Judicial Nominations

Every day, federal courts decide cases critical to our rights — from the environment to voting to immigration. Those who are appointed to serve on the bench must be qualified, fair, and impartial. Under President Trump, judicial vacancies are being filled at a breakneck speed, which could transform the federal courts. View updates on President Trump's effort to push the federal bench to the right. 

Click on the map to see information on a particular Circuit or District and see more resources below.

By Circuit By District
D.C. Circuit
Federal Circuit
District of DC

National Overview

Total Federal Judges: 870
Current Vacancies: 97 (4 circuit, 91 district, 2 Court of International Trade)
Future Vacancies: 13 (3 circuit, 10 district)
Pending Nominees: 37
Waiting for Floor Vote: 16
Waiting to be Reported out of Committee: 10
Waiting for Hearing: 11

Last updated: September 19, 2019

National Overview

Total Federal Judges: 870
Current Vacancies: 97 (4 circuit, 91 district, 2 Court of International Trade)
Future Vacancies: 13 (3 circuit, 10 district)
Pending Nominees: 37
Waiting for Floor Vote: 16
Waiting to be Reported out of Committee: 10
Waiting for Hearing: 11

Last updated: September 19, 2019

Federal Circuit

12 judgeships

  • 12 active judges
  • 6 senior status judges

D.C. Circuit

11 judgeships

  • 11 active judges
  • 7 senior status judges

Ninth Circuit

29 judgeships

  • 28 active judges
  • 16 senior status judges

1 current vacancies

  • 12/31/2016
    • Danielle Hunsaker, nominated 9/19/2019

1 future vacancy

  • 11/10/2019

Tenth Circuit

12 judgeships

  • 12 active judges
  • 10 senior status judges

Eighth Circuit

11 judgeships

  • 11 active judges
  • 7 senior status judges

Fifth Circuit

17 judgeships

  • 16 active judges
  • 10 senior status judges

1 current vacancies

  • 10/3/2017
    • Halil Ozerden, nominated 6/24/2019
      • ABA Rating: Sub. Maj. Well Qualified/Min. Qualified
      • Hearing Date: 7/17/2019

Eleventh Circuit

12 judgeships

  • 12 active judges
  • 8 senior status judges

2 future vacancies

  • TBD
  • TBD

Seventh Circuit

11 judgeships

  • 11 active judges
  • 3 senior status judges

Sixth Circuit

16 judgeships

  • 16 active judges
  • 12 senior status judges

Fourth Circuit

15 judgeships

  • 15 active judges
  • 2 senior status judges

Third Circuit

14 judgeships

  • 14 active judges
  • 11 senior status judges

Second Circuit

13 judgeships

  • 11 active judges
  • 12 senior status judges

2 current vacancy

  • 5/31/2019
    • Steven Menashi, nominated 9/9/2019
      • ABA Rating: Maj. WQ/Min. Q
      • Hearing Date: 9/11/2019
  • 6/30/2019
    • William Nardini, nominated 9/19/2019

First Circuit

6 judgeships

  • 6 active judges
  • 5 senior status judges

District of Columbia

15 judgeships

  • 15 active judges

Central District of California

28 judgeships

  • 19 active judges

9 current vacancies

  •  8/1/2014
    • Stanley Blumenfeld, nominated 2/6/2019
      • ABA Rating: Well Qualified
  • 10/29/2015
    • Jeremy Rosen, nominated 2/6/2019
  • 1/28/2016
  • 11/23/2016
  • 1/6/2017
    • Mark Scarsi, nominated 2/6/2019
      • ABA Rating: Well Qualified
  • 10/7/2017
  • 2/6/2018
  • 11/4/2018
  • 12/30/2018
  • 7/5/2019

Eastern District of California

6 judgeships

  • 6 active judges

2 future vacancies

  • 12/17/2019
  • 2/2/2020

Northern District of California

14 judgeships

  • 14 active judges

Southern District of California

13 judgeships

  • 9 active judges

5 current vacancies

  • 9/30/2016
    • Patrick Bumatay, nominated 2/6/2019
  • 12/31/2017
  • 2/6/2018
  • 10/31/2018
  • 1/23/2019

