As an appellate judge, Timothy Tymkovich reviews briefs, hears oral arguments and sits alongside his colleagues on three-judge panels. But in the last few years, he’s taken on a new gig: sitting at the district court-level as a visiting judge.

Tymkovich is one of five judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit who presided over district court cases. While it’s far more typical for trial  judges to visit appellate courts, Tymkovich said he and his colleagues are motivated by both a desire to help tackle lower court caseloads and to gain a different perspective.