Federal district court and circuit court judges serve as the face of law and justice for many citizens in the United States. Because of their importance, there is interest among scholars, students, the media, the public, and policymakers to understand who these judges are and what decisions they make as judges. In aid of improving societal understanding and perceptions of the federal judiciary, this project will develop, make public, and use the Federal Judicial Database. When complete, these data will include detailed background information on all federal district and circuit judges serving from 1789 to the present selected to their positions through presidential nomination and Senate confirmation. The data will be presented to the public through an interactive website designed to facilitate broad user accessibility. The Federal Judicial Database will provide detailed biographical, attribute, and background data on the thousands of federal district and circuit judges selected into their positions under Article III of the U.S. Constitution. Compiled from federal judges’ nomination documentation presented to the Senate, along with other congressional, judicial, and biographical sources and updates of prior data collection efforts, the Federal Judicial Database will include extensive data on each federal judge, including information on nomination, confirmation, departure, demographics, biography, prior judicial and legal employment, and pre-appointment writings and speeches.