On the Bench: Federal Judiciary

This Week

March 23, 2023

With several absences in the Democratic Caucus, the Senate made little progress on judicial nominations this week. As of this writing, Magistrate Judge Gordon Gallagher (D. Colo.) has been the only confirmation of the week. He was confirmed in a 53-43 vote. This leaves 19 nominees pending on the Senate floor, awaiting cloture and confirmation votes.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing this week. The hearing featured 2 Article III nominees: Judge Amanda Brailsford (D. Idaho) and Magistrate Judge Kato Crews (D. Colo.). Both nominees are eligible for a committee vote.

Earlier this week, the White House announced the latest slate of judicial nominees. The slate featured 4 Article III nominees: Jeremy Daniel (N.D. Ill.), Magistrate Judge Brendan Hurson (D. Md.), Magistrate Judge Matthew Maddox (D. Md.), and Darrel Papillion (E.D. La.).

As of March 23, there are 100 Article III vacancies, 73 of which are current. There are 37 pending nominees: 19 waiting for floor votes, 12 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 6 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 118 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

Previous Weeks

March 16, 2023

The Senate made limited progress on judicial nominations this week with only one confirmation. Jessica Clarke (S.D.N.Y.) was confirmed by the Senate in a 48-43 vote. There are still 20 nominees who are awaiting action on the Senate floor.

The Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to hold an executive business meeting this week. The Committee canceled the meeting, likely due to Senator Feinstein’s continued absence. The Committee has noticed a hearing for March 22. As of March 16, the nominees who will appear at this hearing are not public, but it is likely that several judicial nominees will appear.

As of March 16, there are 98 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. There are 34 pending nominees: 20 waiting for floor votes, 10 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 4 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 117 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

March 9, 2023

The Senate continued to make substantial progress on judicial nominations this week. As of this writing, the has Senate confirmed 5 Article III nominees: Justice Maria Kahn (2d Cir.) in a 51-42 vote, Magistrate Judge Robert Ballou (W.D. Va.) in a 59-37 vote, Arun Subramanian (S.D.N.Y.) in a 59-37 vote, Judge James Simmons Jr. (S.D. Cal.) in a 51-43 vote, and Magistrate Judge Andrew Schopler (S.D. Cal.) in a 56-39 vote. Despite this progress, there are still 21 nominees who are awaiting action on the Senate floor.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting this week. The Committee was set to vote on several candidates, but they were unable to due to Senator Feinstein’s continued absence. At the meeting, the Committee advanced only 1 nominee: Magistrate Judge Matthew Brookman (S.D. Ind.). Brookman is now eligible for cloture and confirmation votes.

Judge Marco Hernandez (D. Or.) announced his intention to take senior status in August 2024. This will be the only current or known future vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.

As of March 9, there are 98 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. There are 35 pending nominees: 21 waiting for floor votes, 10 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 4 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 116 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

March 2, 2023

The Senate made good progress on judicial nominations this week. As of this writing, the Senate confirmed 6 Article III nominees: Jamar Walker (E.D. Va.) in a 52-41 vote, Margaret Guzman (D. Mass.) in a 49-48 vote, Jamal Whitehead (W.D. Wash.) in a 51-43 vote, Araceli Martinez-Olguin (N.D. Cal.) in a 49-48 vote, Judge Colleen Lawless (C.D. Ill.) in a 51-41 vote, and Magistrate Judge Jonathan Grey (E.D. Mich.) in a 49-42 vote. These confirmations continue the trend under the Biden-Harris Administration of diversifying the federal bench, as a majority of them are people of color.

The Senate also invoked cloture on 2 Article III nominees: Magistrate Judge Gordon Gallagher (D. Colo.) and Judge James Simmons Jr. (S.D. Cal.). Their confirmation votes could come as soon as next week.

The Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to have an executive business meeting this week, where it was set to vote on several judicial nominees. The meeting, however, was cancelled.

As of March 2, there are 102 Article III vacancies, 79 of which are current. There are 40 pending nominees: 25 waiting for floor votes, 11 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 4 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 111 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

February 23, 2023

With the Senate on recess this week, there was no progress on judicial nominations. When the Senate returns on Monday, it is set to take a cloture vote for Jamar Walker (E.D. Va.). This sets up the first of several potential confirmations next week.

The White House announced the next slate of judicial nominees this week. The slate had two Article III nominees: Jabari Wamble (D. Kan.) and Magistrate Judge Kato Crews (D. Colo.). Wamble had previously been nominated to the Tenth Circuit in the last Congress.

As of February 23, there are 108 Article III vacancies, 83 of which are current. Once the new nominees are officially nominated, there will be 46 pending nominees: 31 waiting for floor votes, 11 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 4 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 105 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

February 16, 2023

The Senate made significant progress on judicial nominees this week. As of this writing, it has confirmed 7 Article III nominees: Cindy Chung (3d Cir.) in a 50-44 vote; Judge Gina R. Méndez-Miró (D.P.R.) in a 54-45 vote; Lindsay Jenkins (N.D. Ill.) in a 59-40 vote; Matthew Garcia (D.N.M.) in a 53-46 vote; Justice Adrienne Nelson (D. Or.) in a 52-46 vote; Ana Reyes (D.D.C.) in a 51-47 vote; and Judge Daniel Calabretta (E.D. Cal.) in a 51-45 vote. This wave of confirmations continues the Biden-Harris Administration’s emphasis on confirming diverse nominees to the federal bench.

In addition to continuing to diversify the federal bench, this week saw the 100th Article III confirmation during the Biden-Harris Administration. This administration reached this milestone faster than either of the two previous administrations. For more on this milestone, check out ACS’s Fact Sheet on the topic.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for 6 Article III nominees: Michael Delaney (1st Cir.), Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cummings (N.D. Ill.), Judge LaShonda Hunt (N.D. Ill.), Judge Marian Gaston (S.D. Cal.), Judge Wesley Hsu (C.D. Cal.), and Mónica Ramírez Almadani (C.D. Cal.). The six nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

On Thursday, the committee held an executive business meeting where it held over 5 Article III nominees: Charnelle Bjelkengren (E.D. Wash.), Orelia Merchant (E.D.N.Y.), Magistrate Judge Matthew Brookman (S.D. Ind.), Michael Farbiarz (D.N.J.), and Judge Robert Kirsch (D.N.J.). The nominees will likely receive a committee vote at the next Senate Judiciary executive business meeting.

As of February 16, there are 108 Article III vacancies, 83 of which are current. There are 44 pending nominees: 31 waiting for floor votes, 11 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 2 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 105 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

February 9, 2023

The Senate finally confirmed the first judicial nominee of this Congress: DeAndrea Benjamin (4th Cir.) in a 53-44 vote. Benjamin continues the trend under the Biden-Harris Administration of confirming women of color to the U.S. circuit courts. As of this writing, the Senate also invoked cloture on Cindy Chung (3d Cir.), setting up a potential confirmation vote as early as next week.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting. At the meeting, the Committee voted to advance 22 Article III nominees and revoted on 2 Article III nominees from the prior executive business meeting. The 24 Article III nominees were: Nancy Abudu (11th Cir.), Rachel Bloomekatz (6th Cir.), Anthony Johnstone (9th Cir.), Julie Rikelman (1st Cir.), Magistrate Judge Robert Ballou (W.D. Va.), Judge Todd Edelman (D.D.C.), Judge Colleen Lawless (C.D. Ill.), Justice Myong Joun (D. Mass.), Nusrat Choudhury (E.D.N.Y.), Natasha Merle (E.D.N.Y.), Jessica Clarke (S.D.N.Y.), Kymberly Evanson (W.D. Wash.), Magistrate Judge Gordon Gallagher (D. Colo.), Magistrate Judge Jonathan Grey (E.D. Mich.), P. Casey Pitts (N.D. Cal.), Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes (E.D.N.Y.), Arun Subramanian (S.D.N.Y.), Dale Ho (S.D.N.Y.), Judge Hernán Vera (C.D. Cal.), Judge Kenly Kato (C.D. Cal.), Julia Kobick (D. Mass.), Judge Rita Lin (N.D. Cal.), Judge James Simmons Jr. (S.D. Cal.), and Magistrate Judge Andrew Schopler (S.D. Cal.). All 24 nominees are eligible for consideration from the full Senate.

Judge Joseph Greenway Jr. (3d Cir.) has announced his intention to retire this June. This is the thirteenth vacancy at the circuit court level.

As of February 9, there are 114 Article III vacancies, 87 of which are current. There are 51 pending nominees: 38 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 8 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 98 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

January 26, 2023

Earlier this week, the White House published the latest list of judicial renominations. The slate included nearly every nominee who was still pending at the end of the last Congress. Two nominees were not renominated: Judge William Pocan (E.D. Wis.) and Jabari Wamble (10th Cir.). In speaking with the press, the White House indicated that, while it will not be renominating Pocan at this time, it does expect to renominate Wamble at a later date.

The Senate Judiciary Committee resumed judicial nominations activity this week. On Wednesday, the Committee held the first hearing of the new Congress. The hearing had five Article III nominees: Charnelle Bjelkengren (E.D. Wash.), Orelia Merchant (E.D.N.Y.), Magistrate Judge Matthew Brookman (S.D. Ind.), Michael Farbiarz (D.N.J.), and Judge Robert Kirsch (D.N.J.). All five nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

On Thursday, the Committee held the first executive business meeting of the session. The Committee held over 25 Article III nominees who had been renominated by the White House. These nominees could receive a committee vote as soon as next Thursday.

Judge William Orrick III (N.D. Cal.) has announced his intention to take senior status this May. This is the fourth vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

As of January 26, there are 113 Article III vacancies, 85 of which are current. There are 48 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 44 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 4 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 97 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

January 19, 2023

With the Senate set to return from the January recess next week, the White House announced the next slate of judicial nominees. The new slate included four Article III nominees: Michael Delaney (1st Cir.), Judge Amanda Brailsford (D. Idaho), Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cummings (N.D. Ill.), and Judge LaShonda Hunt (N.D. Ill.). If confirmed, Brailsford would be the first woman to ever serve as a district court judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho.

When the Senate returns next week, the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to resume advancing judicial nominees. On Wednesday, the Committee has noticed a hearing. As of January 19, the nominees who will appear at this hearing are not public, but it is likely that several judicial nominees will appear. It is also likely that the Committee will hold an executive business meeting on Thursday.

Judge Karen Schrier (D.S.D.) has announced her intention to take senior status at a later date. This is the second vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota.

As of January 19, there are 112 Article III vacancies, 85 of which are current. There are 28 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 25 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 3 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 97 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

January 12, 2023

The Senate made no progress on judicial nominations this week, as the lengthy January recess is still underway. The Senate is set to return on January 23, and the expectation is that judicial nominations activity will resume then.

According to reports, Judge Paul Watford (9th Cir.) is set to resign on May 31. Judge Watford is resigning from the bench well before becoming eligible for senior status. This will be the fourteenth current or known future vacancy at the circuit court level. If all the nominees from the last Congress are renominated, this will be the fifth circuit court vacancy without an announced nominee.

As of January 12, there are 111 Article III vacancies, 85 of which are current. There are 28 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 25 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 3 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 97 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

January 5, 2023

The Senate briefly marked the start of the 118th Congress this week before leaving town for the January recess. With the Senate back in session, the White House announced the renomination of a majority of the nominees who were still pending at the end of the last Congress. More renominations are likely to come later this month. The expectation is the nominees who have been renominated will need a new vote out of the Senate Judiciary Committee but will not need to have a new hearing.

In late December, the White House announced its intent to nominate 6 new Article III nominees: Magistrate Judge Matthew Brookman (S.D. Ind.), Michael Farbiarz (D.N.J.), Judge Marian Gaston (S.D. Cal.), Judge Wesley Hsu (C.D. Cal.), Judge Robert Kirsch (D.N.J.), and Mónica Ramírez Almadani (C.D. Cal.). Brookman, Farbiarz, and Kirsch were officially nominated with the group of renominations earlier this week.

As of January 5, there are 111 Article III vacancies, 84 of which are current. There are 28 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 25 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 3 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 97 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration

December 15, 2022

The Senate made some progress on judicial nominations this week. Earlier this week, the Senate confirmed 2 Article III nominees: Justice Tamika Montgomery-Reeves (3d Cir.) in a 53-35 vote and Magistrate Judge Dana Douglas (5th Cir.) in a 65-31 vote. As of this writing, there are no other judicial confirmation votes scheduled for the remainder of the week.

With these two confirmations, there have now been 13 Article III judges confirmed during the lame duck session. Additionally, there have now been 11 Black women confirmed to the circuit courts during this administration. Prior to the current administration, only 8 Black women had ever served as circuit court judges.

The Senate Judiciary Committee continued to make good progress advancing judicial nominees through the Senate confirmation process. On Tuesday, the Committee held a hearing for 4 Article III nominees: Magistrate Judge Gordon Gallagher (D. Colo.), P. Casey Pitts (N.D. Cal.), Magistrate Judge Andrew Schopler (S.D. Cal.), and Arun Subramanian (S.D.N.Y.). These nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote, which will likely come in the next Congress.

As of December 15, there are 110 Article III vacancies, 81 of which are current. There are 44 pending nominees: 24 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting for discharge petitions, 10 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 5 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 97 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration

December 8, 2022

The Senate made substantial progress on judicial nominations this week. This week, the Senate confirmed 8 Article III nominees: Magistrate Judge Doris Pryor (7th Cir.) in a 60-31 vote, Judge Frances Kay Behm (E.D. Mich.) in a 49-47 vote, Kelley Hodge (E.D. Pa.) in a 52-44 vote, John Murphy (E.D. Pa.) in a 63-28 vote, Judge Mia Perez (E.D. Pa.) in a 52-43 vote, Judge Kai Scott (E.D. Pa.) in a 50-42 vote, Jerry Blackwell (D. Minn.) in a 51-43 vote, and Judge Jeffery Hopkins (S.D. Ohio) in a 64-32 vote. This brings the total number of judges confirmed during the lame duck to 11.

The Senate also invoked cloture on Justice Tamika Montgomery-Reeves (3d Cir.) and Magistrate Judge Dana Douglas (5th Cir.). This sets up confirmation votes as early as next week.

The Senate Judiciary Committee continued to make good progress advancing judicial nominees through the Senate confirmation process. On Thursday, the Committee held an executive business meeting. At the meeting, the Committee advanced five Article III nominees: DeAndrea Benjamin (4th Cir.), Kymberly Evanson (W.D. Wash.), Magistrate Judge Robert Ballou (W.D. Va.), Judge Colleen Lawless (C.D. Ill.), and Justice Myong Joun (D. Mass.). These nominees are now eligible for cloture and confirmation votes. Despite being eligible for a vote, Judge Todd Edelman (D.D.C.) was held over for a second time.

As of December 8, there are 111 Article III vacancies, 80 of which are current. There are 46 pending nominees: 26 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting for discharge petitions, 6 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 9 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 95 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

In other judiciary news, the House Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing on judicial ethics. The hearing featured Rev. Robert Schenck, who was recently at the center of a story by the New York Times on an alleged leak of the Hobby Lobby decision.

December 1, 2022

The Senate returned from the Thanksgiving recess and made some progress on judicial nominations. This week the Senate confirmed Magistrate Judge Camille L. Vélez-Rivé (D.P.R.) in a 55-42 vote; and Anne Nardacci (N.D.N.Y.) in a 52-44 vote. As of this writing, the Senate also took cloture votes on Jerry Blackwell (D. Minn.) and Magistrate Judge Doris Pryor (7th Cir.). It is unclear at this time when the confirmation votes on these two nominees will be.

The Senate Judiciary Committee continued to make good progress advancing judicial nominees through the Senate confirmation process. On Wednesday, the Committee held a hearing for five Article III nominees: Magistrate Judge Jonathan Grey (E.D. Mich.), Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes (E.D.N.Y.), Julia Kobick (D. Mass.), Judge Rita Lin (N.D. Cal.), and Judge James Simmons Jr. (S.D. Cal.). These nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

On Thursday, the Committee also held an executive business meeting. At the meeting, the Committee advanced eleven Article III nominees: Anthony Johnstone (9th Cir.), Justice Maria Kahn (2d Cir.), Judge Daniel Calabretta (E.D. Cal.), Judge Jeffery Hopkins (S.D. Ohio), Matthew Garcia (D.N.M.), Margaret Guzman (D. Mass.), Lindsay Jenkins (N.D. Ill.), Justice Adrienne Nelson (D. Or.), Jamal Whitehead (W.D. Wash.), Jamar Walker (E.D. Va.), and Araceli Martinez-Olguin (N.D. Cal.). These nominees are now eligible for cloture and confirmation votes. Julie Rikelman (1st Cir.) received a tie vote. Rikelman will need Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to file discharge petitions to advance out of committee. If the petition receives a majority vote, she will then be eligible for the standard cloture and confirmation votes.

As of December 1, there are 115 Article III vacancies, 86 of which are current. There are 54 pending nominees: 29 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting for discharge petitions, 11 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 9 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 87 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

November 17, 2022

The Senate returned from the October recess and made limited progress on judicial nominations. This week the Senate confirmed María del R. Antongiorgi-Jordán (D.P.R.) in a 55-43 vote. As of this writing, no other votes for judicial nominees are scheduled for this week.

Despite the lack of confirmation votes, the Senate Judiciary Committee continued to advance judicial nominees through the Senate confirmation process. On Tuesday, the Committee held a hearing for six Article III nominees: DeAndrea Benjamin (4th Cir.), Kymberly Evanson (W.D. Wash.), Magistrate Judge Robert Ballou (W.D. Va.), Judge Todd Edelman (D.D.C.), Judge Colleen Lawless (C.D. Ill.), and Justice Myong Joun (D. Mass.). These nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

On Thursday, the Committee also held an executive business meeting. At the meeting, the Committee held over twelve Article III nominees: Anthony Johnstone (9th Cir.), Julie Rikelman (1st Cir.), Justice Maria Kahn (2d Cir.), Judge Daniel Calabretta (E.D. Cal.), Judge Jeffery Hopkins (S.D. Ohio), Matthew Garcia (D.N.M.), Margaret Guzman (D. Mass.), Lindsay Jenkins (N.D. Ill.), Justice Adrienne Nelson (D. Or.), Jamal Whitehead (W.D. Wash.), Jamar Walker (E.D. Va.), and Araceli Martinez-Olguin (N.D. Cal.). All twelve nominee will likely receive a committee vote at the next executive business meeting, which is likely to occur after the Thanksgiving break.

As of November 17, there are 116 Article III vacancies, 87 of which are current. There are 56 pending nominees: 18 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting for discharge petitions, 14 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 20 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 85 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration

November 10, 2022

After the October recess for the midterms, the Senate will return on November 14 and turn its attention to judicial nominations as there is a cloture vote scheduled for María del R. Antongiorgi-Jordán (D.P.R.).

The Senate Judiciary Committee is also set to continue advancing judicial nominations in the lame duck, as they have noticed a hearing for Tuesday, November 15. It is likely that some of the judicial nominees who have not yet had a hearing will be scheduled for this hearing.

As of November 10, there are 117 Article III vacancies, 88 of which are current. Once all the judicial candidates are officially nominated, there will be 57 pending nominees: 21 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting for discharge petitions, 12 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 20 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 84 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

November 03, 2022

The Senate is set to return from recess on November 14. That evening the Senate will turn its attention to judicial nominations, as there is a cloture vote scheduled for María del R. Antongiorgi-Jordán (D.P.R.). Currently, there are 21 Article III nominees awaiting cloture and confirmation votes and 4 additional nominees who will be after receiving discharge petitions. Additional nominees are expected to become eligible for cloture and confirmation votes during the lame duck session.

Last month, the White House announced its intent to nominate Scott Colom for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi.

Judge Kevin McNulty (D.N.J.) is set to take senior status in October 2023. This announcement creates the 99th current or known future vacancy at the district court level.

As of November 3, there are 117 Article III vacancies, 88 of which are current. Once all the judicial candidates are officially nominated, there will be 57 pending nominees: 21 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting for discharge petitions, 12 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 20 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 84 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

October 13, 2022

Despite the full Senate being out, the Senate Judiciary Committee remained focused on advancing judicial nominees. On Wednesday, the Committee held a hearing for six Article III nominees: Anthony Johnstone (9th Cir.), Judge Daniel Calabretta (E.D. Cal.), Judge Jeffery Hopkins (S.D. Ohio), Matthew Garcia (D.N.M.), Lindsay Jenkins (N.D. Ill.), and Justice Adrienne Nelson (D. Or.). The six nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote, which could occur during the lame duck session.

Judges Frank Montalvo (W.D. Tex.) and Brian Davis (M.D. Fla.) both announced their intentions to take senior status. Judge Montalvo will take senior status this December, while Judge Davis is set to take senior status in December 2023.

As of October 13, there are 116 Article III vacancies, 86 of which are current. There are 56 pending nominees: 25 waiting for floor votes, 12 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 19 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 84 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

October 06, 2022

Late last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that there would be no roll call votes in October. Despite the potential for two work weeks, this means there will be no judicial nominees confirmed throughout the month of October. As of October 6, there are 56 Article III nominees still pending in the Senate. Before leaving, the Majority Leader did file cloture on María del R. Antongiorgi-Jordán (D.P.R.), setting up a vote in mid-November.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, however, remains focused on advancing judicial nominees. The Committee has noticed a hearing for October 12. It is likely that some of the judicial nominees who have not yet had a hearing will be scheduled for this hearing.

Two new vacancies on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois were announced this week. Judge Charles Norgle, Sr. took senior status effective at the end of September, creating a current vacancy. While Judge Robert Dow, Jr. has been appointed to serve as Counselor to the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, creating a future vacancy.

As of October 6, there are 114 Article III vacancies, 86 of which are current. There are 56 pending nominees: 25 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 25 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 84 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

September 29, 2022

The Senate made limited progress on judicial nominees this week. There was only one Article III confirmation: Arianna Freeman (3d Cir.) in a 50-47 vote. Freeman becomes the first ever woman of color to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting for six Article III nominees: Justice Tamika Montgomery-Reeves (3d Cir.), Cindy Chung (3d Cir.), Kelley Hodge (E.D. Pa.), John Murphy (E.D. Pa.), Judge Mia Perez (E.D. Pa.), and Judge Kai Scott (E.D. Pa.). All six nominees received a majority vote and are now eligible for cloture and confirmation votes from the full Senate.

As of September 29, there are 113 Article III vacancies, 82 of which are current. There are 57 pending nominees: 25 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 26 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 84 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

September 22, 2022

Over the last few weeks, the Senate has continued to make progress on judicial nominations. Since September 9, the Senate has confirmed four Article III nominees: Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. (9th Cir.) in a 46-40 vote; Judge Sarah Merriam (2d Cir.) 53-44 vote, Lara Montecalvo (1st Cir.) in a 52-47 vote, and Judge Florence Pan (D.C. Cir.) in a 52-42 vote. This continues the recent uptick in circuit court confirmations. As of September 22, the Senate has confirmed 24 circuit court nominees. In the first two full years of the Trump Administration, there were 30 circuit court confirmations. There are still thirteen circuit court nominees pending in throughout the confirmation process.

