Claude M. Hilton

Education and career

Born in Scott County, Virginia, Hilton spent his earliest childhood largely outdoors on his family's farm and raised an adopted fox. His family later moved to Dayton, Ohio and he eventually received a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio State University in 1963 while working as a men's clothier clerk at the Lazarus Department Store.

He achieved a Juris Doctor from the Washington College of Law at American University in 1966, and married his wife Joretta.

He was an assistant commonwealth's attorney of Arlington, Virginia, from 1967 to 1968. He was in private practice in Arlington from 1968 to 1973, was the Commonwealth's Attorney for Arlington County from 1974 to 1975, and returned to private practice from 1976 to 1985. He was also a commissioner in chancery for the Circuit Court of Arlington County from 1976 to 1985.

Federal judicial service

On May 15, 1985, Hilton was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a new seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 10, 1985.

Hilton served as chief judge from 1997 to 2004, assuming senior status on December 31, 2005. In May 2000, Chief Justice William Rehnquist appointed Hilton as a judge on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC). His term on the FISC expired on May 18, 2007.

As of December 2025, Hilton, who sat in Alexandria, appears to be inactive.

References

References

1. (2000). "Biography and Genealogy Master Index: A Consolidated Index to More Than 3,200,000 Biographical Sketches in Over 350 Current and Retrospective Biographical Dictionaries". Gale Research Company.
2. (1985). "Confirmation hearings on federal appointments : hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Ninety-ninth Congress, first session, on confirmation hearings on appointments to the federal judiciary and the Department of Justice. pt.2".
3. https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Profile_Hilton-pdf-1.pdf {{Bare URL PDF. (August 2024)
4. "Hilton, Claude M. - Federal Judicial Center". Federal Judicial Center.
5. "Court Locations - Alexandria".