Bill Traxler is the former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, a court that hears appeals from the federal courts in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland.  He is a graduate of Davidson College and the University of South Carolina Law School.  He practiced law in Greenville, South Carolina with his father until 1975 when he became an assistant state prosecutor.  He was promoted to deputy prosecutor in 1978, and in 1981 he was appointed as the Solicitor (State Prosecutor) for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in South Carolina by Governor Richard Riley.  In 1982, he was elected without opposition.  He was elected a resident state trial judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in 1985 by the General Assembly of South Carolina and was re-elected in 1986.

In 1991, because of a recommendation by Senator Strom Thurmond, President George Bush nominated him to be a United States District Court Judge for South Carolina.  He was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 2, 1992.  In 1997, he was named to the Board of Directors for the Federal Judges’ Association.  On July 10, 1998, because of a recommendation by Senator Ernest F. Hollings, President Bill Clinton nominated him to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.  He was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 28, 1998 and began service as a United States Circuit Judge.  In 2007, he was elected to the Board of Directors for the Federal Judicial Center.

On July 9, 2009, he became Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.  In 2010, the Chief Justice named him to the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States.  In 2013, the Chief Justice appointed him Chair of the Executive Committee.  He served as both the Chief Judge of the Fourth Circuit and as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States until July 2016 when his terms expired.