Last Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting for five Article III nominees: Magistrate Judge Dana Douglas (5th Cir.), Bradley Garcia (D.C. Cir.), Jerry Blackwell (D. Minn.), Judge Frances Kay Behm (E.D. Mich.), and Anne Nardacci (N.D.N.Y.). All five received a majority vote and are now eligible for cloture and confirmation votes.

On Wednesday, the Committee held a hearing for six Article III nominees: Julie Rikelman (1st Cir.), Justice Maria Kahn (2d Cir.), Judge Margaret Guzman (D. Mass.), Jamal Whitehead (W.D. Wash.), Jamar Walker (E.D. Va.), and Araceli Martinez-Olguin (N.D. Cal.). All six nominees are eligible for a full committee vote.

On Thursday, the Committee held another executive business meeting for six Article III nominees: Justice Tamika Montgomery-Reeves (3d Cir.), Cindy Chung (3d Cir.), Kelley Hodge (E.D. Pa.), John Murphy (E.D. Pa.), Judge Mia Perez (E.D. Pa.), and Judge Kai Scott (E.D. Pa.). As is customary for the first time nominees are listed, all six nominees were held over. The nominees will now likely receive a full committee vote next week.

As of September 22, there are 114 Article III vacancies, 82 of which are current. Once all the judicial candidates are officially nominated, there will be 58 pending nominees: 20 waiting for floor votes, 12 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 26 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 83 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

September 09, 2022

The Senate returned from recess this week and quickly turned its attention back to judicial nominations. As of this writing, the Senate has confirmed two circuit court nominees: Judge John Lee (7th Cir.) in a 50-44 vote, and Andre Mathis (6th Cir.) in a 48-47 vote. The Senate also invoked cloture on Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. (9th Cir.), setting up a potential confirmation vote next week. All three of these nominees highlight the White House’s continued commitment to diversifying the federal bench. Judge Lee will become the first ever Asian American to serve as a judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Wednesday for six Article III nominees:  Justice Tamika Montgomery-Reeves (3d Cir.),  Cindy Chung (3d Cir.), Kelley Hodge (E.D. Pa.), John Murphy (E.D. Pa.), Judge Mia Perez (E.D. Pa.), and Judge Kai Scott (E.D. Pa.). All six nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

On Thursday, the Committee held an executive business meeting. At the meeting, the Committee held over five nominees: Magistrate Judge Dana Douglas (5th Cir.), Bradley Garcia (D.C. Cir.), Jerry Blackwell (D. Minn.), Judge Frances Kay Behm (E.D. Mich.), and Anne Nardacci (N.D.N.Y.). The nominees will likely receive a vote in committee next week.

Late last week, the White House announced the newest slate of judicial nominees. The slate contained nine Article III nominees: Anthony Johnstone (9th Cir.), Judge Charnelle Bjelkengren (E.D. Wash.), Magistrate Judge Gordon Gallagher (D. Colo.), Magistrate Judge Jonathan Grey (E.D. Mich.), Judge Colleen Lawless (C.D. Ill.), Orelia Merchant (E.D.N.Y.), P. Casey Pitts (N.D. Cal.), Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes (E.D.N.Y.), and Arun Subramanian (S.D.N.Y.).

As of September 8, there are 117 Article III vacancies, 81 of which are current. Once all the judicial candidates are officially nominated, there will be 63 pending nominees: 20 waiting for floor votes, 11 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 32 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 78 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

August 19, 2022

On the Bench will return when the full Senate is back from the August recess and judicial nominations activity resumes.

August 12, 2022

The White House announced the next slate of judicial nominees this week. The latest slate contained two Article III nominees: DeAndrea Benjamin (4th Cir.) and Jabari Wamble (10th Cir.). This slate continues the trend of nominating people of color to the federal bench. To date, there have already been seven Black attorneys confirmed to the circuit courts during this administration, with many more pending in the process. In comparison, the previous administration did not even nominate a single Black attorney to any circuit court vacancy.

Before leaving for the August Recess, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture on two Article III nominees: Judge John Lee (7th Cir.) and Andre Mathis (6th Cir.). Lee’s confirmation vote is expected to be one of the first votes when the Senate returns in September.

Judge David Hurd (N.D.N.Y.) has announced his intention to remain on active service, despite previously taking senior status contingent upon his successor’s confirmation. President Biden had already officially nominated Jorge Rodriguez to the seat, who would become the only active judge of color on the court.

As of August 11, there are 116 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. Once all the judicial candidates are officially nominated, there will be 56 pending nominees: 22 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 29 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 76 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

August 4, 2022

With the August recess likely to begin next week, the Senate made some progress on judicial nominations this week. As of this writing, the Senate confirmed two Article III nominees: Roopali Desai (9th Cir.) in a 67-29 vote; and Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Hanes (E.D. Va.) in a 59-37 vote. Desai is the eleventh woman of color confirmed to the circuit courts during the Biden-Harris Administration. This represents just over 60% of all new circuit court judges confirmed so far, a stark contrast from the previous administration.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting on Thursday. The Committee favorably reported five Article nominees to the floor: Magistrate Judge Doris Pryor (7th Cir.), María del R. Antongiorgi-Jordán (D.P.R.), Judge Gina R. Méndez-Miró (D.P.R.), Magistrate Judge Camille L. Vélez-Rivé (D.P.R.), and Ana Reyes (D.D.C.). Rachel Bloomekatz (6th Cir.) received a tied vote. Bloomekatz will need Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to file a discharge petition to advance out of committee. If the petition receives a majority vote, she will then be eligible for the standard cloture and confirmation votes.

As of August 4, there are 116 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. Once all the judicial candidates are officially nominated, there will be 54 pending nominees: 22 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 27 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 76 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

July 28, 2022

With the August recess quickly approaching, the Senate made little progress on judicial nominations this week. As of this writing, the Senate has not taken a cloture or confirmation vote on an Article III nominee this week, in large part due to ongoing attendance issues in the Democratic caucus. Before leaving for the weekend, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did file cloture on Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Hanes (E.D. Va.), setting up cloture and confirmation votes for early next week.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for five Article III nominees: Magistrate Judge Dana Douglas (5th Cir.), Bradley Garcia (D.C. Cir.), Jerry Blackwell (D. Minn.), Judge Frances Kay Behm (E.D. Mich.), and Anne Nardacci (N.D.N.Y.). All five nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

The Committee also held an executive business meeting on Thursday. Due to the ongoing attendance issues, there were no votes taken on Rachel Bloomekatz (6th Cir.) or Ana Reyes (D.D.C.). However, the Committee was able to advance Roopali Desai (9th Cir.) to the Senate floor on a voice vote.

Judge Raymond Moore (D. Colo.) is set to take senior status in June 2023. This announcement creates the 92nd current or known future vacancy at the district court level.

As of July 28, there are 118 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. Once all the judicial candidates are officially nominated, there will be 47 pending nominees: 18 waiting for floor votes, 11 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 18 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 74 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

July 21, 2022

The Senate made some progress on judicial nominations this week. As of this writing, the Senate has confirmed four Article III judges: Judge Michelle Childs (D.C. Cir.) in a 64-34 vote, Magistrate Judge Nina Wang (D. Colo.) in a 58-36 vote, Nancy Maldonado (N.D. Ill.) in a 53-45 vote, and Gregory Williams (D. Del.) in a 52-43 vote. All four of these new judges are people of color, continuing this administration’s emphasis on diversifying the bench. Judge Williams becomes the only active judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware who is a person of color.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting. At the meeting, Judge Florence Pan (D.C. Cir.) and Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Hanes (E.D. Va.) were both favorably reported out of committee, and are now eligible for confirmation votes. Due to attendance issues, there were no votes taken on Rachel Bloomekatz (6th Cir.) or Ana Reyes (D.D.C.).

During the same meeting, the Committee took voice votes on all seven nominees for the U.S. Sentencing Commission, including Judge Carlton Reeves (S.D. Miss.) and Judge Luis Restrepo (3d Cir.). All seven nominees are now eligible for confirmation votes.

As of July 21, there are 117 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. Once last week’s judicial candidates are officially nominated, there will be 47 pending nominees: 17 waiting for floor votes, 7 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 23 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 74 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

July 14, 2022

It was a busy week for judicial nominations as the White House announced two slates of judicial candidates. The first slate consisted of five Article III nominees from Pennsylvania: Cindy Chung (3d Cir.), Kelley Hodge (E.D. Pa.), John Murphy (E.D. Pa.), Judge Mia Perez (E.D. Pa.), and Judge Kai Scott (E.D. Pa.). The second slate contained six district court nominees: Judge Margaret Guzman (D. Mass.), Kymberly Evanson (W.D. Wash.), Jamal Whitehead (W.D. Wash.), Magistrate Judge Robert Ballou (W.D. Va.), Jamar Walker (E.D. Va.), and Jorge Rodriguez (N.D.N.Y.). Both slates continue the White House’s emphasis on diversifying the federal bench.

As of this writing, the Senate confirmed Magistrate Judge Stephen Locher (S.D. Iowa) by voice vote. The Senate also invoked cloture on Judge Michelle Childs (D.C. Cir.) in a 58-33 vote. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Courts page.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Wednesday for five Article III nominees: Roopali Desai (9th Cir.), Magistrate Judge Doris Pryor (7th Cir.), María del R. Antongiorgi-Jordán (D.P.R.), Judge Gina R. Méndez-Miró (D.P.R.), and Magistrate Judge Camille L. Vélez-Rivé (D.P.R.). The five nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote. The Committee also held an executive business meeting on Thursday where it held over four Article III nominees: Rachel Bloomekatz (6th Cir.), Judge Florence Pan (D.C. Cir.), Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Hanes (E.D. Va.), and Ana Reyes (D.D.C.).

As of July 14, there are 119 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. Once this week’s judicial candidates are officially nominated, there will be 46 pending nominees: 19 waiting for floor votes, 9 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 18 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 70 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

In other judiciary news, Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing this week on a post-Roe America. The hearing examined the legal consequences of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

June 30, 2022

With the Senate on recess this week, there wasn’t any judicial nominations activity in the Senate. The White House, however, did announce the next slate of judicial nominees. Justice Tamika Montgomery-Reeves was nominated to a Delaware-based seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and Judge Frances Kay Behm was nominated to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. If confirmed, Justice Montgomery-Reeves would be the first woman of color to ever serve on the Third Circuit.

This week media reports suggest that President Biden is considering nominating Chad Meredith to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky (although there is not yet a public vacancy on that court). Meredith has an extensive anti-abortion background and is considered to be part of a deal between President Biden and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court issued its final opinions and orders for this term. Afterwards, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was officially sworn in as the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

As of June 30, there are 117 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. Once this week’s judicial candidates are officially nominated, there will be 36 pending nominees: 20 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 12 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 69 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

In other judiciary news, Senate Judiciary Committee member Senator Patrick Leahy needed hip surgery after suffering a fall in his home. Senator Leahy is expected to make a full recovery, but as of this writing it is unclear how long he will be absent from the Senate, meaning that there are not 50 Democrats available for voting.

June 23, 2022

The Senate confirmed one Article III nominee this week: Judge Ana de Alba (E.D. Cal.) in a 53-45 vote. Judge de Alba becomes the first woman of color to ever serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.

As of this writing, the Senate has also held three successful discharge petition votes this week for Arianna Freeman (3d Cir), Judge Hernán Vera (C.D. Cal.), and Jessica Clarke (S.D.N.Y.). All three nominees are now eligible for the standard cloture and final votes.

Since the last On the Bench, the Senate Judiciary Committee has been busy. Last Thursday, the Committee held an executive business meeting for four Article III nominees: Judge Sarah Merriam (2d Cir.), Lara Montecalvo (1st Cir.), Tiffany Cartwright (W.D. Wash.), and Judge Nina Wang (D. Colo.). All four nominees received bipartisan support and are now eligible for a Senate vote.

On Wednesday, the Committee held a hearing for four Article III nominees: Rachel Bloomekatz (6th Cir.), Judge Florence Pan (D.C. Cir.), Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Hanes (E.D. Va.), and Ana Reyes (D.D.C.). All four nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote.

Also since the last On the Bench, the White House announced the next round of judicial nominations. The slate includes seven Article III nominees: Roopali Desai (9th Cir.), Magistrate Judge Dana Douglas (5th Cir.), Bradley Garcia (D.C. Cir.), María del R. Antongiorgi-Jordán (D.P.R.), Jerry Blackwell (D. Minn.), Judge Gina R. Méndez-Miró (D.P.R.), and Magistrate Judge Camille L. Vélez-Rivé (D.P.R.). This new slate continues the White House’s emphasis on diversifying the federal bench as all the nominees are people of color. If confirmed, Bradley Garcia would be the first every Latinx judge to ever serve on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Last week, Judge Michael Kanne passed away (7th Cir.). There are now 23 current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level.

As of June 23, there are 116 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. There are 34 pending nominees: 20 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 10 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 69 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

June 10, 2022

The Senate returned from recess this week and resumed judicial nominations activity. The Senate has confirmed two judicial nominees this week: Nina Morrison (E.D.N.Y.) in a 53-46 vote and Robert Huie (S.D. Cal.) in a 51-46 vote. Morrison is the fourth openly LGBTQ Article III nominee confirmed during this administration, and the second openly LGBTQ judge to ever serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting for five Article III nominees: Judge John Lee (7th Cir.), Judge Salvador Mendoza Jr. (9th Cir.), Magistrate Judge Stephen Locher (S.D. Iowa), Nancy Maldonado (N.D. Ill.), and Gregory Williams (D. Del.). The nominees are now eligible for a floor vote.

Since the last On the Bench, three judges have announced their intentions to take senior status: Judge Judith Rodgers (D.C. Cir.), Judge David Guaderrama (W.D. Tex.), and Judge Robert Scola (S.D. Fla.). These announcements create the 21st current or known future vacancy at the circuit court level and the 91st and 92nd current or known future vacancies at the district court level. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Courts page.

As of June 9, there are 115 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. There are 28 pending nominees: 17 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 7 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 68 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

In other judiciary news, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for seven nominees to the U.S. Sentencing Commission. The nominees included Judge Carlton Reeves (S.D. Miss.) and Judge Luis Restrepo (3d Cir.). The Commission has been without a quorum for years. If confirmed, these nominees will restore the quorum.

May 26, 2022
It has been a busy week for judicial nominations. As of this writing, three Article III nominees have been confirmed: Judge Stephanie Davis (6th Cir.) in a 49-43 vote, Charlotte Sweeney (D. Colo.) in a 48-46 vote, and Evelyn Padin (D.N.J.) in a 51-43 vote. Judge Davis is a former ACS Lawyer Chapter Board Member. Sweeney becomes the first openly LGBTQ judge to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.

The White House announced the next slate of judicial nominees this week: Rachel Bloomekatz (6th Cir.), Judge Florence Pan (D.C. Cir.), and Magistrate Judge Doris Pryor (7th Cir.). This slate continues to exemplify the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to diversifying the federal bench. All three nominees are women and two of the three are women of color.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for four Article III nominees: Judge Sarah Merriam (2d Cir.), Lara Montecalvo (1st Cir.), Tiffany Cartwright (W.D. Wash.), and Judge Nina Wang (D. Colo.). The nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

On Thursday, the Committee held an executive business meeting for five Article III nominees: Nancy Abudu (11th Cir.), Judge Michelle Childs (D.C. Cir.), Nusrat Choudhury (E.D.N.Y.), Judge Ana de Alba (E.D. Cal.), and Natasha Merle (E.D.N.Y.). While four nominees received bipartisan support and advanced out of committee, Abudu (11th Cir.) received a tied vote. Abudu will need Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to file a discharge petition to advance out of committee. If the petition receives a majority vote, she will then be eligible for the standard cloture and confirmation votes.

As of May 26, there are 113 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 30 pending nominees: 14 waiting for floor votes, 9 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 7 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 66 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

May 19, 2022

The Senate made progress on judicial nominations this week with three Article III confirmations: Jennifer Rochon (S.D.N.Y.) in a 51-47 vote, Judge Sunshine Sykes (C.D. Cal.) in a 51-45 vote, and Judge Trina Thompson (N.D. Cal.) in a 51-44 vote. These new confirmations continue this administration’s emphasis on diversifying the federal bench. Judge Sykes becomes only the seventh Native American to serve as an Article III judge in our nation’s entire history.

As of this writing, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has filed cloture on five Article III nominees: Judge Stephanie Davis (6th Cir.), Charlotte Sweeney (D. Colo.), Robert Huie (S.D. Cal.), Evelyn Padin (D.N.J.), and Nina Morrison (E.D.N.Y.). Judge Davis’ cloture vote is expected to occur before the end of the week.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting for five Article III nominees: Nancy Abudu (11th Cir.), Judge Michelle Childs (D.C. Cir.), Nusrat Choudhury (E.D.N.Y.), Judge Ana de Alba (E.D. Cal.), and Natasha Merle (E.D.N.Y.). All five nominees were held over and are eligible for a full committee vote next week.

As of May 19, there are 113 Article III vacancies, 76 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 30 pending nominees: 12 waiting for floor votes, 10 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 8 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 63 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

May 12, 2022
The Senate voted 51-49 on the discharge petition for Charlotte Sweeney (D. Colo.), making her eligible for a cloture and final vote. Sweeney had been waiting for a discharge petition since receiving a tied vote in Senate Judiciary Committee back in January. If confirmed, Sweeney would be the first openly LGBTQ judge to serve on the U.S. District Court of Colorado. As of this writing, there have been no other votes on Article III nominees this week.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for five Article III nominees: Judge John Lee (7th Cir.), Judge Salvador Mendoza Jr. (9th Cir.), Magistrate Judge Stephen Locher (S.D. Iowa), Nancy Maldonado (N.D. Ill.), and Gregory Williams (D. Del.). The nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

As of May 12, there are 114 Article III vacancies, 76 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 33 pending nominees: 15 waiting for floor votes, 10 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 8 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 60 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

May 5, 2022
As of this writing, the Senate has taken no action on judicial nominations this week. There are nine Article III nominees waiting for floor votes, and six more nominees who will be eligible for floor votes after receiving a discharge petition. Since the start of April, there have only been two Article III confirmations.

Next Wednesday, May 11, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on judicial nominations. As of May 5, the nominees who will appear at this hearing are not public.

This week Judge Audrey Fleissig (E.D. Mo.) announced her intention to take senior status early next year. This announcement creates the 91st current or known future vacancy at the district court level.

As of May 5, there are 114 Article III vacancies, 76 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 33 pending nominees: 15 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 13 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 60 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

In other judiciary news, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights held a hearing on judicial ethics. The hearing primarily focused on creating a binding code of ethics for the Supreme Court, updating the recusal standard for justices, and having better disclosure policies for amicus briefs and travel by the justices. The hearing also contained a lengthy discussion of the leaked opinion by Justice Alito in the pending Dobbs case.

April 28, 2022
The Senate returned from recess this week and resumed judicial nominations activities. On Thursday, the Senate confirmed Judge Sherilyn Garnett (C.D. Cal.) in a 62-33 vote. Judge Garnett is the 27th woman of color confirmed to the federal bench during this administration. This means 45% of all the new Article III judges that have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration are women of color.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for five Article III nominees: Nancy Abudu (11th Cir.), Judge Michelle Childs (D.C. Cir.), Nusrat Choudhury (E.D.N.Y.), Judge Ana de Alba (E.D. Cal.), and Natasha Merle (E.D.N.Y.). The five nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote.

Also on Wednesday, the White House announced the next slate of judicial nominees. The new slate was made up of five Article III nominees: Judge Sarah Merriam (2d Cir.), Lara Montecalvo (1st Cir.), Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Hanes (E.D. Va.), Anne Nardacci (N.D.N.Y.), and Ana Reyes (D.D.C.). This new slate continues the Biden-Harris Administration’s priority of diversifying the federal bench as it is comprised entirely of women.

This week Judge Robert Mariani (M.D. Pa.) announced his intention to take senior status later this year. This announcement creates the 90th current or known future vacancy at the district court level.

As of April 28, there are 113 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 33 pending nominees: 15 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 13 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 60 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

In other judiciary news, the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet held a hearing on judicial ethics. The hearing primarily focused on creating a binding code of conduct for Supreme Court justices and ways to update the current recusal rules. Next week, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights is also set to hold a hearing on judicial ethics on May 3.

April 21, 2022
The Senate is set to return from recess next week, and it is likely they will continue to advance judicial nominees. The Senate Judiciary Committee has noticed a hearing for Wednesday, April 27. As of this writing, the nominees who will appear at this hearing are not public.

This week Judges Sidney Thomas (9th Cir.), Denise Hood (E.D. Mich.), and Noel Hillman (D.N.J.) announced their intention to take senior status. Judge Hillman’s senior status has already gone into effect, with Judges Thomas and Hood’s senior status taking effect at a later date. These announcements create the 20th current or known future vacancy at the circuit court level and the 88th current or known future vacancy at the district court level. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Courts page.

As of April 21, there are 110 Article III vacancies, 76 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 29 pending nominees: 16 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 13 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 59 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

April 14, 2022
On Wednesday, the White House announced the next round of federal judicial nominations. The new slate included five Article III nominees: Judge John Lee (7th Cir.), Judge Salvador Mendoza Jr. (9th Cir.), Judge Stephen Locher (S.D. Iowa), Nancy Maldonado (N.D. Ill.), and Gregory Williams (D. Del.).

These nominations continue the Biden-Harris Administration’s emphasis on diversifying the bench. If confirmed, Judge Lee would be the first Asian American judge to ever serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

The Senate is on recess this week. When the Senate returns the week of April 25, it is likely that the Senate Judiciary Committee will continue considering the pending judicial nominees.

As of April 14, there are 107 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 29 pending nominees: 16 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 13 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 59 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

April 7, 2022
On Thursday, the Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court in a 53-47 vote. Judge Jackson becomes the 116th person to sit on our nation’s highest court and is the first Black woman to ever do so. Judge Jackson also becomes the first former public defender to ever serve on the Supreme Court.

On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting. In addition to considering Judge Jackson’s nomination, the Committee voted on five lower court nominees. Judge Stephanie Davis (6th Cir.), Robert Huie (S.D. Cal.), Evelyn Padin (D.N.J.), and Jennifer Rearden (S.D.N.Y.) were voted out of committee. Arianna Freeman (3d Cir) received a tie vote. Freeman will need Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to file discharge petitions to advance out of committee. If the petition receives a majority vote, she will then be eligible for the standard cloture and confirmation votes.

Judge Abdul Kallon (N.D. Ala.) is resigning effective August 31, 2022. Judge Kallon’s resignation creates the 76th current or known future vacancy at the district court level.

