Iconic Third Circuit Senior Judge Delores K. Sloviter assumed inactive status yesterday. Her decision was announced in a press release issued by Chief Judge McKee (link here from How Appealing). According to Chief Judge McKee’s statement, she “made the difficult decision due to a serious medical condition with her eyes.”

Chief Judge McKee’s statement contains a warm tribute to Judge Sloviter, describing her as “a trailblazer” and noting that she was the first woman to be a Third Circuit judge and the only woman to be the court’s Chief Judge. The statement concludes:

Judge Sloviter is a true legal giant. Her contribution to the Court and the legal profession cannot be diminished. I speak for the entire Court family in wishing Judge Sloviter good health, and in thanking her for all that she has done for the Third Circuit. We expect and hope that she will continue to play an active role in the life of the Court through participation on court committees and other duties.

Additional coverage by P.J. D’Annunzio in the Legal Intelligencer here, with admiring quotes from Shira Goodman, Chip Becker, and Bill Hangley. And Bruce Greenberg has this post on his New Jersey Appellate Law blog.

Chief Judge McKee’s statement does not mention what will happen to Judge Sloviter’s current clerks. (One of them is Tyson Herrold, per LinkedIn.) Here’s hoping they land on their feet.

Judge Sloviter’s final published opinion was last November, here. Her final decided case was yesterday, here. UPDATE: I spoke too soon. The court issued a per curiam opinion today (the day after she assumed inactive status) in which she is listed on the panel.

The Third Circuit will not be the same without her.