On April 5, 1985, Reagan nominated Porfilio to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit vacated by Judge Robert Hugh McWilliams Jr. Porfilio was confirmed by the Senate on May 3, 1985, and received his commission on May 10, 1985. He assumed senior status on October 15, 1999. On January 8, 1996, Porfillio legally changed his name back to his birth name.