As of April 7, there are 107 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. There are 24 pending nominees in the Senate: 16 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 8 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 59 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

March 31, 2022
On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting to consider Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Judge Jackson’s nomination was held over at the meeting, setting up a committee vote next week. The Committee has noticed an executive business meeting for Monday, April 4, where it will likely vote on Judge Jackson’s nomination.

With the operative mark-up for Judge Jackson’s nomination scheduled for next Monday, it is likely that the full Senate will hold the confirmation vote later that week. If confirmed, Judge Jackson would be the first Black woman to serve as a justice on the Court.

While the Senate Judiciary Committee focused on Judge Jackson’s nomination, the full Senate voted to confirm Article III nominees. As of this writing, the Senate has confirmed two Article III nominees: Sarah Geraghty (N.D. Ga.) in a 52-48 vote; and Georgette Castner (D.N.J.) in a 52-47 vote. With these confirmations, nearly three-fourths of the new Article III judges during the Biden-Harris administration have been women.

As of March 31, there are 107 Article III vacancies, 71 of which are current. There are 25 pending nominees in the Senate: 11 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 8 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 58 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

March 24, 2022
The Senate Judiciary Committee wrapped up the hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court this week. After two lengthy days of intense questioning of Judge Jackson, the Committee heard from expert witnesses on Thursday including ACS South Florida Lawyer Chapter founder Richard Rosenthal. Judge Jackson is now eligible for a full committee vote. It is likely that the operative mark-up for Judge Jackson will be Monday, April 4, after Judge Jackson is held over at an executive business meeting on Monday, March 28.

While the Senate Judiciary Committee held the hearing for Judge Jackson, the full Senate voted to confirm Article III nominees. As of this writing, the Senate has confirmed eight Article III nominees: Judge Alison Nathan (2d Cir.) in a 49-47 vote; Judge John Chun (W.D. Wash.) in a 49-47 vote; Victoria Calvert (N.D. Ga.) in a 50-46 vote; Judge Ruth Montenegro (S.D. Cal.) in a 55-41 vote; Judge Julie Rubin (D. Md.) in a 51-46 vote; Judge Cristina Silva (D. Nev.) in a 50-46 vote; Hector Gonzalez (E.D.N.Y.) in a 52-45 vote; and Anne Traum (D. Nev.) in a 49-47 vote. These new judges continue the Biden-Harris Administration’s emphasis on bringing more demographical and professional diversity to the federal bench.

As of March 24, there are 109 Article III vacancies, 72 of which are current. There are 27 pending nominees in the Senate: 13 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 8 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 56 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

March 17, 2022
The Senate turned its attention back to lower court nominees this week. As of this writing on Thursday, the Senate confirmed Judge Jacqueline Corley (N.D. Cal.) in a 63-36 vote; and Judge Fred Slaughter (C.D. Cal.) in a 57-41 vote.

The Senate also took cloture votes on ten additional Article III nominees: Judge Alison Nathan (2d Cir.), Victoria Calvert (N.D. Ga.), Sarah Geraghty (N.D. Ga.), Judge John Chun (W.D. Wash.), Georgette Castner (D.N.J.), Judge Ruth Montenegro (S.D. Cal.), Judge Julie Rubin (D. Md.), Judge Cristina Silva (D. Nev.), Hector Gonzalez (E.D.N.Y.), and Anne Traum (D. Nev.). Confirmation votes on these nominees could occur as early as next week.

After this recent Senate activity, there are still eleven Article III nominees pending on the floor who need cloture votes, including five who also need discharge petitions.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s hearings for her nomination to the Supreme Court will start on Monday. The first day of the hearings will including opening statements from the senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the introduction of Judge Jackson, and her opening statement. The Committee will move to questioning Judge Jackson over the next two days.

As of March 17, there are 117 Article III vacancies, 76 of which are current. There are 35 pending nominees in the Senate: 21 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 9 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 48 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

March 10, 2022
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has been meeting with senators the last few weeks ahead of her hearings for her nomination to the Supreme Court. It is customary for Supreme Court nominees meet one-on-one with senators to allow the senators to spend some time with the nominee and ask them questions. The next major step in the process will be the hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee the week of March 21.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting on Thursday where it advanced five Article III nominees out of committee: Jennifer Rochon (S.D.N.Y.), Judge Sunshine Sykes (C.D. Cal.), Judge Trina Thompson (N.D. Cal.), Judge Sherilyn Garnett (C.D. Cal.), and Nina Morrison (E.D.N.Y.). These nominees are now eligible for confirmation votes. Judge Kenly Kato (C.D. Cal.) received a tie vote. Judge Kato will need Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to file discharge petitions to advance out of committee. If the petition receives a majority vote, she will then be eligible for the standard cloture and confirmation votes.

Lower court confirmations have slowed in recent weeks, as it has been over a month since the last Article III confirmation. After this morning’s Committee meeting, there are eighteen Article III nominees who are eligible for confirmation votes and five more who will be eligible for confirmation votes after they receive a discharge petition.

As of March 10, there are 119 Article III vacancies, 78 of which are current. There are 37 pending nominees in the Senate: 23 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 9 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 46 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

March 3, 2022
Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin has notified the Senate Judiciary Committee that the hearings to consider Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court will be the week of March 21. The hearings will begin on March 21, with opening statements from committee members and Judge Jackson. On March 22 and 23, the committee members will question Judge Jackson. The hearings will conclude on March 24, with testimony from the American Bar Association and additional outside witnesses.

The Committee held a hearing this week for five Article III nominees: Arianna Freeman (3d Cir), Judge Stephanie Davis (6th Cir.), Robert Huie (S.D. Cal.), Evelyn Padin (D.N.J.), and Jennifer Rearden (S.D.N.Y.). A majority of the hearing was focused on Freeman’s work as a public defender, in what is likely a preview for the upcoming hearings for Judge Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court. All five nominees are now eligible for a committee vote. The Committee was supposed to hold an executive business meeting this week, but it was canceled.

Judge Max Cogburn (W.D.N.C.) announced his intention to take senior status. This announcement creates the 96th current or known future vacancy at the district court level.

Chairman Durbin told The Hill that he isn’t going to proceed with Judge William Pocan’s (E.D. Wis.) nomination since Senator Ron Johnson has stated he isn’t going to return his blue slip. This is the first major blue slip confrontation during the Biden-Harris Administration at the district court level. In respecting the blue slip for district court nominees, Chairman Durbin is continuing the practice of the committee during the previous administration.

As of March 3, there are 119 Article III vacancies, 78 of which are current. There are 37 pending nominees in the Senate: 17 waiting for floor votes, 11 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 9 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 46 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

February 24, 2022
President Biden has stated that he intends to make his pick for the Supreme Court vacancy by the end of the month. As of Thursday morning, a selection has not been made public. If President Biden follows through on his proposed timeline, a selection should be imminent. This week the Washington Post reported that President Biden has interviewed three individuals for the seat: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson (D.C. Cir.), Judge Michelle Childs (D.S.C.), and Justice Leondra Kruger (Cal.).

With the Senate on recess this week, there was no movement on judicial nominations. The Senate Judiciary Committee has noticed a hearing for Wednesday, March 2. As of this writing, the nominees who will appear at this hearing are not public.

Judges William Martinez (D. Colo.) announced his intention to take senior status effective early next year. This announcement creates the 95th current or known future vacancy at the district court level.

As of February 24, there are 117 Article III vacancies, 78 of which are current. There are 36 pending nominees in the Senate: 17 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 13 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 46 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

In other judiciary news, the New York Times Magazine published a lengthy piece on Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife, Ginni Thomas. The piece included numerous details about Ginni Thomas’s involvement with groups connected to the January 6 insurrection. This article follows a piece in the New Yorker last month that highlighted Ginni Thomas’s wide ranging influence in the conservative legal movement.

February 17, 2022
On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for three Article III nominees: Judge Trina Thompson (N.D. Cal.), Judge Sherilyn Garnett (C.D. Cal.), and Nina Morrison (E.D.N.Y.). The hearing primarily focused on Morrison’s work on wrongful convictions while at the Innocence Project. The three nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote.

The evening before the hearing, Senator Ron Johnson announced he would not return his blue slip for Judge William Pocan (E.D. Wis.). As a result, Judge Pocan did not appear at the hearing. Judge Pocan was recommended last summer by Senators Baldwin and Johnson’s bipartisan Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission. Senator Johnson did not raise any objections at that time.

On Thursday, the Committee held an executive business meeting for three Article III nominees: Judge Kenly Kato (C.D. Cal.), Jennifer Rochon (S.D.N.Y.), and Judge Sunshine Sykes (C.D. Cal.). The nominees were held over and could be eligible for a full committee vote as soon as next week.

As of February 17, there are 116 Article III vacancies, 78 of which are current. There are 36 pending nominees in the Senate: 17 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 13 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 46 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

February 10, 2022
This week the Senate confirmed Judge Leonard Stark to the Federal Circuit in a 61-35 vote. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Courts page.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting for 4 Article III nominees. Andre Mathis (6th Cir.), Hector Gonzalez (E.D.N.Y.), and Judge Fred Slaughter (C.D. Cal.) were voted out of committee with bipartisan support. Jessica Clarke (S.D.N.Y.) received a tie vote. Clarke will need Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to file discharge petitions to advance out of committee. If the petition receives a majority vote, she will then be eligible for the standard cloture and confirmation votes.

Judges Kiyo Matsumoto (E.D.N.Y.) and John Gerrard (D. Neb.) announced their intention to take senior status effective later this year. These announcements create the ninety-fourth current or known future vacancy at the district court level.

The Senate also confirmed a number of nominees to local District of Columbia judgeships, including the Solicitor General of the District of Columbia, and former ACS Student Chapter Leader, Loren AliKhan. AliKhan was confirmed in a 55-41 vote to be an Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Her term is fifteen years.

As of February 10, there are 116 Article III vacancies, 77 of which are current. There are 36 pending nominees in the Senate: 17 waiting for floor votes, 3 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 16 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 46 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

February 3, 2022
This week the Senate confirmed Bridget Brennan (N.D. Ohio) in a 61-35 vote; Charles Fleming (N.D. Ohio) in a 56-42 vote; and Magistrate Judge David Ruiz (N.D. Ohio) in a 62-35 vote. These confirmations are the first in states without two Democratic senators. Judge Ruiz also becomes the first Latinx judge to ever serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for three Article III nominees: Judge Kenly Kato (C.D. Cal.), Jennifer Rochon (S.D.N.Y.), and Judge Sunshine Sykes (C.D. Cal.). These nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote. On Thursday, the Committee held an executive business meeting where it held over four Article III nominees: Andre Mathis (6th Cir.), Jessica Clarke (S.D.N.Y.), Hector Gonzalez (E.D.N.Y.), and Judge Fred Slaughter (C.D. Cal.). These nominees can now be advanced out of committee at the next executive business meeting.

On Thursday, the Senate is expected to invoke cloture on Judge Leonard Stark’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Judges Michael Juneau (W.D. La.) and Edward Chen (N.D. Cal.) both announced their intention to take senior status. Judge Martin Feldman (E.D. La.) passed away last month, at the age of 87. These events create the ninety-first current or known future vacancy at the district court level.

As of February 3, there are 114 Article III vacancies, 76 of which are current. There are 36 pending nominees in the Senate: 14 waiting for floor votes, 7 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 15 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 45 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

January 27, 2022
Associate Justice Stephen Breyer announced this week that he will retire from the Supreme Court at the end of the term. Justice Breyer’s retirement allows President Biden to fulfill his campaign pledge of naming the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. Once confirmed, in addition to being the first Black woman to ever serve on the Court, this new justice would also be only the third Black justice and only the sixth female justice in the country’s entire history.

Judges Jeffrey Howard (1st Cir.), Rodney Sippel (E.D. Mo., W.D. Mo.), and John Kronstadt (C.D. Cal.) all announced their intentions to take senior status. These announcements create the twentieth current or known future vacancy at the circuit court level and the ninetieth current or known future vacancy at the district court level. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Courts page.

The Senate is set to return from recess next week. On Monday, the Senate is scheduled to hold a cloture vote on Bridget Brennan (N.D. Ohio). On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a nominations hearing. As of January 27, the list of the nominees who will appear at the hearing is not public.

As of January 27, there are 112 Article III vacancies, 77 of which are current. There are 39 pending nominees in the Senate: 17 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 18 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 42 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

January 20, 2022
The Senate confirmed Judge Holly Thomas (9th Cir.) in a 48-40 vote this week. Judge Thomas is the fifth Black woman confirmed to the circuit courts during the Biden-Harris Administration.

The White House announced the next round of judicial nominees this week. This wave included eight Article III nominees: Arianna Freeman (3d Cir.), Tiffany Cartwright (W.D. Wash.), Nusrat Choudhury (E.D.N.Y.), Judge Ana de Alba (E.D. Cal.), Robert Huie (S.D. Cal.), Natasha Merle (E.D.N.Y.), Jennifer Rearden (S.D.N.Y.), and Judge Nina Wang (D. Colo.). This new wave continues the administration’s emphasis on adding more demographic and professional diversity to the federal bench. If confirmed, Arianna Freeman would be the first woman of color to ever serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting. During the meeting, the Committee advanced nine Article III nominees to the floor: Judge Alison Nathan (2d Cir.), Victoria Calvert (N.D. Ga.), Sarah Geraghty (N.D. Ga.), Judge John Chun (W.D. Wash.), Georgette Castner (D.N.J.), Judge Ruth Montenegro (S.D. Cal.), Judge Julie Rubin (D. Md.), Judge Cristina Silva (D. Nev.), and Anne Traum (D. Nev.). Three other nominees received a tie vote in committee: Dale Ho (S.D.N.Y.), Charlotte Sweeney (D. Colo.), and Judge Hernán Vera (C.D. Cal.). These nominees will need Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to file discharge petitions to advance out of committee. If the petitions receive a majority vote, they will then be eligible for the standard cloture and confirmation votes.

As of January 20, there are 109 Article III vacancies, 76 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 39 pending nominees: 17 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 18 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 42 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

January 13, 2022
The Senate confirmed Justice Gabriel Sanchez (9th Cir.) in a 52-47 vote this week. Judge Sanchez is the sixth Latinx lawyer confirmed to the federal bench during the Biden-Harris Administration and is the third Latinx lawyer confirmed to the circuit courts.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for four Article III nominees: Andre Mathis (6th Cir.), Jessica Clarke (S.D.N.Y.), Hector Gonzalez (E.D.N.Y.), and Judge Fred Slaughter (C.D. Cal.). These nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

On Thursday, the Committee held an executive business meeting where it was expected to advance 12 Article III nominees out of committee. However, Senator Feinstein was absent due to illness. As a result, only five Article III nominees were advanced out of committee: Judge Leonard Stark (Fed. Cir.), Bridget Brennan (N.D. Ohio), Charles Fleming (N.D. Ohio), Magistrate Judge David Ruiz (N.D. Ohio), and Judge Jacqueline Corley (N.D. Cal.).

Judge Gregg Costa (5th Cir.) announced his intention to resign this August. This announcement creates the twentieth current or known future vacancy at the circuit court level. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Courts page.

As of January 13, there are 110 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. There are 32 pending nominees: 6 waiting for floor votes, 16 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 10 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 41 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

January 6, 2022
The Senate returned from recess this week but did not make any progress on judicial nominations. Initially, the Senate was scheduled to hold the confirmation vote for Justice Gabriel Sanchez (9th Cir.), but the vote was postponed several times. The confirmation vote could now occur as early as next week.

Before the Senate recess, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer held confirmation votes on nine Article III nominees: Magistrate Judge Linda Lopez (S.D. Cal.), Judge Jinsook Ohta (S.D. Cal.), David Urias (D.N.M.), Judge Maame Frimpong (C.D. Cal.), Judge Jane Beckering (W.D. Mich.), Chief Judge Shalina Kumar (E.D. Mich.), Magistrate Judge Jennifer Thurston (E.D. Cal.), Magistrate Judge Katherine Menendez (D. Minn.), and Magistrate Judge Mary Dimke (E.D. Wash.). All nine nominees were confirmed.

These confirmations continue to diversify the federal bench. To date, 80% of the Article III confirmations during this administration have been women, and 68% have been people of color. Just over half of these new Article III judges are women of color. For more on the diversity on the federal bench be sure to check out ACS’s Diversity of the Federal Bench page.

In late December, the White House announced the next slate of judicial nominees: Nancy Abudu (11th Cir.) and Judge Michelle Childs (D.C. Cir.). These nominations continue the Biden-Harris Administration’s emphasis on diversifying the bench. In particular, they continue the trend of nominating Black women lawyers to the circuit courts.

In the last few weeks, Judges Guy Cole (6th Cir.) and Ricardo Martinez (W.D. Wash.) announced their intentions to take senior status. These announcements create the twentieth current or known future vacancy at the circuit court level and the eighty-fourth current or known future vacancy at the district court level. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Courts page.

As of January 6, there are 106 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 33 pending nominees: 2 waiting for floor votes, 17 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 14 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 40 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

December 17, 2021
The Senate confirmed three Article III judges this week: Judge Lucy Koh (9th Cir.) in a 50-45 vote; Jennifer Sung (9th Cir.) in a 50-49 vote; and Samantha Elliott (D.N.H.) in a 62-37 vote. Judges Koh and Sung are the sixth and seventh women of color confirmed to the circuit courts during this administration. During the entire Trump Administration, only two women of color were confirmed to the circuit courts.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture on 10 Article III nominees this week: Magistrate Judge Linda Lopez (S.D. Cal.), Judge Jinsook Ohta (S.D. Cal.), David Urias (D.N.M.), Judge Maame Frimpong (C.D. Cal.), Judge Jane Beckering (W.D. Mich.), Chief Judge Shalina Kumar (E.D. Mich.), Magistrate Judge Jennifer Thurston (E.D. Cal.), Magistrate Judge Katherine Menendez (D. Minn.), Magistrate Judge Mary Dimke (E.D. Wash.), and Justice Gabriel Sanchez (9th Cir.). In his effort to clear the decks of pending judicial nominees before the end of the year, Majority Leader Schumer also scheduled a vote on the discharge petition for Judge Holly Thomas (9th Cir.).

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for 6 Article III nominees: Judge Alison Nathan (2d Cir.), Georgette Castner (D.N.J.), Judge Ruth Montenegro (S.D. Cal.), Judge Julie Rubin (D. Md.), Judge Cristina Silva (D. Nev.), and Anne Traum (D. Nev.). The six nominees are now eligible for a committee vote. On Thursday, the Committee held an executive business meeting where it advanced 4 Article III nominees: Bridget Brennan (N.D. Ohio), Judge John Chun (W.D. Wash.), Charles Fleming (N.D. Ohio), and Magistrate Judge David Ruiz (N.D. Ohio).

Judges Diana Motz (4th Cir.) and Diane Wood (7th Cir.) announced their intention to take senior status. These announcements create the nineteenth current or known future vacancy at the circuit court level. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Courts page.

The White House released the next wave of judicial nominations this week. The new slate includes 9 Article III nominees: Jessica Clarke (S.D.N.Y.), Judge Sherilyn Garnett (C.D. Cal.), Hector Gonzalez (E.D.N.Y.), Judge Kenly Kato (C.D. Cal.), Nina Morrison (E.D.N.Y.), Judge William Pocan (E.D. Wis.), Jennifer Rochon (S.D.N.Y.), Judge Fred Slaughter (C.D. Cal.), and Judge Sunshine Sykes (C.D. Cal.). This slate continues this administration’s emphasis on demographic and professional diversity.

As of December 16, there are 113 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 40 pending nominees: 17 waiting for floor votes, 11 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 12 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 31 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

December 10, 2021
The Senate continued to make progress on judicial nominations this week. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture on three Article III nominees: Judge Lucy Koh (9th Cir.), Jennifer Sung (9th Cir.), and Samantha Elliott (D.N.H.). As of this writing, it is unclear when the cloture and final votes will be for these three nominees.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting. At the meeting, the Committee held over four Article III nominees: Bridget Brennan (N.D. Ohio), Judge John Chun (W.D. Wash.), Charles Fleming (N.D. Ohio), and Magistrate Judge David Ruiz (N.D. Ohio). The nominees could be advanced out of committee as early as next week.

The Committee has also noticed a hearing for next Wednesday, December 15. As of December 9, the list of the nominees who will appear at the hearing is not public.

This week Judge D. Brooks Smith (3d Cir.) took senior status. This announcement creates the eighteenth current or known future vacancy at the circuit court level. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Courts page.

As of December 9, there are 112 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 34 pending nominees: 16 waiting for floor votes, 9 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 9 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 28 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

In other judiciary related news, President Biden’s Commission on the Supreme Court, tasked with providing “an analysis of the principal arguments in the contemporary public debate for and against Supreme Court reform,” has voted to send its report to the President this week. The report gives an extensive history of court reform in this country and discusses the arguments for and against major reforms, including court expansion and term limits. The report ultimately does not reach a conclusion in support or opposition of these different reforms.

Also this week, the American Constitution Society released an analysis of the progress the Biden-Harris administration has made in filling vacancies on the federal bench with diverse, qualified candidates. The report provides compelling statistics about the demographic and professional diversity of the administration’s nominees and the pace at which the Senate is confirming them.

December 3, 2021
The Senate returned from recess this week and the Senate Judiciary Committee resumed judicial nominations activity. As of this writing, the Senate has not scheduled any cloture or final votes on the eligible Article III nominees.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for 5 Article III nominees: Judge Leonard Stark (Fed. Cir.), Victoria Calvert (N.D. Ga.), Sarah Geraghty (N.D. Ga.), Dale Ho (S.D.N.Y.), and Judge Jacqueline Corley (N.D. Cal.). The nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

On Thursday, the Committee held an executive business meeting for 12 Article III nominees: Judge Holly Thomas (9th Cir.), Justice Gabriel Sanchez (9th Cir.), Magistrate Judge Jennifer Thurston (E.D. Cal.), Judge Hernán Vera (C.D. Cal.), Judge Maame Frimpong (C.D. Cal.), Magistrate Judge Mary Dimke (E.D. Wash.), Charlotte Sweeney (D. Colo.), David Urias (D.N.M.), Magistrate Judge Katherine Menendez (D. Minn.), Samantha Elliot (D.N.H.), Magistrate Judge Linda Lopez (S.D. Cal.), and Judge Jinsook Ohta (S.D. Cal.). While nine nominees received bipartisan support and advanced out of committee, Thomas (9th Cir.), Vera (C.D. Cal.), and Sweeney (D. Colo.) had tied committee votes. These three nominees will need Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to file discharge petitions to advance out of committee. If the petitions receive a majority vote, they will then be eligible for the standard cloture and confirmation votes.

This week Judges David Hamilton (7th Cir.) and Timothy Burgess (D. Alaska) announced their intent to take senior status. These announcements create the seventeenth current or known future vacancy at the circuit court level and the ninety-second current or known future vacancy at the district court level.

