U.S. Circuit Judge Albert Diaz has been named the next chief judge of the Fourth Circuit and is the first Hispanic jurist to helm the federal appellate court, replacing outgoing Chief Judge Roger L. Gregory (article available here).
Selection of the chief judge is based on seniority and age, with the most senior active judge under 65 eligible to fill the role of chief judge for a term of seven years, the Fourth Circuit said. Judge Gregory, who was first appointed to the Fourth Circuit in 2000, and was the first Black judge to join the Fourth Circuit, as well as the first Black jurist to serve as chief judge. served a full seven-year term as chief judge beginning in 2016.
Judge Gregory will continue to serve on the Fourth Circuit as an active judge, according to the release.