Eastern District of Washington

4 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

Western District of Washington

7 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

4 current vacancies

  • 1/27/2016
  • 2/6/2016
  • 6/28/2016
  • 2/28/2019

District of Oregon

6 judgeships

  • 6 active judges

District of Nevada

7 judgeships

  • 5 active judges

2 current vacancies

  • 2/1/2016
  • 6/29/2018

District of Idaho

2 judgeships

  • 2 active judges

District of Montana

3 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

District of Arizona

13 judgeships

  • 11 active judges

3 current vacancies

  • 4/6/2018
  • 3/4/2019

District of Alaska

3 judgeships

  • 2 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 12/31/2015

District of Wyoming

3 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

District of Utah

5 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 1/31/2019
    • David Barlow, nominated 5/29/2019
      • ABA Rating: WQ
      • Hearing Date: 7/17/2019

District of Colorado

7 judgeships

  • 6 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 3/3/2019

District of New Mexico

7 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

3 current vacancies

  • 2/7/2018
    • Kea Riggs, nominated 5/13/2019
      • ABA Rating: Sub. Maj. WQ/Min. Q, 1 Abstention
      • Hearing Date: 6/26/2019
      • Reported Out of Committee: 7/18/2019 (VV)
  • 7/25/2018
    • Kevin Sweazea, nominated 5/29/2019
      • ABA Rating: Well Qualified
  • 7/1/2019

District of Kansas

6 judgeships

  • 6 active judges

Eastern District of Oklahoma

1 judgeship

  • 1 active judge

Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma

1 shared judgeship

  • 0 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 8/1/2017

Northern District of Oklahoma

  • 4 judgeships
    • 4 active judges

Western District of Oklahoma

6 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

2 current vacancies

  • 11/5/2018
    • Jodi Dishman, nominated 9/9/2019
  • 7/1/2019

District of North Dakota

2 judgeships

  • 2 active judges

1 future vacancy

  • 11/10/2019
    • Daniel Traynor, nominated 9/19/2019

District of South Dakota

3 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

District of Nebraska

3 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

District of Minnesota

7 judgeships

  • 7 active judges

1 future vacancy

  • 10/15/2019

Northern District of Iowa

2 judgeships

  • 2 active judges

Southern District of Iowa

3 total judgeships

  • 3 active judges

Eastern District of Missouri

9 judgeships

  • 8 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 12/31/2018
    • Sarah Pitlyk, nominated 9/9/2019

1 future vacancy

  • 8/1/2020

Western District of Missouri

6 judgeships

  • 6 active judges

Eastern District of Arkansas

5 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 3/31/2018
    • Lee Rudofsky, nominated 7/8/2019
      • ABA Rating: Sub. Maj. Qualified/Min. Well Qualified, 1 Recusal, 1 Abstention
      • Hearing Date: 7/31/2019

Western District of Arkansas

3 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

Eastern District of Texas

8 judgeships

  • 8 active judges

Northern District of Texas

12 judgeships

  • 11 active judges

1 current vacancies

  • 7/3/2013
    • Ada Brown, nominated 3/26/2019
      • ABA Rating: WQ
      • Hearing Date: 4/30/2019
      • Reported Out of Committee: 6/13/2019 (18-4)

Southern District of Texas

19 judgeships

  • 17 active judges

2 current vacancies

  • 12/9/2018
    • Charles Eskridge III, nominated 5/13/2019
      • ABA Rating: WQ
      • Hearing Date: 6/5/2019
      • Reported Out of Committee: 6/27/2019 (15-7)
  • 7/5/2019

Western District of Texas

13 judgeships

  • 13 active judges

Eastern District of Louisiana

12 judgeships

  • 12 active judges

Middle District of Louisiana

3 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

Western District of Louisiana

7 judgeships

  • 6 active judges

1 current vacancies

  • 11/30/2017

Northern District of Mississippi

3 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

Southern District of Mississippi

6 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

2 current vacancies

  • 3/23/2018
  • 4/30/2019

1 future vacancy

  • TBD

District of Hawaii

4 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

Eastern District of Michigan

15 judgeships

  • 14 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 10/26/2016
    • Stephanie Davis, nominated 3/11/2019
      • ABA Rating: WQ
      • Hearing: 5/22/2019
      • Reported Out of Committee: 6/20/2019 (VV)