As of December 2, there are 111 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 34 pending nominees: 16 waiting for floor votes, 9 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 9 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 28 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

November 19, 2021
The White House announced the next wave of judicial nominees this week. Judge Alison Nathan (S.D.N.Y.) has been nominated for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and Andre Mathis has been nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Judge Nathan is the third openly LGBTQ individual nominated to an Article III court by this administration.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Wednesday, November 17 for four Article III nominees: Bridget Brennan (N.D. Ohio), Judge John Chun (W.D. Wash.), Charles Fleming (N.D. Ohio), and Magistrate Judge David Ruiz (N.D. Ohio). The nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

The Committee also held an executive business meeting on Thursday, November 18. At the meeting, the Committee was expected to vote on six Article III nominees: Judge Holly Thomas (9th Cir.), Magistrate Judge Jennifer Thurston (E.D. Cal.), Judge Hernán Vera (C.D. Cal.), Judge Maame Frimpong (C.D. Cal.), Magistrate Judge Mary Dimke (E.D. Wash.), and Charlotte Sweeney (D. Colo.). As of this writing, Senators were called away for other business so the nominees were not yet voted out of committee.

As of November 18, there are 108 Article III vacancies, 73 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 34 pending nominees: 4 waiting for floor votes, 16 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 14 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 28 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

November 12, 2021
Judges Susan Carney (2d Cir.) and David Hurd (N.D.N.Y.) announced their intention to take senior status this week. These announcements create the fourteenth current or known future vacancy at the circuit court level and the ninetieth current or known future vacancy at the district court level.

The Senate is on recess this week, but will resume judicial nominations activity next week. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on Wednesday, November 17. As of Friday morning, the nominees who will appear at this hearing are not public. The Committee will also hold an executive business meeting on Thursday, November 18. At the meeting, the Committee is set to vote on six Article III nominees: Judge Holly Thomas (9th Cir.), Magistrate Judge Jennifer Thurston (E.D. Cal.), Judge Hernán Vera (C.D. Cal.), Judge Maame Frimpong (C.D. Cal.), Magistrate Judge Mary Dimke (E.D. Wash.), and Charlotte Sweeney (D. Colo.).

As of November 12, there are 106 Article III vacancies, 73 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 32 pending nominees: 4 waiting for floor votes, 12 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 16 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 28 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

November 5, 2021

The Senate confirmed 2 Article III nominees this week: Justice Beth Robinson (2d Cir.) in a 51-45 vote and Toby Heytens (4th Cir.) in a 53-43 vote. Robinson becomes the first openly LGBTQ woman to serve on a federal appellate court.

The Senate also voted 50-49 on a discharge petition for Jennifer Sung (9th Cir.). Sung is now eligible for the standard cloture and confirmation votes. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Courts page.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for 6 Article III nominees: Justice Gabriel Sanchez (9th Cir.), David Urias (D.N.M.), Magistrate Judge Katherine Menendez (D. Minn.), Samantha Elliot (D.N.H.), Magistrate Judge Linda Lopez (S.D. Cal.), and Judge Jinsook Ohta (S.D. Cal.). The six nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced its intent to nominate the next slate of judicial nominees this week. The newest slate included 9 Article III nominees: Judge Leonard Stark (Fed. Cir.), Georgette Castner (D.N.J.), Judge Jacqueline Corley (N.D. Cal.), Judge Ruth Montenegro (S.D. Cal.), Evelyn Padin (D.N.J.), Judge Julie Rubin (D. Md.), Judge Cristina Silva (D. Nev.), Judge Trina Thompson (N.D. Cal.), and Anne Traum (D. Nev.). This slate continues the administration’s emphasis on diversifying the federal bench.

As of November 4, there are 102 Article III vacancies, 72 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 32 pending nominees: 4 waiting for floor votes, 12 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 16 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 28 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

October 28, 2021

The Senate confirmed 7 Article III nominees this week: Myrna Perez (2d Cir.) in a 48-43 vote; Magistrate Judge Karen Williams (D.N.J.) in a 56-38 vote; Jia Cobb (D.D.C.) in a 52-45 vote; Patricia Giles (E.D. Va.) in a 68-27 vote; Sarala Nagala (D. Conn.) in a 52-46 vote; Magistrate Judge Michael Nachmanoff (E.D. Va.) in a 52-46 vote; and Judge Omar Williams (D. Conn.) in a 52-46 vote. These new confirmations continue the Biden-Harris Administration’s emphasis on diversifying the federal bench by adding both personal and professional diversity to numerous courts across the country.

Myrna Perez joins now-Justice Sonia Sotomayor as the only Latinas to ever serve on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Sarala Nagala will be the first Asian American judge to ever serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.

The Senate also invoked cloture on Justice Beth Robinson (2d Cir.) and Toby Heytens (4th Cir.) this week. Robinson and Heytens could be confirmed as early as next week.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting. At the meeting, the Committee voted Judge Lucy Koh (9th Cir.), Judge Jane Beckering (W.D. Mich.), and Chief Judge Shalina Kumar (E.D. Mich.) out of committee.

As of October 28, there are 103 Article III vacancies, 72 of which are current. There are 25 pending nominees: 6 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 13 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 26 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

October 21, 2021

The Senate confirmed three Article III nominees this week: Chief Judge Gustavo Gelpi (1st Cir.) in a 52-41 vote; Christine O’Hearn (D.N.J.) in a 53-44 vote; and Tana Lin (W.D. Wash.) in a 52-45 vote. Lin becomes the first Asian American judge to sit on a district court in the state of Washington. The Senate also invoked cloture on Myrna Perez (2d Cir.), setting up a confirmation vote on Monday, October 25.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for six Article III nominees: Judge Holly Thomas (9th Cir.), Magistrate Judge Jennifer Thurston (E.D. Cal.), Judge Hernán Vera (C.D. Cal.), Judge Maame Frimpong (C.D. Cal.), Magistrate Judge Mary Dimke (E.D. Wash.), and Charlotte Sweeney (D. Colo.). The six nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote.

On Thursday, the Committee held an executive business meeting where it favorably voted Justice Beth Robinson (2d Cir.) out of committee. The Committee also voted on Jennifer Sung (9th Cir.). Sung’s vote was a tie, which means Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will have to file a discharge petition to advance Sung out of committee. If the petition receives a majority vote, she will then be eligible for the standard cloture and confirmation votes.

As of October 21, there are 110 Article III vacancies, 79 of which are current. There are 32 pending nominees: 10 waiting for floor votes, 9 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 13 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 19 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

October 14, 2021

The Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States is expected to discuss the draft materials at this week’s public meeting on Friday, October 15. The Commission is aiming to finalize its report and submit it to the President by mid-November.

With the Senate on recess this week, there was no movement on judicial nominations. When the Senate returns on Monday, it is expected to vote on the confirmation of Chief Judge Gustavo Gelpi (1st Cir.).

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on October 20. As of Thursday afternoon, the nominees who will appear at this hearing are not public. The Committee is also scheduled to hold an executive business meeting on October 21. At the meeting, the Committee is expected to vote on Justice Beth Robinson (2d Cir.) and Jennifer Sung (9th Cir.).

As of October 14, there are 112 Article III vacancies, 81 of which are current. There are 35 pending nominees: 11 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 19 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 16 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

October 7, 2021

This week the Senate confirmed Lauren King (W.D. Wash.) and Magistrate Judge Sarah Merriam (D. Conn.) in bipartisan votes. With these confirmations, there have now been 16 confirmed Article III judges during the Biden-Harris Administration. A majority of these confirmations are people of color, and a majority are women. King also becomes the first Native American judge to ever serve in the Western District of Washington.

The Senate is also expected to vote on cloture for Chief Judge Gustavo Gelpi (1st Cir.) Thursday evening. If cloture is invoked, his confirmation vote is expected on October 18 after a brief Senate recess.

Judge Henry Floyd (4th Cir.) announced his intent to take senior status at the end of the year. There are also public reports that Second Circuit Judges José Cabranes and Rosemary Pooler are planning to take senior status. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Court page.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for Judge Lucy Koh (9th Cir.), Judge Jane Beckering (W.D. Mich.), and Chief Judge Shalina Kumar (E.D. Mich.). The three nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

On Thursday, the Committee held an executive business meeting. At the meeting, the Committee was expected to vote on Justice Beth Robinson (2d Cir.) and Jennifer Sung (9th Cir.). However, Robinson and Sung were held over again due to attendance issues.

As of October 7, there are 112 Article III vacancies, 81 of which are current. There are 35 pending nominees: 11 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 19 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

September 30, 2021

This week the White House announced its intent to nominate ten people to district court vacancies: Bridget Brennan (N.D. Ohio), Victoria Calvert (N.D. Ga.), Judge John Chun (W.D. Wash.), Samantha Elliott (D.N.H.), Charles Fleming (N.D. Ohio), Sarah Geraghty (N.D. Ga.), Dale Ho (S.D.N.Y.), Magistrate Judge Linda Lopez (S.D. Cal.), Judge Jinsook Ohta (S.D. Cal.), and Magistrate Judge David Ruiz (N.D. Ohio). The White House also announced its intent to nominate Loren AliKhan to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

This latest slate of judicial nominees continues the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to diversifying the federal bench. A majority of these ten nominees are people of color, and a majority are women. The new slate also includes professional diversity, as several of the nominees have served as public defenders and civil rights attorneys.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting this week. At the meeting, the Committee held over Justice Beth Robinson (2d Cir.) and Jennifer Sung (9th Cir.) setting up their committee votes as early as next week.

As of September 30, there are 112 Article III vacancies, 80 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 37 pending nominees: 13 waiting for floor votes, 2 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 22 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

September 23, 2021

The Senate confirmed three judicial nominees this week: Veronica Rossman (10th Cir.) in a 50-42 vote; Margaret Strickland (D.N.M.) in a 52-45 vote; and Judge Florence Pan (D.D.C.) in a 68-30 vote. With these confirmations, there have now been 14 confirmed Article III judges during the Biden-Harris Administration, 11 of which are women. Judge Pan is also the first Asian American confirmed to an Article III court during the Biden-Harris Administration.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting this week where Toby Heytens (4th Cir.), Sarala Nagala (D. Conn.), Judge Omar Williams (D. Conn.), Patricia Tolliver Giles (E.D. Va.), and Magistrate Judge Michael Nachmanoff (E.D. Va.) all were all advanced to the floor.

As of September 23, there are 112 Article III vacancies, 78 of which are current. There are 27 pending nominees: 13 waiting for floor votes, 2 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 12 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

September 15, 2021

The Senate returned from recess this week and quickly turned its attention to judicial nominations. On Tuesday, the Senate confirmed David Estudillo (W.D. Wash.) in a 54-41 vote and Judge Angel Kelley (D. Mass.) in a 52-44 vote. During the Biden-Harris Administration, the Senate has now confirmed 11 Article III nominees, 10 of which have been people of color.

Prior to leaving for another brief recess, the Senate invoked cloture on Veronica Rossman (10th Cir.) in a 51-44 vote and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture on Margaret Strickland (D.N.M.). Rossman’s confirmation vote is scheduled for September 20.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting this week where Toby Heytens (4th Cir.), Sarala Nagala (D. Conn.), Judge Omar Williams (D. Conn.), Patricia Tolliver Giles (E.D. Va.), and Magistrate Judge Michael Nachmanoff (E.D. Va.) all were held over. The five nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote.

As of September 15, there are 112 Article III vacancies, 81 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 30 pending nominees: 11 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 14 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

September 10, 2021

The White House announced eight new Article III nominees this week: Judge Lucy Koh (9th Cir.), Justice Gabriel Sanchez (9th Cir.), Judge Holly Thomas (9th Cir.), Magistrate Judge Jennifer Thurston (E.D. Cal.), Judge Hernán Vera (C.D. Cal.), Judge Maame Frimpong (C.D. Cal.), David Urias (D.N.M.), and Magistrate Judge Katherine Menendez (D. Minn.). The new slate of nominees continues to exemplify the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to diversifying the federal bench, as a majority of the nominees are women and a majority are people of color.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on September 14. As of Thursday morning, the nominees who will appear at this hearing are not public.

The Committee also announced its intention to hold a hearing examining the Supreme Court’s use of the shadow-docket in light of the Court’s recent ruling in the Texas abortion case. The Committee has not yet announced when this hearing will be held.

As of September 9, there are 114 Article III vacancies, 83 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 32 pending nominees: 13 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 14 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

August 12, 2021

Over the weekend, Eunice Lee (2d Cir.) was confirmed in a 50-47 vote. Lee becomes the fourth Black woman to be confirmed to the circuit courts during this administration. Prior to the Biden-Harris Administration, only eight Black women had ever served as circuit court judges.

With Lee’s confirmation, there are now 16 current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Court page.

The Senate went into August recess this week and is set to return after Labor Day. Before leaving for recess, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture on three judicial nominees: Veronica Rossman (10th Cir.), David Estudillo (W.D. Wash.), and Judge Angel Kelley (D. Mass.).

As of August 12, there are 112 Article III vacancies, 80 of which are current. There are 24 pending nominees: 13 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 6 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

On the Bench will return when the full Senate is back from recess and judicial nominations activity resumes.

August 5, 2021

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced five Article III nominees: Myrna Perez (2d Cir.), Magistrate Judge Sarah Merriam (D. Conn.), Jia Cobb (D.D.C.), Judge Florence Pan (D.D.C.), and Magistrate Judge Karen Williams (D.N.J.). These five nominees join nine other Article III nominees who are currently eligible for a confirmation vote from the full Senate. Eunice Lee (2d Cir.), one of the nominees currently pending, could be confirmed in the next few days before the August recess.

Judges Theodore McKee (3rd Cir.) and Richard Young (S.D. Ind.) announced their intent to take senior status. With these senior status announcements, there are now 17 current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level and 94 current or known future vacancies at the district court level.

Also on Thursday, the White House announced the next slate of judicial nominees: Justice Beth Robinson (2d Cir.), Magistrate Judge Mary Dimke (E.D. Wash.), and Charlotte Sweeney (D. Colo.). Robinson and Sweeney are the first openly LGBTQ people nominated to the federal bench during the Biden-Harris Administration.

Late last week, two lower court expansion bills were introduced in Congress. Representative Hank Johnson introduced the District Court Judgeship Act of 2021, which would create 203 additional district court judgeships across 35 judicial districts. In the Senate, Senators Chris Coons and Todd Young introduced the Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act. The JUDGES Act closely mirrors the Judicial Conference of the United States’ recommendations and would create 77 district court judgeships, to become open in the future, split between 2025 and 2029.

As of August 5, there are 113 Article III vacancies, 80 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 25 pending nominees: 14 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 6 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

July 29, 2021

The Senate Judiciary Committee continued to advance judicial nominees this week. On Wednesday, the Committee held a hearing for five Article III nominees: Toby Heytens (4th Cir.), Sarala Nagala (D. Conn.), Judge Omar Williams (D. Conn.), Patricia Tolliver Giles (E.D. Va.), and Magistrate Judge Michael Nachmanoff (E.D. Va.). The five nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote.

On Thursday, the Committee held a markup for five Article III nominees: Myrna Perez (2d Cir.), Magistrate Judge Sarah Merriam (D. Conn.), Jia Cobb (D.D.C.), Judge Florence Pan (D.D.C.)., and Judge Karen Williams (D.N.J.). The nominees were held over and are now eligible for a full committee vote, which could occur as soon as next week.

Judge Kathleen O’Malley (Fed. Cir.) announced that she will be retiring in March 2022. This will be the second vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit during this administration. With Judge O’Malley’s retirement, there are now 16 current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level. Also this week, Judge David Lawson (E.D. Mich.) announced his intention to take senior status in August of this year.

As of July 29, there are 111 Article III vacancies, 78 of which are current. There are 22 pending nominees: 9 waiting for floor votes, 10 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 3 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

July 22, 2021
The Senate voted to confirm Tiffany Cunningham (Fed. Cir.) this week in a 63-33 vote. Judge Cunningham will be the first Black judge to ever serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Judge Cunningham is the third Black woman to be confirmed to a circuit court seat during the first six months of the Biden-Harris Administration. Prior to the current administration, only eight Black women had ever served as circuit court judges.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting. The Committee favorably advanced three Article III nominees: Chief Judge Gustavo Gelpi (1st Cir.), Christine O’Hearn (D.N.J.), and Judge Angel Kelley (D. Mass.). All three nominees are now eligible for confirmation votes from the full senate.

The Committee has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday, July 28. As of Thursday morning, the nominees who will appear at this hearing are not public. It is likely that some of the judicial nominees who have not yet had a hearing will be scheduled for this hearing.

As of July 22, there are 109 Article III vacancies, 78 of which are current. There are 22 pending nominees: 9 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 8 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

July 15, 2021

The Senate returned from recess this week, and the Senate Judiciary Committee resumed judicial nominations activity. On Wednesday, the Committee held a hearing for five Article III nominees: Myrna Perez (2d Cir.), Magistrate Judge Sarah Merriam (D. Conn.), Jia Cobb (D.D.C.), Judge Florence Pan (D.D.C.)., and Judge Karen Williams (D.N.J.). The hearing primarily focused on Perez’s prior work as a voting rights lawyer and the concept of a living constitution. If confirmed, Perez would be the first Latina judge to sit on the Second Circuit since Justice Sonia Sotomayor in 2009.

On Thursday, the Committee held an executive business meeting. The Committee favorably advanced five Article III nominees: Eunice Lee (2d Cir.), Veronica Rossman (10th Cir.), David Estudillo (W.D. Wash.), Lauren King (W.D. Wash.), and Tana Lin (W.D. Wash.). All five nominees are now eligible for confirmation votes from the full senate.

As of July 15, there are 108 Article III vacancies, 79 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 23 pending nominees: 7 waiting for floor votes, 8 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 8 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

July 8, 2021

With the Senate on recess this week, there was no movement on judicial nominations. When the Senate returns next week, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on July 14. As of Thursday morning, the nominees who will appear at this hearing are not public. It is likely that some of the judicial nominees who have not yet had a hearing will be scheduled for this hearing.

As of July 8, there are 107 Article III vacancies, 78 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 23 pending nominees: 2 waiting for floor votes, 8 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 13 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

July 1, 2021

With the Senate on recess this week, there was no movement on judicial nominations. The Biden-Harris Administration did announce the next slate of judicial nominees this week. The slate included six Article III nominees: Toby Heytens (4th Cir.), Jennifer Sung (9th Cir.), Judge Jane Beckering (W.D. Mich.), Patricia Tolliver Giles (E.D. Va.), Chief Judge Shalina Kumar (E.D. Mich.), and Judge Michael Nachmanoff (E.D. Va.)

The Senate is set to return from recess on July 12. It is likely that once the Senate returns that confirmation hearings for judicial nominees will resume.

As of July 1, there are 107 Article III vacancies, 78 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 24 pending nominees: 2 waiting for floor votes, 8 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 14 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

June 24, 2021

The Senate confirmed Candace Jackson-Akiwumi to the Seventh Circuit in a 53-40 vote this week. Judge Jackson-Akiwumi will be the only active Black judge on the Seventh Circuit, which prior to her confirmation did not have a single active judge who is a person of color. There are now 15 current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level. The Senate also confirmed Deborah Boardman (D. Md.) in a 52-48 vote this week.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for three judicial nominees: Chief Judge Gustavo Gelpi (1st Cir.), Christine O’Hearn (D.N.J.), and Judge Angel Kelley (D. Mass.). These nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote, which will likely occur after the July senate recess.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting. Margaret Strickland (D.N.M.) was advanced with bipartisan support and is now eligible for a confirmation vote.

As of June 24, there are 107 Article III vacancies, 78 of which are current. Currently, there are 17 pending nominees: 2 waiting for floor votes, 8 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 7 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

June 17, 2021

The Senate voted to elevate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the D.C. Circuit this week. Judge Jackson was confirmed to her new seat in a bipartisan 53-44 vote. With Judge Jackson’s confirmation, the Biden-Harris Administration has already confirmed more Black lawyers to the circuit courts than during the entire Trump presidency. There are now 16 current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level, including one more on the D.C. Circuit.

The Senate also confirmed Lydia Griggsby (D. Md.) in a 59-39 vote this week. Griggsby is the first woman of color to ever serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced the next slate of judicial nominees this week: Myrna Perez (2d Cir.), Magistrate Judge Sarah Merriam (D. Conn.), Sarala Nagala (D. Conn.), Judge Omar Williams (D. Conn.), and Jia Cobb (D.D.C.). The new slate of five Article III nominees included civil rights attorneys.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting. Tiffany Cunningham (Fed. Cir.) was advanced with bipartisan support and is now eligible for a confirmation vote. Margaret Strickland (D.N.M.) was eligible for a committee vote, but was held over for another week.

As of June 17, there are 106 Article III vacancies, 78 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 19 pending nominees: 3 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 10 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

June 10, 2021

The Senate confirmed the first judicial nominees of the Biden-Harris Administration this week. Through Thursday, the Senate has confirmed three Article III nominees: Julien Neals (D.N.J.) in a 66-33 vote; Reginia Rodriguez (D. Colo.) in a 72-28 vote; and Zahid Quraishi (D.N.J.) in a 81-16 vote. The Senate also voted on the cloture motion for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson (D.C. Cir.), setting up a potential confirmation vote in the next few days.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for five judicial nominees: Eunice Lee (2d Cir.), Veronica Rossman (10th Cir.), David Estudillo (W.D. Wash.), Lauren King (W.D. Wash.), and Tana Lin (W.D. Wash.). The five nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote. The committee also advanced Deborah Boardman (D. Md.) and Lydia Griggsby (D. Md.) this week. Both nominees are now eligible for a confirmation vote from the full senate.

Judge William Fletcher (9th Cir.) officially submitted his intention to take senior status this week. There are now 17 current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level, including four on the Ninth Circuit.

As of June 10, there are 108 Article III vacancies, 79 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 16 pending nominees: 4 waiting for floor votes, 7 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 5 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

June 3, 2021

The Senate is on recess this week, so it didn’t act on any judicial nominations. Prior to the holiday weekend, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture on two district court nominees: Julien Neals (D.N.J.) and Regina Rodriguez (D. Colo.). The Senate is scheduled to take the cloture vote on Neals on June 7.

This means Neals could potentially be the first judicial nominee confirmed under the Biden-Harris Administration. An early June confirmation would put the Biden-Harris Administration slightly behind the Trump Administration, which had two judicial nominees confirmed by the end of May in the first year of the administration.

When the Senate returns from recess next week, the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hold a hearing on June 9. As of Thursday, the judicial nominees who will appear at this hearing are not public. It is likely that some of the judicial nominees who have not yet had a hearing will be scheduled for this hearing.

As of June 3, there are 109 Article III vacancies, 82 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 19 pending nominees: 5 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 10 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

May 27, 2021

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing this week for two judicial nominees: Tiffany Cunningham (Fed. Cir.) and Margaret Strickland (D.N.M.). If confirmed, Cunningham would be the first Black judge to ever serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held the first executive business meeting for two judicial nominees for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland: Magistrate Judge Deborah Boardman (D. Md.) and Judge Lydia Griggsby (Ct. Fed. Cl.). Both nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote, which will likely occur after the Memorial Day senate recess.

