About the 3rd Circuit The 3rd Circuit covers Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. It has fourteen seats, none of which are vacant. Ten judges are male and four are female. One is Hispanic and one is African American. Reproductive Rights in the 3rd Circuit Grade: C- The states in the 3rd Circuit receive an average grade of C- regarding reproductive rights. The laws in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania reflect a mixed legislative record on reproductive rights issues, with New Jersey receiving the highest marks on choice of the three states. While courts have struck down some of the onerous restrictions in these states, many remain on the books, thus impinging on reproductive freedom. It will be up to the judges who sit on the 3rd Circuit Court to uphold or deny a woman's reproductive rights in the face of these challenging legislative obstacles. Acknowledgment: NCJW thanks the NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation for the use of data contained in the "2005 Report Card on Women’s Reproductive Rights" included in Who Decides? The Status of Women's Reproductive Rights in the United States, 14th edition, 2005 In this publication, NARAL Pro-Choice America assigned each state and the District of Columbia a letter grade based on the nature of reproductive rights laws in 19 categories. These grades were averaged to offer a general overview of the status of reproductive rights in each circuit.       Pending Nominees to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals Michael Chertoff Judges on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals Anthony J. Scirica, Chief Judge appointed 8/6/87 by President Ronald Reagan Dolores K. Sloviter, appointed 6/21/79 by President Jimmy Carter Richard L. Nygaard, appointed 10/17/88 by President Ronald Reagan Samuel A. Alito, Jr., appointed 4/30/90 by President George Bush Jane R. Roth, appointed 7/2/92 by President George Bush Theodore A. Mckee, appointed 6/9/94 by President William Clinton Marjorie O. Rendell, appointed 9/28/97 by President William Clinton Maryanne Trump Barry, appointed 9/22/99 by President William Clinton Thomas L. Ambro, appointed 2/16/00 by President William Clinton Julio M. Fuentes, appointed 3/9/00 by President William Clinton D. Brooks Smith, appointed 8/2/02 by President George W. Bush Michael Chertoff, appointed 6/10/03 by President George W. Bush D. Michael Fisher, appointed 12/11/03 by President George W. Bush Franklin Stuart Van Antwerpen, appointed by President George W. Bush