of 12 active circuit judges sitting at any given time, who are required to reside within 50 miles of the District of Columbia, as set by . Judges on senior status are not subject to this restriction. As with other federal judges, they are nominated by the President and must be confirmed by the Senate. Their terms last during the "good behavior" of the judges, which typically results in life tenure. When eligible, judges may elect to take senior status. This allows a senior judge to continue to serve on the court while handling fewer cases than an active service judge. Each judge in active service employs a judicial assistant and up to four law clerks, while each judge in senior status employs a judicial assistant and one law clerk. Current composition of the court : List of former judges Chief judges Notwithstanding the foregoing, when the court was initially created, Congress had to resolve which chief judge of the predecessor courts would become the first chief judge. It was decided that the chief judge of the predecessor court who had the most seniority, as chief judge, would be the new chief judge. This made Howard T. Markey, former chief judge of the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, the first chief judge. Succession of seats The court has twelve seats for active judges, numbered in alphabetical order by their occupant at the time the court was formed, with the sole vacant seat being numbered last. Judges who retire into senior status remain on the bench but leave their seat vacant. That seat is filled by the next circuit judge appointed by the President. See also Federal Circuit Bar Association Federal Circuit appointment history List of current United States Circuit Judges List of United States patent law cases United States Court of Federal Claims Citations General references Source for the duty stations for senior judges Source for the state, lifetime, term of active judgeship, term of chief judgeship, term of senior judgeship, appointer, termination reason, and seat information Further reading External links United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Recent opinions from Findlaw The Federal Circuit Bar Association The Federal Circuit Historical Society The Federal Circuit Bar Journal 1982 establishments in the United States Courts and tribunals established in 1982