Judge Paez (9th Cir.) officially submitted his intention to take senior status this week. There are now 16 current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Court page.

As of May 27, there are 108 Article III vacancies, 78 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 19 pending nominees: 5 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 10 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

May 20, 2021

In the last week, there have been a growing number of circuit court vacancies as Judges James Dennis (5th Cir.) and Beverly Martin (11th Cir.) both officially announced their intention to take senior status. With their announcements, there are now 15 current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Court page.

There were also reports this week that Judge Bernice Donald (6th Cir.) intends to take senior status. This follows other recent media reports that Judges Richard Paez (9th Cir.) and William Fletcher (9th Cir.) also intend to take senior status sometime in the future. If all 18 of these circuit court vacancies are filled, the Biden-Harris Administration will have confirmed one-third the number of circuit court judges as the Trump Administration did in its four years.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held the operative executive business meeting for five judicial nominees: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson (D.C. Cir.), Candace Jackson-Akiwumi (7th Cir.), Julien Neals (D.N.J.), Magistrate Judge Zahid Quraishi (D.N.J.), and Regina Rodriguez (D. Colo.). All five nominees were reported favorably out of committee and are now eligible for confirmation votes from the full senate.

As of May 20, there are 107 Article III vacancies, 78 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 19 pending nominees: 5 waiting for floor votes, 2 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 12 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

May 13, 2021

The White House nominated six Article III judges on Wednesday. The new slate was made up of three circuit court nominees and three district court nominees: Chief Judge Gustavo Gelpi Jr. (1st Cir.), Eunice Lee (2d Cir.), Veronica Rossman (10th Cir.), Judge Angel Kelley (D. Mass.), Lauren King (W.D. Wash.), and Judge Karen Williams (D.N.J.).

In line with the previous slates, the White House put an emphasis on the professional and personal diversity of these nominees. The White House particularly highlighted that several of the nominees had spent time as federal defenders. In response to the newest slate, ACS President Russ Feingold said, “ACS welcomes the White House’s announcement of more judicial nominees and its continued commitment to diversity on the bench. Our courts should reflect the public they serve. We encourage sustained urgency in filling federal court vacancies.”

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for two district court nominees this week: Judge Deborah Boardman (D. Md.) and Judge Lydia Griggsby (D. Md.). The hearing was lightly attended as only five members of the Committee were present. Judges Boardman and Griggsby are now eligible to be voted out of committee.

Judge Anthony Trenga (E.D. Va.) announced his intention to take senior status in June 2021. This will create a second vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. There are also reports that Judge Richard Paez (9th Cir.) will take senior status, creating another vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

As of May 13, there are 103 Article III vacancies, 78 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 19 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 7 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 12 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

May 6, 2021

The Senate is on recess this week, so it didn’t act on any judicial nominations. Next week, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on judicial nominations on May 12. As of May 6, the judicial nominees who will appear at this hearing are not public. It is likely the hearing will feature nominees from the Biden-Harris Administration’s first judicial slate.

Judges Ursula Ungaro (S.D. Fla.) and George Daniels (S.D.N.Y.) took senior status earlier this year. Their status change went into effect in the last week, creating two more current vacancies. There are now 68 district court vacancies that are currently open.

As of May 6, there are 102 Article III vacancies, 77 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 13 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 8 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

April 29, 2021

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing this week for five Article III nominees: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson (D.C. Cir.), Candace Jackson-Akiwumi (7th Cir.), Julien Neals (D.N.J.), Judge Zahid Quraishi (D.N.J.), and Regina Rodriguez (D. Colo.). Chairman Dick Durbin began the hearing by praising the diversity of the candidates, particularly noting that all five candidates at the hearing were people of color.

A majority of the questions for Judge Jackson and Jackson-Akiwumi focused on their respective public defender backgrounds. Members of the majority often praised the candidates for this professional diversity and stressed the need to bring more professional diversity to the federal bench. During the second panel for the three district court nominees, only Chairman Durbin and Senator Booker were present.

On Thursday, the Biden-Harris Administration released the second slate of judicial nominees. The list was made up of three district court nominees: Judge David Estudillo (W.D. Wash.), Tana Lin (W.D. Wash.), and Christine O’Hearn (D.N.J.). Based on the caseload of these courts, all three of these vacancies are judicial emergencies.

As of April 29, there are 102 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 13 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 8 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

April 22, 2021

The White House officially submitted nine of the names from the first slate of judicial nominees to the Senate this week. The nine names included three circuit court nominees and six district court nominees. With the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the D.C. Circuit, there are now 100 current or known future vacancies for the Article III courts.

On the Seventh Circuit, if Candace Jackson-Akiwumi is confirmed, in addition to potentially being the only Black active judge on that Circuit, that confirmation would increase the number of Democratic-appointed judges on the Circuit from two to three. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Court page.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has officially noticed a nomination hearing for April 28. On Friday, the list of nominees appearing before the Committee was made public. The candidates who will appear at the first hearing are Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson (D.C. Cir.), Candace Jackson-Akiwumi (7th Cir.), Julien Neals (D.N.J.), Judge Zahid Quraishi (D.N.J.), and Regina Rodriguez (D. Colo.).

As of April 22, there are 100 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. Once the nominees are officially nominated, there will be 10 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 10 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

April 15, 2021

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to hold a hearing later this month for some of the Biden-Harris Administration’s first judicial nominees. The diverse slate includes Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, who would be the only active Black judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and Tiffany Cunningham, who would be the first Black judge to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. It’s currently unclear which nominees could appear at this first hearing.

Judge David Nuffer (D. Utah) has announced his intention to take senior status next year.

As of April 15, there are 98 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. Once the nominees are officially nominated, there will be 10 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 10 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

April 8, 2021

Judge Marsha Berzon (9th Cir.) announced her intention to take senior status upon the appointment of her successor this week. This will create a second vacancy on the Ninth Circuit and the first for a California based seat.

With Judge Berzon taking senior status, there are now thirteen current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level. If filled, these thirteen circuit court seats represent almost a quarter of the number of circuit court judges President Trump had confirmed in four years.

The Senate remains on recess this week. The Senate Judiciary Committee has not yet noticed a hearing for any of these judicial nominees, but it’s likely that the first hearing will be at the end of this month.

As of April 8, there are 97 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. Once the nominees are officially nominated, there will be 10 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 10 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

April 1, 2021

The Biden-Harris Administration released its first slate of judicial nominees this week. The diverse group of ten Article III nominees included three circuit court nominees, all of whom are Black women. If confirmed, Candace Jackson-Akiwumi would be the only active Black judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and Tiffany Cunningham would be the first Black judge to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

In response to the slate, ACS President Russ Feingold said, “The racial, gender, and professional diversity displayed in the Biden-Harris administration’s first slate of potential judges is an excellent start. . . . This first slate sets the standard that diversity should be prioritized when picking judicial candidates.”

The Senate Judiciary Committee has not yet noticed a hearing for any of these judicial nominees. It is likely that the first hearing for some of the nominees will be at the end of this month.

As of April 1, there are 97 Article III vacancies, 70 of which are current. Once the nominees are officially nominated, there will be 10 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 10 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

March 25, 2021

The number of Article III vacancies continues to rise and is approaching 100. As of March 24, there are 97 current or known future vacancies, including 12 at the circuit court level. The Biden-Harris Administration has not yet announced its first slate of judicial nominees.

Reports suggest the White House is close to announcing its first slate of judicial nominees, but the timing remains unclear. After Friday, the Senate is set to go on a two-week recess. In order for the potential nominees to receive an April hearing, they will need to be announced within a week.

Judge John Jarvey (S.D. Iowa) has announced his intention to take senior status next year.

As of March 25, there are 97 Article III vacancies, 69 of which are current. There are currently 0 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 0 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

March 18, 2021

The Judicial Conference of the United States released its annual report this week. The report included a proposal to add 79 new judgeships, including two new seats on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The recommendation is similar to the 2019 proposal, which recommended the creation of 70 new Article III judgeships in the courts of appeals and district courts.

Following the 2019 proposal, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the recommendation and several senators introduced legislation that would expand the lower courts. that would expand the lower courts. In light of the new proposal, similar legislation could be introduced in the coming weeks.

Judge Evan Wallach (Fed. Cir.) has announced his intention to take senior status this spring. With Judge Wallach taking senior status, there are now twelve current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Court page.

As of March 18, there are 96 Article III vacancies, 69 of which are current. There are currently 0 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 0 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

March 11, 2021

The Senate voted 70-30 in favor of confirming Judge Merrick Garland (D.C. Cir.) as Attorney General this week. With Judge Garland’s confirmation, there are now eleven current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held several hearings this week. On Tuesday, Lisa Monaco and Vanita Gupta received their hearing to be Deputy Attorney General and Associate Attorney General respectively. On Wednesday, the Committee’s Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action and Federal Rights held a hearing on the big-money assault on the judiciary.

The Committee is likely to turn its attention to judicial nominations in the coming weeks, as the number of current and known future vacancies approaches one hundred. More judges have announced their plans, as Judge William Young (D. Mass.) has announced his intention to take senior status at a future date.

As of March 11, there are 94 Article III vacancies, 67 of which are current. There are currently 0 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 0 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

March 4, 2021

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 15-7 in favor of advancing Judge Merrick Garland’s (D.C. Cir.) nomination to U.S. Attorney to the floor this week. The Senate will likely vote to confirm Judge Garland in the coming days.

Next week, the Committee will hold several hearings. On Tuesday, Lisa Monaco and Vanita Gupta will receive their hearing to be Deputy Attorney General and Associate Attorney General respectively. On Wednesday, the Committee’s Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action and Federal Rights will hold a hearing on the big-money assault on the judiciary.

Judge Barbara Keenan (4th Cir.) has announced her intention to take senior status this fall. With Judge Keenan taking senior status, there are now nine current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level. Judges George Daniels (S.D.N.Y.) and Richard Jackson (D. Colo.) also announced their intentions to take senior status later this year.

As of March 3, there are 89 Article III vacancies, 64 of which are current. There are currently 0 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 0 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

February 25, 2021

The House Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing this week on lower court expansion. The hearing had several witnesses, including sitting federal judges who gave firsthand testimony on the need for new judges.

Ahead of the hearing, numerous progressive groups, including ACS, sent a letter to the House Committee on the Judiciary in support of lower court expansion. The letter argues that lower court expansion could help address the ever-growing federal case load and also presents an opportunity to improve diversity on the federal bench.

More judges have announced their future plans. Judge Susan Graber (9th Cir.) has taken senior status at a date to be determined in the future, and Judge Virginia Phillips (C.D. Cal.) will be retiring in February 2022. With Judge Graber taking senior status, there are now eight current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level.

As of February 25, there are 86 Article III vacancies, 60 of which are current. There are currently 0 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 0 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

February 18, 2021

After voting to acquit former President Trump in his second impeachment over the weekend, the Senate went on recess this week. When the Senate returns next week, the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hold a hearing for Judge Merrick Garland (D.C. Cir.) for his nomination to U.S. Attorney General.

More judges have announced their intentions to take senior status: Judges David Tatel (D.C. Cir.), Paul Barbadoro (D.N.H.), Carmen Consuelo Cerezo (D.P.R.), Julie Robinson (D. Kan.), James Jones (W.D. Va.), and Vanessa Bryant (D. Conn.). With Judge Tatel taking senior status, there are now seven current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Court page.

When the Senate Judiciary Committee begins holding hearings for judicial nominations, the committee is expected to continue the blue slip process that Republicans have used since 2017. Under these rules, home-state senators can no longer block circuit court nominees from their state, but they retain veto power for district court nominees.

As of February 18, there are 84 Article III vacancies, 59 of which are current. There are currently 0 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 0 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

February 11, 2021

Just over a month after Inauguration Day, the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to begin holding hearings. On February 22 and 23, Judge Merrick Garland (D.C. Cir.) will receive a hearing for his nomination to U.S. Attorney General. After Judge Garland’s hearing, it’s likely the Committee will turn to judicial nominations. As of February 11, the new administration has yet to formally nominate anyone to the federal bench.  

Several more judges have announced their intentions to take senior status: Judges Mary Briscoe (10th Cir.), James Jones (W.D. Va.), Ursula Ungaro (S.D. Fla.), and Thomas Thrash Jr. (N.D. Ga.). All these seats will become open sometime in the next twelve months. With Judge Briscoe taking senior status, there are now six current or known future vacancies at the circuit court level. For more on the changing composition of the circuit court, check out ACS’s Composition of the Circuit Court page. 

Late last week, President Biden formally withdrew three judicial nominations from the Senate. Former President Trump had nominated Edmund LaCour (M.D. Ala.), Joseph Barloon (Ct. Int’l Trade), and Raul Arias-Marx (1st Cir.) in early January after the 117th Congress was in session. With these withdrawals, there are no pending Article III judicial nominees.  

As of February 11, there are 78 Article III vacancies, 57 of which are current. There are currently 0 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 0 waiting for hearings before the Committee. 

February 4, 2021

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell reached a deal yesterday on the Senate power-sharing agreement. The deal means that Senator Dick Durbin is now officially the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Senator Durbin’s committee will feature several new members. On the Democratic side, Senators Jon Ossoff and Alex Padilla have joined the committee. On the Republican side, Senator Tom Cotton has joined the committee, while Senators Mike Crapo and Joni Ernst have left. The committee now stands at 11-11.

Since Inauguration Day, there has been a wave of new vacancies. Judges Carlos Lucero (10th Cir.), James Gwin (N.D. Ohio), Dan Polster (N.D. Ohio), Jeffrey White (N.D. Cal.), and Phyllis Hamilton (N.D. Cal.) all have taken senior status creating current vacancies. Judge Roslynn Mauskopf (E.D.N.Y.) has also left the bench, as Chief Justice John Roberts has tapped her to become the first woman to lead the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

There has also been a steady stream of new senior status announcements in the last week. Judges Denny Chin (2d Cir.), Timothy Savage (E.D. Pa.), Elizabeth Foote (W.D. La.), Vanessa Gilmore (S.D. Tex.), Victoria Roberts (E.D. Mich.), Janet Neff (W.D. Mich.), Solomon Oliver Jr. (N.D. Ohio), and Michael Mosman (D. Or.) all have announced their intention to take senior status. All these seats will become open sometime in the next twelve months.

As of February 4, there are 74 Article III vacancies, 57 of which are current. There are currently 3 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 1 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 2 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

January 27, 2021

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are still in the final negotiations over the Senate organizing resolution. As of Wednesday morning, the new composition of the Senate Judiciary Committee is still uncertain.

Numerous judges have either taken senior status or announced their intention to take senior status in the last week. Judge Robert Katzmann (2d Cir.) took senior status effective January 21, 2021, creating a vacancy on the important U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Seven district court judges have also announced their intentions to take senior status, creating future vacancies on several courts, including the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

As of January 27, there are 59 Article III vacancies, 50 of which are current. There are currently 3 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 1 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 2 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

January 22, 2021

Shortly after Wednesday’s inauguration ceremony, Senators Ossoff, Padilla, and Warnock were also sworn into office, giving the Democrats a Senate majority.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are working on the organizing resolution for the new Senate. Among the things to be decided is how committee membership will work. The expectation is that the new organizing resolution will be similar to the one from 2001. This means while committee membership will likely be evenly split, Democrats will control the business of the committees including holding the chair positions. Senator Dick Durbin is expected to become the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he will have plenty of judicial vacancies to fill.

Already this week, Judge Victoria Roberts (E.D. Mich.) announced that she would be taking senior status in February. Judge Roberts is the first judge since the inauguration to publicly announce her intention to take senior status. It’s likely that more judges will also announce their intention to take senor status in the coming weeks, giving the Biden administration more vacancies to fill.

As of January 21, there are 50 Article III vacancies, 46 of which are current. There are currently 3 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 1 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 2 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

January 14, 2021

With less than a week until Inauguration Day, the current president’s second impeachment for the Senate to address, and news reports that the Senate is not going to come back in session until January 19, it’s highly unlikely this administration will be able to confirm any more judicial nominees. In total, this outgoing administration and the Republican-led Senate confirmed 234 Article III judges, including three new Supreme Court justices and 54 circuit court judges.

One constant among these new judges is a stunning lack of diversity. Of the 234 new judges, 178 (76%) are men and 197 (84%) are white. This is a reversal from the Obama administration, which emphasized nominating diverse candidate to the federal bench. As a result, the federal courts have gotten whiter and more male over the past four years.

Despite the new Congress, President Trump re-nominated three Article III nominees earlier this month: Judge Raul Arias-Marxuach (D.P.R.) to the Puerto Rico-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit vacancy; Edmund LaCour to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama; and Joseph Barloon to the U.S. Court of International Trade. In order for President-elect Biden to nominate new candidates to these three vacancies, he would have to formally withdraw their nominations.

As of January 14, there are 50 Article III vacancies, 46 of which are current. There are currently 3 pending nominees: 0 waiting for floor votes, 1 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 2 waiting for hearings before the Committee

December 18, 2020

While the Senate continued to debate a potential coronavirus relief bill during the lame duck session, the Senate continued to advance and confirm judicial nominees. This week the Senate confirmed four Article III nominees: Thomas Kirsch II (7th Cir.) in a 51-44 vote; Charles Atchley Jr. (E.D. Tenn.) in a 54-41 vote; Katherine Crytzer (E.D. Tenn.) in a 48-47 vote; and Joseph Dawson III (D.S.C.) in a 56-39 vote. These confirmations bring the total number of Article III judges confirmed under this administration to 233.

Kirsch II was nominated to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals seat that only became vacancy in late October when then-Judge Amy Coney Barrett was elevated to the U.S. Supreme Court. He was confirmed to a lifetime seat on the Seventh Circuit in just under a month. For more on the changing composition of the circuit courts, visit ACS’s Circuit Court Composition page. Kirsch II’s confirmation also cemented the Seventh Circuit as continuing to be composed of active judges who are all white. For more on the racial and gender diversity of individual courts, visit ACS’s Judicial Nominations page.

Also this week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for Judge Raúl Arias-Marxuach (D.P.R.), who has been nominated to the First Circuit. At the hearing, Chairman Lindsay Graham promised that Judge Arias-Marxuach would not be confirmed during this Congress. When Senator Dick Durbin pressed Chairman Graham if Senator Chuck Grassley, who is set to become the Chairman or Ranking Member of the committee during the next Congress, would make that promise, Chairman Graham didn’t give a firm answer.

As of December 17, there are 51 Article III vacancies, 47 of which are current. There are currently 24 pending nominees: 4 waiting for floor votes, 1 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 19 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

December 11, 2020

With Inauguration Day quickly approaching, the Senate Judiciary Committee continued to advance judicial nominees. On Thursday, the Committee held an executive business meeting for four Article III nominees: Thomas Kirsch II (7th Cir.); Charles Atchley Jr. (E.D. Tenn.); Katherine Crytzer (E.D. Tenn.); and Joseph Dawson III (D.S.C.). All four nominees were voted favorably out of Committee, setting up potential floor votes during the lame duck session. These confirmation votes could come as early as next week.

At the executive business meeting, Chairman Lindsay Graham noted that this would be the last markup of the Congress. If true, this means any judicial nominee who has not yet been reported to the floor by SJC is unlikely to be confirmed. However, despite Chairman Graham’s remarks the Committee has noticed a hearing for next Wednesday, December 16. We do not yet know who will be considered at the hearing. It seems likely that it could be Judge Raúl Arias-Marxuach (D.P.R.), who has been nominated to the First Circuit. Senator Dick Durbin remarked that the Committee should not be continuing to advance judicial nominees, including circuit court nominees, during the lame duck session.

As of December 10, there are 55 Article III vacancies, 51 of which are current. There are currently 28 pending nominees: 8 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 20 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

December 4, 2020

With less than 50 days to Inauguration Day, the Senate continued to advance and confirm judicial nominees during the lame duck session. This week the Senate confirmed two district court nominees: J. Philip Calabrese (N.D. Ohio) in a 58-35 vote and Taylor McNeel (S.D. Miss.) in a 53-39 vote. These confirmations bring the total number of Article III judges confirmed under this administration to 229.

These confirmations continue the trend of the lack of diversity in the president’s judicial nominations. Of the 229 confirmations, 150 have been white men. This is nearly two-thirds of all the Article III judges confirmed during this administration. For more on the lack of diversity on the federal bench be sure to check out ACS’s Diversity of the Federal Bench page.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting for four Article III nominees: Thomas Kirsch II (7th Cir.); Charles Atchley Jr. (E.D. Tenn.); Katherine Crytzer (E.D. Tenn.); and Joseph Dawson III (D.S.C.). All four nominees were held over, setting up a potential committee vote next week.

As of December 3, there are 55 Article III vacancies, 51 of which are current. There are currently 28 pending nominees: 4 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 20 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

November 20, 2020

The Senate continued to advance and confirm judicial nominees this week, instead of dealing with the ongoing pandemic or the potential upcoming federal government shutdown. Five Article III judges were confirmed by the Senate: Kristi Johnson (S.D. Miss.) in a 53-43 vote; Benjamin Beaton (W.D. Ky.) in a 52-44 vote; Toby Crouse (D. Kan.) in a 50-43 vote; Stephen Vaden (Ct. Int’l Trade) in a 49-43 vote; and Kathryn Mizelle (M.D. Fla.) in a 49-41 vote. Mizelle, who is only 33 years old, was rated as “Not Qualified” by a substantial majority of the American Bar Association, in large part due to her lack of experience. Mizelle is the tenth nominee during this administration to receive a “Not Qualified” rating from the ABA. These confirmations bring the total number of Article III judges confirmed under this administration to 227.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for four Article III nominees: Thomas Kirsch II (7th Cir.); Charles Atchley Jr. (E.D. Tenn.); Katherine Crytzer (E.D. Tenn.); and Joseph Dawson III (D.S.C.). Kirsch II has been nominated to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals seat that only became vacancy in late October when then-Judge Amy Coney Barrett was elevated to the U.S. Supreme Court. The hearing primarily focused on originalism and how it applies in the seminal Brown v. Board of Education case.

After confirming the five judges this week, the Senate went on recess for the Thanksgiving holiday. However, before leaving for recess Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scheduled a cloture vote for a district court nominee on the day the Senate is set to return from recess. Despite being in a lame duck session, it appears the Republican Senate majority will continue confirming judicial nominees up until Inauguration Day.

As of November 19, there are 55 Article III vacancies, 52 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 30 pending nominees: 6 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 20 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

November 13, 2020

This week the Senate continued to confirm judicial nominees, despite the presidential transition that is already underway. The Senate confirmed two district court nominees: James Knepp II (N.D. Ohio) in a 64-24 vote and Aileen Cannon (S.D. Fla.) in a 56-21 vote. These confirmations bring the total number of Article III judges confirmed under this administration to 222.

The Senate Judiciary Committee also intends to advance judicial nominees during the lame duck session. The Committee has noticed a hearing for November 18. As of today, the judicial nominees who will appear at this hearing are not public.

