same court” means—(i) in the case of a district court, the court of a single judicial district; and (ii) in the case of a court of appeals, the court of appeals of a single circuit; and (B) “member”—(i) means an active judge or a judge retired in senior status under section 371(b); and (ii) shall not include a retired judge, except as described under clause (i). (2) No person may be appointed to the position of judge of a court exercising judicial power under article III of the United States Constitution (other than the Supreme Court) who is related by affinity or consanguinity within the degree of first cousin to any judge who is a member of the same court.
Source: OLRC USLMURL: https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/95/xml_usc28@119-95.zipFetched: 6/4/2026