Western District of Michigan

4 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

1 current vacancy

Eastern District of Wisconsin

5 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 2/5/2016

1 future vacancy

  • 12/31/2019

Western District of Wisconsin

2 judgeships

  • 2 active judges

Central District of Illinois

4 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

Northern District of Illinois

22 judgeships

  • 20 active judges

2 current vacancies

  • 2/17/2018
    • John Kness, nominated 6/24/19
      • ABA Rating: Qualified
      • Hearing Date: 7/17/2019
  • 5/10/2019

1 future vacancy

  • 9/27/2019

Southern District of Illinois

4 judgeships

      • 2 active judges

2 current vacancies

    • 1/7/2019
    • 3/31/2019

Northern District of Indiana

5 judgeships

  • 5 active judges

Southern District of Indiana

5 judgeships

  • 5 active judges

Northern District of Ohio

11 judgeships

  • 10 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 6/30/2019

1 future vacancy

  • 1/06/2020

Southern District of Ohio

8 judgeships

  • 5 active judges

3 current vacancies

  • 6/30/2017
    • Matthew McFarland, re-nominated 1/23/2019
      • Nominated: 11/3/2018
      • ABA Rating: Maj. Qualified/Min. Not Qualified
      • Hearing Date: 6/26/2019
      • Reported Out of Committee: 7/18/2019 (12-10)
  • 5/31/2018
    • Douglas Cole, nominated 5/13/2019
      • ABA Rating: WQ
      • Hearing Date: 6/26/2019
      • Reported Out of Committee: 7/18/2019 (17-5)
  • 2/15/2019

Eastern and Western District of Kentucky

1 shared judgeship

  • 1 active judge

Eastern District of Kentucky

5 judgeships

  • 5 active judges

Western District of Kentucky

4 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 6/9/2019
    • Justin Walker, nominated 6/24/19
      • ABA Rating: Sub. Maj. Not Qualified/Min. Qualified
      • Hearing Date: 7/31/2019

Eastern District of Tennessee

5 judgeships

  • 5 active judges

 

Middle District of Tennessee

4 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

Western District of Tennessee

5 judgeships

  • 5 active judges

Middle District of Alabama

3 judgeships

  • 2 active judges

1 current vacancies

  • 1/31/2019
    • R. Austin Huffaker Jr., nominated 7/8/2019
      • ABA Rating: WQ
      • Hearing Date: 7/31/2019

Northern District of Alabama

8 judgeships

  • 8 active judges

1 future vacancy

  • 4/25/2020

Southern District of Alabama

3 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

Middle District of Georgia

4 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

Northern District of Georgia

11 judgeships

  • 11 active judges

Southern District of Georgia

3 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

Middle District of Florida

15 judgeships

  • 14 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 12/14/2018

Northern District of Florida

4 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

Southern District of Florida

18 judgeships

  • 16 active judges

2 current vacancies

  • 8/5/2016
    • Anuraag Singhal, nominated 9/9/2019
      • ABA Rating: Maj. WQ/Min. Q
      • Hearing Date: 9/11/2019
  • 8/1/2017

District of South Carolina

10 judgeships

  • 8 active judges

2 current vacancies

  • 8/16/2018
  • 2/28/2019

Eastern District of North Carolina

4 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 12/31/2005
    • Richard Myers II, nominated 9/9/2019
      • ABA Rating: Sub. Maj. WQ/Min. Q
      • Hearing Date: 9/11/2019

Middle District of North Carolina

4 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

Western District of North Carolina

5 judgeships

  • 5 active judges

Eastern District of Virginia

11 judgeships

  • 10 active judges

1 current vacancies

  • 6/1/2018
    • David Novak, nominated 3/26/2019
      • ABA Rating: Sub. Maj. WQ/Min. Q
      • Hearing Date: 4/30/2019
      • Reported Out of Committee: 6/13/2019 (19-3)

1 future vacancy

  • 8/1/2019

 

 

Western District of Virginia

4 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 12/11/2017

Northern District of West Virginia

3 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

Southern District of West Virginia

5 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 11/1/2018
    • Frank Volk, nominated 4/4/2019
      • ABA Rating: Q
      • Hearing: 5/22/2019
      • Reported Out of Committee: 6/20/2019 (VV)