As of November 12, there are 60 Article III vacancies, 57 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 34 pending nominees: 11 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 23 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

October 30, 2020

The Senate confirmed then-Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in a 52-48 vote on Monday. Justice Barrett became the third Supreme Court justice and 220th Article III judge confirmed during this administration.

Justice Barrett was the first Supreme Court justice to be confirmed without bipartisan support since 1869. She was also confirmed only 8 days before Election Day. No Supreme Court justice had been confirmed after July in an election year since 1900 before her confirmation.

She was sworn in within hours of the vote and is now eligible to hear cases related to the upcoming election. Justice Barrett can also participate in the upcoming oral arguments for the case related to the Affordable Care Act.

Also on Monday, the Senate set up a confirmation vote for a judicial nominee for after the election. On Monday, November 9, the Senate will vote on a cloture motion for James Knepp II (N.D. Ohio). While more votes are not publicly scheduled yet, it is likely that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will continue to hold confirmation votes on judicial nominees after the election.

As of October 29, there are 61 Article III vacancies, 59 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 36 pending nominees: 13 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 23 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

In other judiciary news, Judge Juan Torruella (1st Cir.) passed away this week at age 87. He was the first and only Puerto Rican to serve on the First Circuit.

October 23, 2020

Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee plowed ahead with Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court this week. On Thursday, the Committee reported Judge Barrett favorably to the floor, setting up a potential confirmation vote as early as October 26.

The Democratic members of the Committee were not present for this vote, as all ten skipped the hearing in protest. As a result of the protest, Chairman Lindsay Graham had to break Committee rules, which require two members of the minority party to be present to conduct business. The rule change led to Judge Barrett being reported out of Committee on a 12-0 vote. Before the Committee even reported Judge Barrett to the floor, the White House Wednesday evening already announced its intent to nominate Thomas Kirsch II to the future vacancy that Judge Barrett would leave on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

In addition to advancing Judge Barrett to the floor, the Committee favorably reported out four district court nominees: Benjamin Beaton (W.D. Ky.); Kristi Johnson (S.D. Miss.); Taylor McNeel (S.D. Miss.); and Kathryn Mizelle (M.D. Fla.). All four were reported out on 12-0 votes including Mizelle (M.D. Fla.), who a substantial majority of the American Bar Association rated as “Not Qualified.”

Also on Thursday, the Senate confirmed Michael Newman (S.D. Ohio) in a 67-30 vote. This confirmation brings the total number of Article III judges confirmed during this administration to 219.

As of October 22, there are 60 Article III vacancies, 58 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 37 pending nominees: 14 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 23 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

October 15, 2020

Despite the full Senate being on recess until October 19 due to a coronavirus outbreak, the Senate Judiciary Committee plowed ahead with Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court this week.

The questions to the nominee often centered around the real-world stakes of her potential confirmation. The Democratic members of the Committee raised numerous questions about the fate of the Affordable Care Act, Roe v. Wade, Obergefell v. Hodges, and more. However, Judge Barrett was evasive and offered very little in terms of substance in her answers.

One major focus of numerous questions was how Judge Barrett would treat precedent, should she be confirmed. While Judge Barrett would acknowledge that Brown v. Board of Education and Loving v. Virginia were correctly decided, she refused to say the same about  Griswold v. Connecticut, Lawrence v. Texas, or Obergefell v. Hodges.

On Thursday, the Committee took the unprecedented step of holding Judge Barrett over before hearing from expert witnesses. By holding Judge Barrett over on Thursday, Chairman Lindsey Graham has set up a full Committee vote on the nominee on October 22 at 1pm. This accelerated timeline still puts Judge Barrett on track to be confirmed before Election Day.

As of October 15, there are 61 Article III vacancies, 59 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 36 pending nominees: 10 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 22 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

October 9, 2020

The confirmation battle surrounding the vacancy left by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is heating up. The Senate was set to vote on five more district court nominees this week before turning its attention to Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court. However, after an outbreak of coronavirus, which included three Senate Republicans, the Senate went into a recess until October 19.

Despite the Senate going into recess until October 19, the Senate Judiciary Committee continues to advance Judge Barrett’s nomination. The Committee has noticed hearings next week from October 12 – 15 to consider Judge Barrett’s nomination, pose questions to the nominee, and hear from witnesses. This accelerated timeline still puts Judge Barrett on track to be confirmed before Election Day.

As of October 8, there are 61 Article III vacancies, 59 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 36 pending nominees: 10 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 22 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

September 25, 2020

The Senate remained focused on leaving no judicial vacancy behind this week, in the face of the ongoing pandemic and economic unrest. This week the Senate confirmed two district court nominees: John Hinderaker (D. Ariz.) in a 70-27 vote; and Roderick Young (E.D. Va.) in a 93-2 vote. These confirmations bring the total number of Article III judges confirmed under this administration to 218, which represents one-fourth of all active Article III judgeships.

As of September 24, there are 60 Article III vacancies, 59 of which are current. There are 34 pending nominees: 10 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 20 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

In other judiciary news, ACS continues to celebrate the life and mourn the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg was an icon and a trailblazer, who spent her life dedicated to the fight for gender equality. Despite Justice Ginsburg passing away only a week ago, the President and Senate Republicans have made their intentions clear about trying to fill the seat before the upcoming presidential election. The President is expected to nominate someone this weekend. This rushed process has angered Senate Democrats and a majority of this week’s Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting was spent debating this vacancy. This process will likely remain rushed as reports indicate Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for the unnamed nominee could begin as soon as Oct. 12.

September 18. 2020

With less than fifty days until the presidential election, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Senate remained focused on leaving no judicial vacancy behind. This week the Senate confirmed eight district court nominees: Franklin Valderrama (N.D. Ill.) in a 68-26 vote; Iain Johnston (N.D. Ill.) in a 77-14 vote; Stephen McGlynn (S.D. Ill.) in a 55-41 vote; David Dugan (S.D. Ill.) in a 55-41 vote; Todd Robinson (S.D. Cal.) in a 86-10 vote; John Holcomb (C.D. Cal.) in a 83-12 vote; Stanley Blumenfeld (C.D. Cal.) in a 92-4 vote; and Mark Scarsi (C.D. Cal.) in a 83-12 vote. The confirmations of Dugan and McGlynn were notable because of the pushback Senator Durbin’s judicial selection commission received during the nominations process.

These confirmations bring the total number of Article III judges confirmed under this administration to 216, which represents nearly one-fourth of all active Article III judgeships. A milestone that could be reached as early as next week.

The Senate Judiciary Committee also advanced five district court nominees out of Committee this week, setting up potential floor votes in the near future. The five nominees are J. Philip Calabrese (N.D. Ohio), Aileen Cannon (S.D. Fla.), Toby Crouse (D. Kan.), James Knepp II (N.D. Ohio), and Michael Newman (S.D. Ohio.).

As of September 17, there are 61 Article III vacancies, 60 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 36 pending nominees: 16 waiting for floor votes, 4 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 20 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

September 10, 2020

The Senate returned from recess this week and immediately turned its attention back to confirming new judges. The Senate confirmed five district court nominees this week: Brett Ludwig (E.D. Wis.) in a 91-5 vote; Christy Wiegand (W.D. Pa.) in a 82-14 vote; Hala Jarbou (W.D. Mich.) in a 83-15 vote; Thomas Cullen (W.D. Va.) in a 79-19 vote; and Diane Gujarati (E.D.N.Y.) in a 99-0 vote. These confirmations bring the total number of Article III judges confirmed during this administration to 208.

Also this week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for four district court nominees: Benjamin Beaton (W.D. Ky.), Kristi Johnson (S.D. Miss.), Taylor McNeel (S.D. Miss.), and Kathryn Mizelle (M.D. Fla.). Most of the hearing was spent on the American Bar Association’s substantial majority “Not Qualified” rating for Mizelle, who has only practiced for 8 years. Mizelle is the tenth nominee during this administration to receive a “Not Qualified” rating from the ABA.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filed cloture on eight district court nominees Thursday, setting up potential confirmation votes early next week. The eight nominees are: Franklin Valderrama (N.D. Ill.); Iain Johnston (N.D. Ill.); Stephen McGlynn (S.D. Ill.); David Dugan (S.D. Ill.); Todd Robinson (S.D. Cal.); John Holcomb (C.D. Cal.); Stanley Blumenfeld (C.D. Cal.); and Mark Scarsi (C.D. Cal.).

As of September 10, there are 68 Article III vacancies, 67 of which are current. There are 42 pending nominees: 15 waiting for floor votes, 9 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 18 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

In other judiciary news, the president announced his new list of potential Supreme Court nominees. The 20 new names are meant to supplement his original lists of potential Supreme Court nominees. For more on the president’s new list, be sure to check out Russ Feingold’s statement calling for fair-minded Supreme Court Justices.

August 20, 2020

Most of the Senate remained on recess this week, although the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs is set to return this Friday for a hearing with the Postmaster General. As of Thursday morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee has still not scheduled any hearings or executive business meetings for the rest of the month.

As of August 20, there are 73 Article III vacancies, 72 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 47 pending nominees: 20 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 22 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

On the Bench will return when the full Senate is back from recess and judicial nominations activity resumes.

August 13, 2020

The Senate has nominally been in session this week, but with a deal on coronavirus legislation seeming improbable, the Senate will likely go on its scheduled August recess. As of Thursday morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee has still not scheduled any hearings or executive business meetings for the rest of the month.

Despite the election being 82 days away, the administration is still pushing to confirm new judges. On Wednesday, the administration announced its intent to nominate five new district court judges: Kathryn Mizelle (M.D. Fla.); Benjamin Beaton (W.D. Ky.); Hector Gonzalez (E.D.N.Y.); Ryan McAllister (N.D.N.Y.); and David Woll Jr. (E.D.N.Y.).

As of August 13, there are 73 Article III vacancies, 72 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 47 pending nominees: 20 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 22 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

August 6, 2020

The Senate continued to negotiate over a coronavirus bill this week before its scheduled recess, which would keep the Senate out of session until after Labor Day. However, due to a lack of a deal on a coronavirus bill, the Senate may forgo its August recess and remain in session until one is reached. It remains unclear what would happen with judicial nominations should the Senate forgo its August recess.

As of late Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee has not scheduled any hearings or executive business meetings for the rest of the month, although this could change if the Senate decides to work through the month of August. With under 90 days until Election Day, the Senate continues to confirm and advance judicial nominations and working through August could continue that trend.

The Senate confirmed John Cronan (S.D.N.Y.) in a 55-42 vote this week. Cronan is the 203rd Article III judge confirmed during this administration. As the Senate continues to confirm nominees, the federal judiciary inches closer to having one-fourth of all active Article III judges having been confirmed during this administration.

As of August 6, there are 73 Article III vacancies, 72 of which are current. There are 42 pending nominees: 20 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 17 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

In other judiciary news, Judge Esther Salas (D.N.J.) released a compelling statement calling for more security and privacy for federal judges. Judge Salas recently experienced a horrific tragedy when a gunman showed up to her house and shot her husband and son.

July 31, 2020

The Senate continued to confirm and advance numerous judicial nominees this week despite the death toll from coronavirus passing 150,000 in this country and the expiration of emergency unemployment benefits on July 31. Earlier this week, the Senate confirmed two district court nominees: David Joseph (W.D. La.) in a 55-42 vote and William Hardy (W.D. Pa.) in a 65-30 vote.

These confirmations bring the total number of Article III judges confirmed under this administration to 202. The confirmations also continue the trend of the lack of diversity in the president’s judicial nominations. Of the 202 confirmations, 154 have been men and 173 have been white. For more on the lack of diversity on the federal bench be sure to check out ACS’s Diversity of the Federal Bench page.

The Senate Judiciary Committee also held a hearing and executive business meeting for several district court nominees this week. The brief hearing was for five district court nominees: J. Philip Calabrese (N.D. Ohio), Aileen Cannon (S.D. Fla.), Toby Crouse (D. Kan.), James Knepp II (N.D. Ohio), and Michael Newman (S.D. Ohio). The five nominees are now eligible for a committee vote after facing questions from only five of the 22 Senators on the Committee. The Committee also favorably voted the following out of committee: David Dugan (S.D. Ill.); Hala Jarbou (W.D. Mich.); Iain Johnston (N.D. Ill.); Stephen McGlynn (S.D. Ill.); Franklin Valderrama (N.D. Ill.); and Roderick Young (E.D. Va.), setting up potential confirmation votes.

As of July 30, there are 74 Article III vacancies, 73 of which are current. There are 43 pending nominees: 21 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 17 waiting for hearings before the Committee

July 23, 2020

The Senate returned from recess this week and continued to advance judicial nominees despite uncertainty about the next coronavirus relief bill and the looming expiration of emergency unemployment benefits. On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting where it advanced five district court nominees to the floor: John Holcomb (C.D. Cal.); Brett Ludwig (E.D. Wis.); Shireen Matthews (S.D. Cal.); Todd Robinson (S.D. Cal.); and Christy Wiegand (W.D. Pa.).

Only Wiegand (W.D. Pa.) received a recorded vote as the other four district court nominees were advanced by a voice vote. Wiegand also had bipartisan support and was favorably voted out of committee in a 17-5 vote. During the executive business meeting, the Committee also held over six district court nominees setting up potential committee votes as early as next week: David Dugan (S.D. Ill.); Hala Jarbou (W.D. Mich.); Iain Johnston (N.D. Ill.); Stephen McGlynn (S.D. Ill.); Franklin Valderrama (N.D. Ill.); and Roderick Young (E.D. Va.).

The Committee also noticed a hearing for Wednesday, July 29. As of July 23, the list of the nominees who will appear at the hearing is not public.

As of July 23, there are 76 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. There are 45 pending nominees: 17 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 22 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

July 17, 2020

There was no judicial nominations news this week as the Senate remains on recess until July 20. As of right now, the Senate Judiciary Committee has not noticed any judicial nominations specific hearings for next week. On the Bench will return as judicial nominations activity resumes.

As always, we encourage you to write and speak up about judicial nominations. Please email us at LCEmails@acslaw.org if you’d like content or placement advice. For more information on judicial nominations, be sure to check out judicialnominations.org

July 10, 2020

On Thursday, the Supreme Court released the final opinions of the term, including the two cases involving the president’s tax returns. As of midday Thursday, there has not been a retirement announced by any member of the Court.

Over the past few weeks, ACS has published a series of blogs recapping the major decisions from this term. These blogs cover a variety of topics including: abortion; religious schools; Title VII; the CFPB; and DACA. For more on the end of the term be sure to attend ACS’s Supreme Court Review. More information on the event will be made available in the coming weeks.

There was no judicial nominations activity this week as the Senate remains on recess until July 20. The expectation is that the Senate and the Senate Judiciary Committee will quickly turn its attend back to judicial nominations, but a hearing and/or markup hasn’t been officially noticed yet.

As of July 9, there are 76 Article III vacancies, 73 of which are current. There are 45 pending nominees: 12 waiting for floor votes, 11 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 22 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

July 3, 2020

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing this week entitled “The Judicial Conference’s Recommendation for More Judgeships.” The hearing focused on a 2019 proposal from the Judicial Conference of the United States, which recommended the creation of 70 new Article III judgeships in the courts of appeals and district courts, including adding five permanent seats to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The hearing focused primarily on the high caseload current judges face as the justification for more judgeships. While there isn’t proposed legislation, the creation of new judgeships appeared to have bipartisan support from the few members of the Committee that were in attendance. As Bloomberg Law noted, one idea floated by the senators is to delay the creation of the new judgeships until “after the next presidential election so both sides have a shot at making them.” In an effort to streamline this process, Chairman Graham suggested that the Judicial Conference’s recommendations “be added to the next coronavirus relief package to move through Congress.”

On Thursday, the Committee held an executive business meeting where it held over five district court nominees: John Holcomb (C.D. Cal.); Brett Ludwig (E.D. Wis.); Shireen Matthews (S.D. Cal.); Todd Robinson (S.D. Cal.); and Christy Wiegand (W.D. Pa.). These five district court nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote, which will likely occur when the Senate returns from recess in a couple weeks.

As of July 2, there are 76 Article III vacancies, 73 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 45 pending nominees: 12 waiting for floor votes, 11 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 22 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

June 26, 2020

The Senate hit a judicial milestone this week when it confirmed Cory Wilson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in a 52-48 vote. Wilson became the 200th Article III judge confirmed during this administration. In addition to being nearly a quarter of all the Article III judgeships, 200 judges confirmed by this point in his presidency has President Trump outpacing his three previous predecessors. Only President Carter had more confirmed judges at this point during his first term, with 239.

Cory Wilson became the 53rd new circuit court judge appointed during this administration. The makeup of the circuit courts has drastically changed since President Obama left office in January 2017. For more on the makeup of the U.S. Courts of Appeals, be sure to check out ACS’s Circuit Court Composition page.

Another trend in these 200 confirmations is the stunning lack of diversity. Zero of the 53 new circuit court judges are Black, putting President Trump on track to be the first president since President Nixon to go a full term without selecting a Black nominee for a circuit court seat. The lack of diversity goes beyond just the new circuit court judges. Of the 200 confirmations, 152 (76%) were men, 171 (85.5%) were white, and 131 (65.5%) were white men. For more on the diversity of active Article III judges, be sure to check out ACS’s Diversity of the Federal Bench page.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for six district court nominees: David Dugan (S.D. Ill.); Hala Jarbou (W.D. Mich.); Iain Johnston (N.D. Ill.); Stephen McGlynn (S.D. Ill.); Franklin Valderrama (N.D. Ill.); and Roderick Young (E.D. Va.). The six nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

Also this week, the Committee noticed a hearing entitled “The Judicial Conference’s Recommendation for More Judgeships” for June 30. So far little is known about the hearing. In 2017, the Judicial Conference of the United States recommended the creation of 57 new Article III judgeships in the courts of appeals and district courts. The proposal includes adding five permanent seats to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

As of June 25, there are 76 Article III vacancies, 73 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 45 pending nominees: 12 waiting for floor votes, 11 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 22 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

June 19, 2020

Before turning to police reform legislation next week, the Senate continued to advance and confirm judicial nominees. On Thursday, the Senate voted to confirm Judge Justin Walker (W.D. Ky.) to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in a 51-42 vote. Judge Walker is the 52nd circuit court nominee and the 199th Article III judge confirmed during this administration.

The D.C. Circuit is considered by many to be the country’s second highest court. The 37-year-old Judge Walker will now have a lifetime seat on this court, a seat which doesn’t come open until September 1. Judge Walker continues the trend of young conservative judicial appointees by this administration.

For more on the make up of the U.S. Courts of Appeals, be sure to check out ACS’s Circuit Court Composition page.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for five district court nominees: John Holcomb (C.D. Cal.); Brett Ludwig (E.D. Wis.); Shireen Matthews (S.D. Cal.); Todd Robinson (S.D. Cal.); and Christy Wiegand (W.D. Pa.). This hearing was originally scheduled for last Wednesday but was postponed due to technical difficulties. The five nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

Also this week, the White House officially nominated three district court nominees. The nominees are James Arguelles (E.D. Cal.), Fred Federici III (D.N.M.), and Brenda Siaz (D.N.M.).

As of June 18, there are 77 Article III vacancies, 73 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 46 pending nominees: 13 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 28 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

Related: View ACS’s Diversity of the Federal Courts page.

June 12, 2020

Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, an economic downturn, and continued protest over racial injustice, the Senate continued to advance judicial nominees. On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee was set to hold a hearing for five district court nominees. However, due to technical difficulties, the Committee had to reschedule the hearing next Wednesday, June 17.

Also on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filed cloture on Judge Justin Walker (W.D. Ky.), a nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. This will begin the process to set up a potential confirmation vote, likely as soon as next Monday, June 15. Judge Walker would be the 199th Article III judge confirmed during this administration.

On Thursday, the Committee held a lengthy and somewhat testy executive business meeting primarily focused on subpoenas related to the Russia investigation. At the end of the meeting, the Committee voted Cory Wilson, a nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, favorably out of committee on a partisan 12-10 vote.

As of June 11, there are 78 Article III vacancies, 72 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 46 pending nominees: 14 waiting for floor votes, 0 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 32 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

June 5, 2020

In the midst of widespread protests condemning police violence and racism and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Senate continued to advance and confirm judicial nominees. The Senate confirmed two district court nominees this week: John Badalamenti (M.D. Fla.) in a 55-22 vote and Drew Tipton (S.D. Tex.) in a 52-41 vote. These confirmations bring the total number of Article III judges confirmed during this administration to 198. The Senate will likely surpass 200 Article III judges confirmed in the coming weeks.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting for two circuit court nominees. The Committee advanced Judge Justin Walker (W.D. Ky.), who is nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, to the floor on a party-line 12-10 vote. Judge Walker (W.D. Ky.) is now eligible for a confirmation vote for a seat that becomes vacant in September. During the executive business meeting, the Committee also held over Cory Wilson, who is nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, setting up a committee vote next Thursday.

As of June 5, there are 77 Article III vacancies, 72 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 45 pending nominees: 13 waiting for floor votes, 1 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 31 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

May 29, 2020

With the Senate on recess, there was no judicial nominations activity this week. Prior to the recess, the Senate took a cloture vote on a district court nominee setting up a confirmation vote for the day the chamber returns, June 1.

When the Senate returns in June, it won’t be long before it confirms the 200th Article III judge of this administration. One clear trend among these confirmations is the stunning lack of diversity. The federal judiciary should look like the people it represents, but during this administration, the race and gender gaps on the courts are only growing. A majority of the 196 Article III judges confirmed so far are white men.

ACS recently relaunched our Diversity of the Federal Bench page to track the racial and gender diversity of all active Article III judges in real time. The page offers several different ways to examine the data, including overall diversity statistics and administration-specific diversity. Overall; 73% of Article III judges are white and 66% are male; during this administration those numbers jump to 85% white and 75% male.

As of May 28, there are 79 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 45 pending nominees: 14 waiting for floor votes, 2 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 29 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

May 22, 2020

Despite taking no action regarding the ongoing pandemic, the Senate had a busy week in the judicial nominations space. The Senate confirmed three Article III judges and the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing and an executive business meeting.

Throughout the week the Senate confirmed three district court nominees: Scott Rash (D. Ariz) in a 74-20 vote; Anna Manasco (N.D. Ala.) in a 71-21 vote; and John Heil (E.D., N.D., W.D. Okla.) in a 75-17 vote. These were the first Article III confirmations since late February and bring the total number of Article III confirmations during this administration to 196.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for Cory Wilson, who is being nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Wilson was previously nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, but when the prior Fifth Circuit nominee, Judge Halil Ozerden (S.D. Miss.), was opposed by several conservative members of the Committee, Judge Ozerden was replaced with Wilson. During his hearing, Wilson faced a series of questions that covered the Affordable Care Act, voting rights, and his prior writings, as well as a wide array of other topics.

The Committee also held an executive business meeting this week. During the meeting, the Committee held over the nomination of Judge Justin Walker (W.D. Ky.), who is being nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Judge Walker will likely receive a committee vote after the Senate’s recess on June 4.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham also made news this week by confirming that the Senate would “proceed with confirmation hearings for a Supreme Court nominee if a vacancy opens this year.” Chairman Graham claimed this was a different situation from when then President Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court because now the Senate and White House are controlled by the same party.

As of May 21, there are 79 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 45 pending nominees: 14 waiting for floor votes, 2 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 29 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

May 15, 2020

The Senate Judiciary Committee continued to advance judicial nominations during the ongoing pandemic this week. The Committee held an executive business meeting on Wednesday and favorably advanced six district court nominees to the floor: William Hardy (W.D. Pa.), David Joseph (W.D. La.), Drew Tipton (S.D. Tex.), John Cronan (S.D.N.Y.), Thomas Cullen (W.D. Va.), and Jennifer Togliatti (D. Nev.).

The Committee also scheduled a hearing for next week on Wednesday, May 20. As of right now, the Committee has not listed the nominee(s) who will be present at the hearing.

As of May 14, there are 82 Article III vacancies, 77 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 47 pending nominees: 17 waiting for floor votes, 2 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 28 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

May 8, 2020

The Senate Judiciary Committee quickly turned its attention back to confirming judges after the body returned from recess this week. The Committee held a hearing for Judge Justin Walker (W.D. Ky.) on Wednesday, one of two potential circuit court judges officially nominated on Monday.

Judge Walker is being elevated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, a vacancy which comes open in September. The president also officially nominated Cory Wilson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Four district court nominees were also announced: Iris Lan (S.D.N.Y.), Saritha Komatireddy (E.D.N.Y.), Jennifer Rearden (S.D.N.Y.), and Kristi Johnson (S.D. Miss.).

Nineteen of the Committee’s 22 senators attended Judge Walker’s hearing—six of them virtually, due to the coronavirus. Their questions covered the Affordable Care Act, injunctions, and executive power, as well as a wide array of other topics.

Several senators also discussed the ABA’s new rating for Judge Walker. Prior to his confirmation to the district court, the ABA rated Judge Walker as “not qualified.” The ABA based their rating primarily on Judge Walker’s lack of experience, noting that he “has never tried a case as lead or co-counsel, whether civil or criminal.” For his nomination to the D.C. Circuit, a majority of the ABA committee rated Judge Walker “well qualified.” A minority of the committee rated him simply “qualified” while another small group rated him “not qualified” a second time.

The Senate Judiciary Committee also scheduled an executive business meeting to consider six district court nominees this week, but ultimately postponed. The Committee rescheduled the meeting for next Thursday, May 14.

As of May 7, there are 82 Article III vacancies, 77 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 46 pending nominees: 11 waiting for floor votes, 8 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 27 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

May 1, 2020

The Senate is set to return from recess on Monday, May 4 and the Senate Judiciary Committee is wasting no time in turning its attention back to advancing judicial nominees. The Committee noticed a hearing for May 6 on Wednesday night. While the Committee has not listed the nominee(s) who will appear for their hearing, the expectation is that Judge Justin Walker (W.D. Ky.) will be at the hearing. Recently, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Judge Walker to the future vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which comes open September 1, 2020.

The 38 year-old Judge Walker has served on the federal bench less than six months, having been confirmed to the district court in October 2019 in a 50-41 vote. Prior to his confirmation, the ABA rated Judge Walker as “not qualified.” The ABA based their rating primarily on Judge Walker’s lack of experience, noting that he “has never tried a case as lead or co-counsel, whether civil or criminal.”

RELATED: View our interactive map on the district and circuit courts.

As of April 30, there are 82 Article III vacancies, 76 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 45 pending nominees: 11 waiting for floor votes, 7 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 27 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

April 24, 2020

The Senate is still expected to return from recess on May 4. Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has publicly expressed his interest in confirming judges as soon as the Senate returns. There has also been some talk on the right about whether judges, including Supreme Court Justices, could signal their intent to retire but have that be contingent on whether a suitable Republican-appointed replacement is confirmed.

There are 75 current Article III vacancies, including one vacancy for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. There are also 7 future vacancies including one for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which the president has already expressed his intent to elevate Judge Justin Walker (W.D. Ky.) to fill that vacancy. With the general election a little over six months away, it is likely that Senator McConnell will rush to fill as many of these vacancies as possible. The Senate Judiciary Committee has yet to set any hearings per the Committee’s online calendar, however that could change in the coming days.

As of April 23, there are 82 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 43 pending nominees: 11 waiting for floor votes, 7 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 25 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

April 17, 2020

The Senate will remain in recess until at least May 4, according to a recent Politico article. Congress hoped to return from recess on April 20, but due to the ongoing pandemic, the recess needed to be extended. With the Senate in recess, no judicial nominations are advancing in the confirmation process. By the time the Senate returns, it will have been over two months since the last confirmation of an Article III judge.

The lack of confirmations is frustrating the president, who “cited a never-exercised constitutional power to shut down Congress if the House and Senate are in disagreement over adjourning.” He argued that he could then make recess appointments. Currently, the House and Senate are holding pro forma sessions every few days and therefore never formally adjourning. During these sessions, nominees are not being voted on. Many people, including ACS Board of Academic Advisors member Steve Vladeck, argue that President Trump is misreading the Constitution.

Over the weekend, Judge Justin Walker (W.D. Ky.) issued a temporary restraining order that blocked Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer “from forbidding drive-in church serves on Easter to slow the spread of coronavirus.” The TRO was notable for the language used by Judge Walker, which some argued that it lacked “modesty and proper judicial temperament.” The president announced his intent to elevate Judge Walker to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit earlier this month.

As of April 16, there are 82 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 43 pending nominees: 11 waiting for floor votes, 7 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 25 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

April 10, 2020

The Senate remained in recess this week, so there was no official judicial nominations activity. Late last week the president announced his intent to elevate Judge Justin Walker (W.D. Ky.) to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Judge Walker would replace Judge Thomas Griffith, who is set to retire in September.

The 38 year-old Judge Walker has served on the federal bench less than six months, having been confirmed to the district court in October 2019 in a 50-41 vote. Prior to his confirmation, the ABA rated Judge Walker as “not qualified.” The ABA based their rating primarily on Judge Walker’s lack of experience, noting that he “has never tried a case as lead or co-counsel, whether civil or criminal.”

As of April 9, there are 81 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 43 pending nominees: 11 waiting for floor votes, 7 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 25 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

April 3, 2020

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the White House announced President Trump’s intent to nominate two people to the federal bench, including Cory Wilson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Wilson had previously been nominated by President Trump to a district court seat in Mississippi and even had his hearing this year. It remains to be seen if Wilson will have another hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

With President Trump’s announcement of his intent to nominate Wilson to the Fifth Circuit, it likely spells the end of Judge Halil Ozerden’s (S.D. Miss.) nomination to the same seat. Judge Ozerden was nominated by the president last summer, but never advanced beyond his hearing. During his July hearing, Judge Ozerden was asked a series of questions about his commitment to conservative causes by Senator Ted Cruz, who has come out publicly against Judge Ozerden for not being sufficiently conservative. In addition to Senator Cruz, Senator Josh Hawley announced his opposition of Judge Ozerden meaning Judge Ozerden likely did not have enough votes to advance out of committee. With his nomination to the Fifth Circuit almost certainly over, Judge Ozerden will remain on the bench in Mississippi. For more on the composition of the circuit courts, be sure to check out ACS’s circuit court composition document here.

 

As of April 2, there are 81 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 42 pending nominees: 11 waiting for floor votes, 7 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 24 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. 

March 27, 2020

The Senate remained focused on its coronavirus response this week and late Thursday night passed a $2 trillion stimulus package sending the bill over to the House of Representatives for final passage. Reports indicate that the Senate is set to go on recess until April 20. This means it will be nearly another month before the Senate can continue moving judicial nominations forward. 

 

In addition to the U.S. Courts’s website and Fix the Court’s Google Doc, Bloomberg Law has created an interactive map where they will be tracking the latest updates on the coronavirus and the circuit courts. The Marshall Project has also created an interactive map that will be tracking the latest updates on coronavirus and state court closings. 

 

As of March 26, there are 82 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 42 pending nominees: 11 waiting for floor votes, 8 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 23 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. 

March 20, 2020

The Senate returned from recess early to deal with the ongoing coronavirus crisis. With the Senate’s focus was on passing the coronavirus bill from the House, there was no judicial nominations activity this week. When the Senate inevitably returns to confirming more judicial nominees, On the Bench will continue to track that information.

Like the rest of the country, the federal judiciary is figuring out how to deal with the coronavirus, including what to do about pending cases. For the first time since 1918, the Supreme Court postponed oral arguments that were scheduled for this month. Including in this postponement was the oral argument on the ongoing battle for President Trump’s tax returns and financial records. The lower courts are also figuring out how to deal with coronavirus. The U.S. Courts’s website is updating twice a day to list the latest information from all the circuit courts and district courts on what their procedure is for dealing with the coronavirus. Fix the Court has also created a handy Google Doc for tracking the latest information from the circuit courts.

As of March 19, there are 82 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 42 pending nominees: 11 waiting for floor votes, 8 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 23 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

View our 50-state interactive map now with demographic data on all active Article III judges!

March 13, 2020

The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting this week where they were expected to vote on up to six district court nominees. However, amid attendance issues and growing concerns over the coronavirus the Committee only ended up voting on three district court nominees. John Heil (N.E.W. Okla.), John Badalamenti (M.D. Fla.), and Anna Manasco (N.D. Ala.) were all reported out of committee favorably to the floor.

 

The Senate is set to go on recess next week.

 

As of March 12, there are 82 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 42 pending nominees: 11 waiting for floor votes, 8 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 23 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. 

March 6, 2020

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for three district court nominees this week. The Committee also advanced four district court nominees out of committee setting up potential floor votes. The nominees were Stanley Blumenfeld (C.D. Cal.), Mark Scarsi (C.D. Cal.), Fernando Aenlle-Rocha (C.D. Cal.), & John Hinderaker (D. Ariz.).

Judge Thomas Griffith (D.C. Cir.) is set to retire later this year. Judge Griffith’s retirement will create a second current or known future vacancy on the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals. To see the current composition of the circuit courts visit ACS’ circuit court composition document here.

As of March 5, there are 81 Article III vacancies, 72 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 41 pending nominees: 8 waiting for floor votes, 11 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 22 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

February 28, 2020

The Senate confirmed one lifetime judge to the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico this week. Silvia Carreno-Coll was confirmed in a 96-0 vote, becoming the 193rd Article III judge confirmed during this administration.

In just over three years, the Senate has confirmed 51 circuit court judges appointed by the Trump administration, the effects of which are starting to be felt. President Trump has already appointed 10 judges to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which is slightly over one-third of all Ninth Circuit judges. For comparison, President Obama only appointed seven judges to the Ninth Circuit over his eight years in office. While the circuit still has a majority of judges appointed by Democratic presidents, the circuit is close to flipping. In a recent article, Judge Milan Smith Jr., a President George W. Bush appointee, said “Trump has effectively flipped the circuit.” He was not the only one to notice changes on the circuit as an unnamed Ninth Circuit judge said, “Ten new people at once sends a shock wave through the system.”

As of February 27, there are 80 Article III vacancies, 72 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 41 pending nominees: 4 waiting for floor votes, 12 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 25 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

February 21, 2020

The Senate was on recess this week so there were no floor votes or Senate Judiciary Committee meetings. Once the recess is over, the Senate is expected to continue confirming judges.

Last week, the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet held a hearing entitled Protecting Federal Judiciary Employees from Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Other Workplace Misconduct. In the wake of the hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Carlos Murguia (D. Kan.) resigned “amid renewed attention to sex[ual] harassment allegations.” Judge Murguia was reprimanded late last year by the Judicial Council of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit after it “found he made sexually suggestive comments to female court employees.” However, the Judicial Council did not have the power to remove a sitting judge, so Judge Murguia remained on the bench until he decided to resign this week after the compelling hearing.

On Thursday, over 70 former clerks of the late Judge Stephen Reinhardt (9th Cir.) released an open letter in support of “a fellow former clerk who told a congressional committee that he sexually harassed her.” The letter called for “bold steps” to prevent harassment and improve reporting for harassment claims.

As of February 20, there are 81 Article III vacancies, 73 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 38 pending nominees: 5 waiting for floor votes, 12 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 21 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. For more on the current state of judicial nominations visit www.judicialnominations.org.

February 14, 2020 

With impeachment behind them, Senate Republicans continued to confirm judges this week. The Senate confirmed five lifetime judges, including one nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Judge Andrew Brasher (M.D. Ala.), who is 38 years old and was only recently confirmed to the federal bench, was elevated to the Eleventh Circuit in a 52-43 vote. This confirmation is the 51st circuit court confirmation during this administration, leaving only one vacancy on the circuit courts.

The Senate Judiciary Committee also held a hearing this week for three lifetime nominees. The nominees breezed through a relatively short and lightly attended hearing and now are in line for a Committee vote in the coming weeks. In other judiciary news this week, the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet held a hearing entitled Protecting Federal Judiciary Employees from Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Other Workplace Misconduct. The hearing included compelling testimony from several witnesses. To watch click here.

As of February 13, there are 80 Article III vacancies, 73 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 38 pending nominees: 5 waiting for floor votes, 12 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 21 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. For more on the current state of judicial nominations visit www.judicialnominations.org.

February 7, 2020

The impeachment trial of President Trump came to an end this week, with the Senate voting to acquit on both articles. Without missing a beat, the Senate immediately turned its attention back to judicial nominations. Within an hour of the acquittal, Senator McConnell had already begun to file cloture on lifetime nominees.

 

Senator McConnell filed cloture on five lifetime nominees, including on Judge Andrew Brasher (M.D. Ala.). Judge Brasher is 38 years old and was only recently confirmed to the federal bench this past May. Judge Brasher is being nominated to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

 

As of February 6, there are 84 Article III vacancies, 75 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 42 pending nominees: 10 waiting for floor votes, 9 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 23 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. For more on the current state of judicial nominations visit www.judicialnominations.org. 

January 31, 2020

With the impeachment trial of President Trump taking up all the Senate’s time and attention this week, there was no judicial nominations activity. Even with this brief pause in confirmations, the pace at which the Senate has confirmed lifetime judges remains accelerated. To date, the Senate has confirmed 187 lifetime judges. This is just over one-fifth of all Article III judges.

 

Once the impeachment trial is over, it is likely that the Senate will quickly shift back to confirming more judges. Currently, there are 10 nominees waiting for a floor vote, including Judge Andrew Brasher (M.D. Ala.) to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

 

As of January 30, there are 84 Article III vacancies, 74 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 38 pending nominees: 10 waiting for floor votes, 9 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 19 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. For more on the current state of judicial nominations visit www.judicialnominations.org.

January 24, 2020

The Senate Judiciary Committee had no official judicial nominations activity this week. At the end of last week’s Committee meeting, Chairman Graham announced there would not be a Committee meeting until after the impeachment trial had concluded. It remains unclear if the full Senate will vote on nominees during the impeachment trial, though through the first few days of the trial the Senate has focused solely on impeachment.

Chairman Graham’s announcement came after Senator Harris and four of her Democratic colleagues argued that the Committee should not advance any judicial nominees while the impeachment trial was pending. Senator Harris, who was the first senator to publicly take this stance, praised the move to halt judicial nominations during the trail. In addition to Senator Harris, a collation of national civil rights organizations, including ACS, sent a letter to Senators McConnell and Graham requesting that judicial nominations be put on hold during the impeachment into the record.

As of January 23, there are 84 Article III vacancies, 73 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 38 pending nominees: 10 waiting for floor votes, 9 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 19 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

January 17, 2020

The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting this week where five lifetime nominees were voted out of committee, setting up a potential floor vote. One of these nominees was 38 year-old Judge Andrew Brasher (M.D. Ala.), who was only confirmed to the federal bench this past May. Judge Brasher is being nominated to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Before voting on the nominees, there was a lot of discussion amongst the senators about voting on judicial nominees while the impeachment trial was ongoing. Senator Harris kicked this discussion off by reiterating her position that the Committee should not advance any more judicial nominees while the impeachment trial was pending. Four of her Democratic colleagues joined her in this sentiment and gave similar statements. Senator Hirono entered a letter to Senators McConnell and Graham requesting that judicial nominations be put on hold during the impeachment into the record. The letter was signed by a coalition of national civil rights organizations, including ACS. After voting to advance the five nominees, Senator Graham closed the meeting by declaring the Committee’s work on judicial nominations would cease until the impeachment trial is over.

As of January 16, there are 84 Article III vacancies, 73 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 38 pending nominees: 10 waiting for floor votes, 9 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 19 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

January 10, 2020

Even with impeachment looming, the Senate Judiciary Committee continued to advance judicial nominations. This week the Committee held a hearing for five judicial nominees, including four district court nominees. The Committee also held an executive business meeting this week where it held over six lifetime nominees setting up a potential committee vote for next week. One of these nominees was 38 year-old Judge Andrew Brasher (M.D. Ala.), who was only confirmed to the federal bench this past May. Judge Brasher is being nominated to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

In light of the Senate Judiciary Committee continuing to advance judicial nominees even after the House of Representatives impeached President Trump, ACS joined a coalition of national civil rights organizations on a letter to Senators McConnell and Graham requesting that judicial nominations be put on hold during the impeachment. The letter argues that while the president is under the cloud of impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors that “it would be a grave mistake for the Senate to allow the president to continue making lifetime appointments to the federal judiciary. Such appointments are nearly irrevocable; federal judges serve for life and can be removed only through their own impeachment.”

As of January 9, there are 84 Article III vacancies, 73 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 37 pending nominees: 5 waiting for floor votes, 14 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 18 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

December 20, 2019

Judicial Nominations: A Year in Review

The Senate confirmed 13 district court nominees this week, including former ACS chapter leader Stephanie Dawkins Davis to the Eastern District of Michigan. This brings the total number of confirmed lifetime judges during this administration to 187.

With 2019 ending, it is important to take stock of the historic overhaul of the federal judiciary. In 2019, the Senate confirmed 102 lifetime judges, 20 of whom were to the circuit courts. This is an incredibly rapid pace and means that 1 lifetime judge was confirmed every 4 days.

View our interactive map of the circuit and districts courts

These confirmations illustrate two larger trends in judicial nominations under this administration: an increase in ABA “not qualified” ratings and a failure to value diversity on the federal bench.

As of December 20, there are 84 Article III vacancies, 70 of which are current. Once the two intent to nominate nominees are officially nominated there will be 35 pending nominees: 5 waiting for floor votes, 10 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 20 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

The Senate is scheduled to recess for the holidays. On the Bench will return when the Senate does. Please continue to speak out in your community about the importance of the courts and let ACS know if you need any resources.

Visit more ACS resources on judicial nominations.

December 13, 2019

The Senate confirmed two circuit court nominees this week to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit: Patrick Bumatay in a 53-40 vote and Lawrence VanDyke in a 51-44 vote. These confirmations bring the total number of confirmed lifetime judges during this administration to 174, representing one-fifth of all such judges at the federal level.

VanDyke was previously rated as “not qualified” by the ABA. The ABA wrote that, based on the assessments of interviewees, “Mr. VanDyke is arrogant, lazy, an ideologue, and lacking in knowledge of the day-to-day practice including procedural rules.” The Trump administration has nominated nine people who received a “not qualified” rating in less than three years. President Obama nominated zero people who received a “not qualified” rating from the ABA and President George W. Bush nominated eight in the entirety of his eight years in office.

The sixth Democratic presidential debate is next week in Los Angeles. It is imperative that the moderators ask about the courts in light of all the recent confirmations.

Read our In Brief blog on this topic .

December 6, 2019

This week the Senate confirmed eight district court nominees, which brings the total number of lifetime judges confirmed during the Trump administration to 172. This is just two confirmations shy from being one-fifth of all Article III judges. One of the judges confirmed this week was Sarah Pitlyk (E.D. Mo.) by a vote of 49-44. Previously, the ABA unanimously rated Pitlyk as “not qualified” citing her lack of experience including never trying a case, examining a witness, or taking a deposition. In addition to the “not qualified” rating, Pitlyk has an extreme record on reproductive rights and even opposes IVF leading Senator Duckworth to write a Dear Colleague letter urging senators to oppose Pitlyk’s nomination.

Also, this week the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for one circuit court nominee and five district court nominees. The circuit court nominee is the thirty-eight year old Judge Andrew Brasher (M.D. Ala.), who was only confirmed to the federal bench this past May. With a potential impeachment trial looming, the Senate continues to advance and confirm judges at a rapid pace.

As of December 5, there are 99 Article III vacancies, 82 of which are current. There are 48 pending nominees: 20 waiting for floor votes, 10 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 18 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

Visit more ACS resources on judicial nominations.

November 22, 2019

This week the Senate confirmed Barbara Lagoa (11th Cir.) by a vote of 80-15 and Robert Luck (11th Cir.) by a vote of 64-31. A majority of circuit courts now have a majority of Republican-appointed judges. The Senate Judiciary Committee also voted out seven nominees, including Lawrence VanDyke (9th Cir.) and Patrick Bumatay (9th Cir.).

The ABA’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary wrote to the Senate Judiciary Committee on October 29^th that Mr. VanDyke was regarded as “arrogant, lazy, an ideologue, and lacking in knowledge of the day-to-day practice, including procedural rules.” Montana Supreme Court Justice James Nelson also wrote numerous articles opposing VanDyke’s nomination. Both Bumatay and VanDyke lack the support of home-state senators.

In addition, cloture has been filed on eight district court nominees, including Sarah Pitlyk (E.D. Mo.), for consideration the week of December 2^nd.

November 15, 2019

This week the Senate confirmed Steven Menashi (2d Cir.) in a 51-41 vote. Menashi has a troubling record of writings on reproductive rights, LGBTQ issues, education, immigration, and diversity in general. With the confirmation of Menashi the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has switched from a majority of judges being appointed by Democratic presidents to a majority of judges being appointed by Republican presidents.

Earlier this week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for three lifetime judgeships including two nominees to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The Committee also held an executive business meeting for five judicial nominees, including two nominees for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, setting up a potential Committee vote as early as next week. One of these nominees was Lawrence VanDyke (9th Cir.) whom a substantial majority of the ABA’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary rated as “not qualified.”

As of November 14, there are 108 Article III vacancies, 90 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 57 pending nominees: 25 waiting for floor votes, 9 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 23 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

November 8, 2019

This week the Senate voted to confirm four judicial nominees: Danielle Hunsaker (9th Cir.) in a 73-17 vote; William Nardini (2d Cir.) in a 86-2 vote; Lee Rudofsky (E.D. Ark.) in a 51-41 vote; and Jennifer Wilson (M.D. Pa.) in a 88-3 vote. With the confirmation of Hunsaker and Nardini the Trump administration has now appointed one-fourth of all circuit court judges. For more on this milestone see ACS’ statement here.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting for seven nominees. The Committee held Halil Ozerden (5th Cir.) over again at the request of the White House. The remaining six nominees, which included three circuit court judges, were all favorably advanced to the floor. One of the nominees who advanced to the floor was Steven Menashi (2d Cir.), who has a troubling record of writings on reproductive rights, LGBTQ issues, education, immigration, and diversity in general. Menashi advanced on a partisan 12-10 vote that took place after nearly every Senator in attendance spoke on his nomination.