District of Maryland

10 judgeships

  • 10 active judges

District of Delaware

4 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

District of New Jersey

17 judgeships

  • 11 active judges

6 current vacancies

  • 2/10/2015
  • 3/6/2015
  • 5/31/2017
  • 6/14/2018
  • 11/2/2018
  • 5/16/2019

Eastern District of Pennsylvania

22 judgeships

  • 19 active judges

3 current vacancies

  • 9/28/2017
    • Karen Marston, nominated 9/9/2019
      • ABA Rating: WQ
      • Hearing Date: 9/11/2019
  • 7/17/2018
  • 10/9/2018

Middle District of Pennsylvania

6 judgeships

  • 5 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 10/11/2018
    • Jennifer Wilson, nominated 5/13/2019
      • ABA Rating: WQ, 1 Abstention
      • Hearing Date: 6/5/2019
      • Reported Out of Committee: 6/27/2019 (18-4)

Western District of Pennsylvania

10 judgeships

  • 7 active judges

3 current vacancies

  • 1/1/2018
    • Robert Colville, nominated 3/5/2019
      • ABA Rating: WQ
      • Hearing Date: No hearing held this Congress.
      • Reported Out of Committee: 5/9/2019 (14-8)
  • 6/13/2019
  • 7/16/2019

Eastern District of New York

15 judgeships

  • 10 active judges

5 current vacancies

  • 1/21/2015
    • Gary Brown, re-nominated 5/21/2019
      • Nominated: 5/15/2019
      • ABA Rating: WQ (from prior nomination)
      • Hearing: 8/1/2018
      • Reported Out of Committee: 6/20/2019 (VV)
  • 3/9/2016
    • Diane Gujarati, re-nominated 5/21/2019
      • Nominated: 5/15/2018
      • ABA Rating: WQ (from prior nomination)
      • Hearing: 8/1/2018
      • Reported Out of Committee: 6/20/2019 (VV)
  • 11/30/2016
    • Rachel Kovner, re-nominated 5/21/2019
      • Nominated: 5/15/2018
      • ABA Rating: Sub. Maj. WQ/Min. Q (from prior nomination)
      • Hearing: 8/1/2018
      • Reported Out of Committee: 6/20/2019 (21-1)
  • 2/28/2017
    • Eric Komitee, re-nominated 5/21/2019
      • Nominated: 5/15/2018
      • ABA Rating: WQ (from prior nomination)
      • Hearing: 8/1/2018
      • Reported Out of Committee: 6/20/2019 (21-1)
  • 5/8/2019

Northern District of New York

5 judgeships

  • 4 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 1/1/2016

Southern District of New York

28 judgeships

  • 22 active judges

6 current vacancies

  • 8/1/2015
    • Lewis Litman, re-nominated 5/21/2019
      • Nominated: 5/15/2018
      • ABA Rating: WQ (from prior nomination)
      • Hearing: 8/1/2018
      • Reported Out of Committee: 6/20/2019 (15-7)
  • 3/1/2017
    • Mary Vyskocil, re-nominated 5/15/2019
      • Nominated: 5/15/2018
      • ABA Rating: WQ (from prior nomination)
      • Hearing: 8/1/2018
      • Reported Out of Committee: 6/20/2019 (21-1)
  • 8/5/2017
    • Philip Halpern, re-nominated 1/23/2019
      • Nominated: 11/13/2018
  • 3/1/2018
  • 9/11/2018
  • 10/11/2018

Western District of New York

4 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 3/8/2015
    • John Sinatra, re-nominated 5/21/2019
      • Nominated: 5/15/2018
      • ABA Rating: Q
      • Hearing: 8/1/2018
      • Reported Out of Committee: 6/20/2019 (16-6)

District of Connecticut

8 judgeships

  • 7 active judges

1 current vacancy

  • 8/31/2018

District of Massachusetts

13 judgeships

  • 11 active judges

2 vacancies

  • 6/1/2015
  • 1/1/2018

District of Vermont

2 judgeships

  • 2 active judges

District of New Hampshire

3 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

District of Rhode Island

3 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

District of Maine

3 judgeships

  • 3 active judges

District of Puerto Rico

7 judgeships

  • 6 active judges

1 current vacancies

  • 9/30/2018

District of Virgin Islands

2 judgeships

  • 2 active judges

 

On the Bench: Tracking President Trump's Judicial Nominations

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Judicial Nominations Resources

This page shares resources about the dramatic change in the composition of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Courts.

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Changing Circuit Court Composition

The Trump administration is nominating people for vacancies in the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals and the Senate is confirming those nominees at a record pace.

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