As of November 7, there are 109 Article III vacancies, 90 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 58 pending nominees: 26 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 26 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

Visit more ACS resources on judicial nominations.

November 1, 2019

The Senate Judiciary Committee this week held an executive business meeting with 11 nominees. Seven of these nominees were held over, including Halil Ozerden (5th Cir.) and Steven Menashi (2d Cir.), marking the second time they have been held over. The remaining four nominees were advanced to the floor, including Sarah Pitlyk (E.D. Mo.) whom the ABA unanimously rated as “not qualified.”

The Committee also held a hearing this week for five nominees, including two nominees to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On the night prior to the hearing, the ABA released its rating for Lawrence VanDyke (9th Cir.). A substantial majority of the ABA committee rated VanDyke as “not qualified,” based on reports from peers that the nominee was “arrogant, lazy, an ideologue, and lacking knowledge of the day-to-day practice including procedural rules.” For a more detailed explanation of its rating see the ABA’s letter. VanDyke became the ninth nominee during this administration to receive a “not qualified” rating from the ABA committee.

Related: View our frequently updated infographic for details on circuit court sitting judges, vacancies, and pending nominees: U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals Composition.

As of October 31, there are 111 Article III vacancies, 94 of which are current. Once the remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 55 pending nominees: 24 waiting for floor votes, 12 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 19 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

Visit more ACS resources on judicial nominations.

October 25, 2019

This week Senate Majority Leader Mitchell McConnell skipped Justin Walker (W.D. Ky.) to the front of the Senate calendar to accelerate his nomination. Despite the ABA rating Justin Walker as not qualified, the Senate voted to confirm him in a 50-41 vote.

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced four nominees, including two nominees to the circuit courts to the Senate floor. If the two circuit court nominees are confirmed, then one-fourth of all circuit court judges will be President Trump appointees. This benchmark will be reached without the Senate confirming a single Black or Latinx nominee to the circuit courts. The Committee, in light of Representative Elijah Cummings’ funeral, held over an additional six nominees including: Steven Menashi (2d Cir.), Halil Ozerden (5th Cir.), and Sarah Pitlyk (E.D. Mo.).

View our interactive map to learn more about circuit and district court vacancies and pending nominees.

As of October 24, there are 111 Article III vacancies, 95 of which are current. Once remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 56 pending nominees: 21 waiting for floor votes, 11 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 24 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

October 18, 2019

Quickly after returning from recess, the Senate continued to confirm judicial nominees. This week the Senate voted to confirm four district court nominees: Rachel Kovner (E.D.N.Y.) in a 88-3 vote; David Novak (E.D. Va.) in a 89-3 vote; Charles Eskridge III (S.D. Tex.) in a 61-31 vote; and Frank Volk (S.D. W. Va.) in a 92-0 vote. With these four votes the Senate has now confirmed 156 lifetime judges nominated by this administration.

This week the Senate Judiciary Committee also continued to advance more judicial nominees. On Wednesday October 16 the Committee held a hearing for five nominees, including two nominees to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Then on Thursday the Committee advanced five district court nominees to a vote on the Senate floor. These nominees included Justin Walker (W.D. Ky.) who the ABA previously rated as not qualified. However, the Committee did not take their scheduled vote on Halil Ozerden, a nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, who continues to face opposition from two Republican members of the Committee. Click here to learn more about judicial nominations.

As of October 17, there are 110 Article III vacancies, 95 of which are current. Once remaining nominees are officially nominated, there will be 56 pending nominees: 17 waiting for floor votes, 15 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 24 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

October 11, 2019

The Senate is set to return from its two-week recess next week on October 15. Prior to the recess Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filed cloture on four district court nominees: Frank Volk (S.D. W. Va.), Charles Eskridge III (S.D. Tex.), David Novak (E.D. Va.), and Rachel Kovner (E.D.N.Y.). These nominees will likely be put up for a vote early next week.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is also expected to have a busy week. A hearing has been set for October 16 and the Committee is going to hold an executive business meeting on October 17. This executive business meeting will be the second markup for several nominees including Halil Ozerden, a nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, who has faced opposition from two Republican members of the Committee.

As of October 10, there are 113 Article III vacancies, 98 of which are current. Once remaining recess nominees are officially nominated, there will be 58 pending nominees: 16 waiting for floor votes, 15 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 27 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

View our interactive map to learn more about circuit and district court vacancies and pending nominees.

October 4, 2019

While much of the national attention has been elsewhere during this two-week Senate recess, numerous nominations remain pending before the Chamber. As of October 3, the Senate has confirmed 152 lifetime judges to Article III courts. This represents over one-sixth of all Article III judgeships, of whom only a minority are from diverse backgrounds. Of the confirmed nominees, 86% have been white and 66% have been white men. In addition to the lack of diversity, the speed at which these nominees have been confirmed remains accelerated. All seven of the current and known future vacancies to the circuit courts have nominees and once two more are confirmed one-fourth of all circuit court judges will be President Trump’s appointees.

Every day, federal courts decide cases critical to our rights — from the environment to voting to immigration. In just the past week district court judges have ruled on Georgia’s abortion ban and Harvard’s admission policy. These cases exemplify the idea that courts matter. Click here to learn more about judicial nominations.

As of October 3, there are 110 Article III vacancies, 98 of which are current. Once remaining recess nominees are officially nominated, there will be 58 pending nominees: 16 waiting for floor votes, 15 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 27 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings

The Senate will return from recess on October 15.

September 27

This week the Senate Judiciary Committee was supposed to hold an executive business meeting for six judicial nominations potentially moving them to the Senate floor for a vote. These six nominees included Halil Ozerden, a nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. During his July hearing, Ozerden was asked a series of questions about his commitment to conservative causes by Senator Ted Cruz, who has come out publicly against Ozerden for not being sufficiently conservative. In addition to Senator Cruz, Senator Josh Hawley announced his opposition of Ozerden Thursday morning.

Earlier this week the Committee also held a hearing for five nominees: Danielle Hunsaker (9th Cir.), William Nardini (2d Cir.), Jodi Dishman (W.D. Okla.), Sarah Pitlyk (E.D. Mo.), and Daniel Traynor (D.N.D.). A large portion of the hearing focused on the ABA’s unanimous rating of Pitlyk as “not qualified.” The Democratic members of the Committee focused on her rating, pointing out that Pitlyk has never taken a deposition or cross-examined a witness. The Republican members expressed concerns with the ABA’s judicial rating system, even suggesting that the Committee abandon its use of ABA ratings altogether or else allow for other groups to fill the same role. Additionally, the Democratic senators expressed concerns over Pitlyk’s extensive anti-abortion views. Click here to learn more about judicial nominations.

As of September 26, there are 110 Article III vacancies, 97 of which are current. Once the 19 remaining recess nominees are officially nominated, there will be 55 pending nominees: 16 waiting for floor votes, 15 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 24 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings

September 20

This week the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting for six judicial nominees, including Halil Ozerden, a nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. During his July hearing, Ozerden was asked a series of questions about his commitment to conservative causes by Senator Ted Cruz, who has come out publicly against Ozerden for not being sufficiently conservative. In this week’s first markup, all six nominees were held over by the Committee, setting up a potential vote at a second markup on September 26.

Next week the Committee is also set to hold a hearing on September 25. This hearing will likely include some of President Trump’s recess nominees and could include both circuit and district court nominees. The date of the first markup for Steven Menashi, President Trump’s nominee to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, who has a troubling record of writings on reproductive rights, LGBTQ issues, education, immigration, and diversity in general, remains to be announced. Click here to learn more about judicial nominations.

As of September 19, there are 110 Article III vacancies, 97 of which are current. Once the 17 remaining recess nominees are officially nominated there will be 52 pending nominees: 16 waiting for floor votes, 10 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 26 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

September 13

This week the Senate confirmed six district court nominees: Stephanie Haines (W.D. Pa.) in a 94-0 vote; Ada Brown (N.D. Tex.) in a 80-13 vote; Steven Grimberg (N.D. Ga.) in a 75-18 vote; Steven Seeger (N.D. Ill.) in a 90-1 vote; and Mary McElroy (D.R.I) and Stephanie Gallagher (D. Md.) by voice vote. With these six confirmations the Senate confirmed President Trump’s 150th lifetime judicial appointee.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Wednesday for four nominees, including Steven Menashi (2d Cir.). During the hearing Menashi repeatedly claimed to owe a duty of confidentiality to his clients when asked about his work on the White House Immigration Working Group and at the Department of Education. Click here to learn more about judicial nominations.

As of September 12, there are 108 Article III vacancies, 97 of which are current. Once the 12 remaining recess nominees are officially nominated there will be 47 pending nominees: 16 waiting for floor votes, 10 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 21 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

September 6

During the August congressional recess, President Trump announced his intent to nominate 18 more federal judges, including three nominees to the circuit courts: Steven Menashi (2d Cir.), Danielle Hunsaker (9th Cir.), and William Nardini (2d Cir.). Once the Senate confirms two more of his circuit court nominees, President Trump will have appointed one-fourth of all circuit court judges.

View our infographic on the changing composition of the circuit courts.

President Trump will have accomplished this without nominating a single Black or Latinx person to the circuit courts.

Senate will soon confirm 150th Trump nominee to the federal bench

The Senate will likely start confirming judges as soon as it returns from recess next week. Senators voted for cloture on four nominees prior to the recess: Stephanie Haines (W.D. Pa.), Steven Grimberg (N.D. Ga.), Ada Brown (N.D. Tex.), and Steven Seeger (N.D. Ill.). These four nominees could be confirmed as early as Monday, September 9. Their confirmations will bring the total number of confirmed Trump appointees to 150 judges.

The Senate will also hold a nominations hearing on September 11 and is expected to hold the first mark-up for additional nominees on September 12, including Justin Walker (W.D. Ky.) and Lee Rudofsky (E.D. Ark.).

More than 100 vacancies remain

As of September 5, there are 114 Article III vacancies, 103 of which are current. Once the 18 recess nominees are officially nominated there will be 53 pending nominees: 22 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 25 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

View our interactive map to learn more about circuit and district court vacancies and pending nominees.

August 1

This week the Senate confirmed 13 district court nominees:

• • Karin Immergut (D. Or.), voice vote
  • John Younge (E.D. Pa.), voice vote
  • Mary Rowland (N.D. Ill.), voice vote
  • Mark Pittman (N.D. Tex.), 54-36
  • Jeffrey Brown (S.D. Tex.), 50-40
  • Brantley Star (N.D. Tex.), 51-39
  • Jason Pulliam (W.D. Tex.), 54-36
  • Martha Pacold (N.D. Ill.), 87-3
  • William Stickman IV (W.D. Pa.), 56-34
  • Sean Jordan (E.D. Tex.), 54-34
  • James Hendrix (N.D. Tex.), 89-1
  • Peter Welte (D.N.D.), 68-22
  • Michael Liburdi (D. Ariz.), 53-37

In addition to these thirteen nominees the Senate confirmed two nominees to the Court of International Trade by voice vote. With the confirmation of these nominees the Trump Administration has now had 146 nominees confirmed to an Article III court. This total represents just over one sixth of all Article III judges. Among those confirmed, John Younge and James Hendrix were previously nominated by President Obama.

Also, this week the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on three district court nominees: Justin Walker (W.D. Ky.); Lee Rudofksy (E.D. Ark.); and R. Austin Huffaker Jr. (M.D. Ala.). Just this week the ABA rated Justin Walker as not qualified. Walker faced questions in the hearing over this rating and in particular over his lack of legal experience. Click here to learn more about judicial nominations.

As of August 1, there are 112 Article III vacancies, 103 of which are current. There are 35 pending nominees: 22 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 7 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

Tomorrow the Senate will go on recess for August. On The Bench will return when the Senate does. Please continue to speak out in your community about the importance of the courts and let ACS know if you need any resources.

July 26, 2019

This week the Senate confirmed two district court nominees: Wendy Berger (M.D. Fla.) in a 54-37 vote and Brian Buescher (D. Neb.) in a 51-40 vote. With the confirmation of Berger and Buescher that means 131 out of 870 Article III judges were appointed by President Trump or in other words 15% of all Article III judges.

Also, this week Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filed cloture on 19 district court nominees setting up the potential for a large package of judges to be confirmed before the August recess. Click here to learn more about judicial nominations.

As of July 25, there are 127 Article III vacancies, 117 of which are current. There are 50 pending nominees: 37 waiting for floor votes, 3 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 10 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

July 19, 2019

This week the Senate confirmed one appellate nominee: Peter Phipps (3d Cir.) in a 56-40 vote. In addition to Phipps’s confirmation, the Senate filed for cloture on one district court nominee: Clifton Corker (E.D. Tenn.) in a 55-41 vote. The Senate is expected to vote on and likely confirm Corker later this week.

Also, this week the Senate Judiciary Committee held an Executive Business Meeting on three district court nominees: Douglas Cole (S.D. Ohio), Matthew McFarland (S.D. Ohio), and Kea Riggs (D.N.M.). The committee voted all three favorably out of committee setting the nominees up for a floor vote. Click here to learn more about judicial nominations.

As of July 18, there are 130 Article III vacancies, 119 of which are current. There are 53 pending nominees: 40 waiting for floor votes, 3 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 10 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

July 12, 2019

This week the Senate confirmed one appellate nominee: Daniel Bress (9th Cir.) in a 53-45 vote. This was despite a lack of support from both home state Senatos. With Bress’s confirmation, now one-fourth of all the active judges on the Ninth Circuit are Trump appointees. In addition to Bress’s confirmation, the Senate confirmed three district court nominees: Damon Leichty (N.D. Ind.) in an 85-10 vote; J. Nicholas Ranjan (W.D. Pa.) in an 80-14 vote; and T. Kent Wetherell II (N.D. Fla.) in a 78-15 vote.

Also, this week the Senate Judiciary Committee held an Executive Business Meeting on three district court nominees: Douglas Cole (S.D. Ohio), Matthew McFarland (S.D. Ohio), and Kea Riggs (D.N.M.). The committee held these three nominations over setting up a potential committee vote to advance them to the floor next week. Click here to learn more about judicial nominations.

As of July 11, there are 131 Article III vacancies, 120 of which are current. There are 54 pending nominees: 38 waiting for floor votes, 3 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 13 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

June 28, 2019

Last week the Senate confirmed four district court judges: Matthew Kacsmaryk (N.D. Tex.) in a 52-46 vote; Allen Winsor (N.D. Fla.) in a 54-44 vote; James Cain Jr. (W.D. La.) in a 77-21 vote; and Greg Guidry (E.D. La.) in a 53-46 vote. Kacsmaryk (N.D. Tex.) has a record of anti-LGBTQ statements.

Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee also favorably voted sixteen judicial nominees out of committee. These nominees included one circuit court nominee and fifteen district court nominees. This week the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for three more district court nominees and on Thursday favorably voted one circuit court nominee and three district court nominees out of committee. Click here to learn more about judicial nominations.

As of June 27, there are 132 Article III vacancies, 118 of which are current. There are 56 pending nominees: 42 waiting for floor votes, 3 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 11 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

May 24, 2019

The Senate confirmed one appellate nominee and four district court nominees this week: Daniel Collins (9th Cir., Cal.) in a 53-46 vote; Howard Nielson (D. Utah) in a 51-47 vote; Stephen Clark (E.D. Mo.) in a 53-45 vote; Carl Nichols (D.D.C.) in a 55-43 vote; and Kenneth Bell (W.D.N.C.) in a 55-43 vote. Nielson (D. Utah) has a record of anti-LGBTQ statements. Collins (9th Cir., Cal.) lacked support from Senators Feinstein (D-Cal.) and Harris (D-Cal.).

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on five lifetime judicial nominees: Daniel Bress (9th Cir., Cal.), Michael Bogren (W.D. Mich.), Stephanie Davis (E.D. Mich.), Jason Pulliam (W.D. Tex.), and Frank Volk (S.D.W. Va.)  including Daniel Bress (9th Cir., Cal.) who also lacks support from Senators Feinstein (D-Cal.) and Harris (D-Cal.).

As of May 24, there are 142 Article III vacancies, 126 of which are current. There are 63 pending nominees:  30 waiting for floor votes, 20 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 13 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

May 16, 2019

The Senate confirmed three judicial nominees this week, the anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board decision: Michael Truncale (E.D. Tex.) in a 49-46 vote, Kenneth Lee (9th Cir., Cal.) in a 52-45 vote, and Wendy Vitter (E.D. La.) in a 52-45 vote. The three nominees all refused to say if Brown was correctly decided during their hearings. Lee was confirmed over the objection of Sens. Feinstein (D-Cal.) and Harris (D-Cal.), who both withheld their blue slips. Click here to learn more about judicial nominations.

As of May 16, there are there are 148 Article III vacancies, 133 of which are current. There are 69 pending nominees:  36 waiting for floor votes, 15 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 18 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

May 10, 2019

The Senate confirmed two nominees to the Second Circuit, despite opposition from Senators Schumer and Gillibrand:  Joseph Bianco in a 54-42 vote, and Michael Park in a 52-41 vote. With the two confirmations, the court is coming closer to switching to a majority Republican-nominated judges. The Senate Judiciary Committee reported four nominees out of Committee:  Jeffrey Brown in a 12-10 vote, Robert Colville in a 14-8 vote, Stephanie Haines in a 21-1 vote, and Brantley Starr in a 12-10 vote.

As of May 10, there are there are 147 Article III vacancies, 132 of which are current. There are 71 pending nominees:  34 waiting for floor votes, 23 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 14 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

May 3, 2019

The Senate returned from recess this week and confirmed five district court nominees, surpassing 100 confirmations. The nominees confirmed were J. Campbell Barker (E.D. Tex.), Andrew Brasher (M.D. Tex.), Rodolfo Ruiz (S.D. Fla.), Raul Arias-Marxuach (D.P.R.), and Joshua Wolson (E.D. Pa.). The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on three district court nominees:  Ada Brown (N.D. Tex.), Steven Grimberg (N.D. Ga.), and David Novak (E.D. Va.).

As of May 3, there are there are 149 Article III vacancies, 133 of which are current. There are 67 pending nominees:  36 waiting for floor votes, 19 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 12 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

April 26, 2019

The Senate will return from recess next week. Before recess, Leader McConnell (R-Ky.) teed up five district court nominees for confirmation votes:  J. Campbell Barker (E.D. Tex.), Andrew Brasher (M.D. Ala.), Rodolfo Ruiz (S.D. Fla.), Raul Arias-Marxuach (D.P.R.), and Joshua Wolson (E.D. Pa.). If successful, more than 100 of President Trump’s judicial nominees will have been confirmed.

As of April 26, there are there are 153 Article III vacancies, 137 of which are current. There are 72 pending nominees:  41 waiting for floor votes, 16 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 15 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

April 12, 2019

The Senate enacted a rule change last week minimizing the debate time on district court nominees. As a result, four district court nominees were confirmed in two days :  Daniel Domenico (D. Colo.), Patrick Wyrick (W.D. Okla.), Holly Brady (N.D. Ind.), and David Morales (S.D. Tex). The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on three nominees:  Jeffrey Brown (S.D. Tex.), Stephanie Haines (W.D. Pa.), and Brantley Starr (N.D. Tex.).

As of April 12, there are 151 Article III vacancies, 137 of which are current. There are 72 pending nominees:  41 waiting for floor votes, 13 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 18 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

April 5, 2019

On Wednesday, the Senate voted to roll back the hours of debate for district court nominees from 30 hours to two hours. This change will enable the Majority to rapidly confirm nominees to lifetime positions without sufficient time for off Committee Senators to review their records. Read ACS’s response here. Roy Altman (S.D. Fla.) was the first nominee confirmed under the new rules and votes are expected on at least four additional nominees. The Senate Judiciary Committee reported five judicial nominees out of Committee:  Daniel Collins (9th Cir., Cal.) in a 12-10 vote, Kenneth Lee (9th Cir., Cal.) in a 12-10 vote, James Hendrix (N.D. Tex.) in a 22-0 vote, Sean Jordan (E.D. Tex.) in a 12-10 vote, and Mark Pittman (N.D. Tex.) in a 12-10 vote. Collins and Lee lacked support from Senators Feinstein and Harris.

As of April 5, there are 155 Article III vacancies, 141 of which are current. There are 62 pending nominees:  45 waiting for floor votes 1 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 18 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

March 29, 2019

The Senate confirmed Bridget Bade (9th Cir., Ariz.), the last circuit court nominee currently pending on the floor, in a 78-21 vote. The remaining 37 nominees on the floor are for district court vacancies. Republicans are imminently expected to change the debate rules on the floor, because they only need a majority (51 votes) to pass it and cannot secure the 60 votes required for the regular order of legislative rules change. Although a seemingly wonky issue, this change promises to further speed up the confirmation of judicial nominees in the months to come.

March 15, 2019

The Senate confirmed two concerning appellate nominees this week:  Paul Matey (3d Cir., N.J.) in a 54-45 vote and Neomi Rao (D.C. Cir.) in a 53-46 vote. Matey was confirmed despite opposition from both home-state Senators. With these two confirmations, 1 in 5 currently serving circuit court judges have been nominated by President Trump, as the president and the Senate majority continue to reshape the judiciary to be more conservative.

View the ACS infographic: Changing Circuit Court Composition

In a further breakdown of norms, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Kenneth Lee (9th Cir., Cal.) and Daniel Collins (9th Cir., Cal.)who lack support from Senators Feinstein (D-Cal.) and Harris (D-Cal.), both members of the Committee.

As of March 15, there are 155 Article III vacancies, 142 of which are current. There are 62 pending nominees:  42 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 15 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

View our interactive 50-state map to see more information about the circuit and district courts. 

March 7, 2019

The Senate confirmed three concerning appellate nominees this week amid reports that Senator McConnell will be changing the rules to further speed up confirmations:  Allison Rushing (4th Cir., N.C.), Chad Readler (6th Cir., Ohio), and Eric Murphy (6th Cir., Ohio). The Sixth Circuit nominees were confirmed despite vocal opposition from Senator Brown (D-Ohio). Readler also incited opposition, including from Senator Collins (R-Me.), due to his work to overturn coverage of pre-existing conditions.The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on two district court nominees:  Sean Jordan (E.D. Tex.) and Mark Pittman (N.D. Tex.). The Committee also reported out five nominees: Joseph Bianco (2d Cir., N.Y.), Michael Park (2d Cir., N.Y.), Greg Guidry (E.D. La.), Michael Liburdi (D. Ariz.), and Peter Welte (D.N.D.).

February 29, 2019

The Senate further broke judicial nominations norms by confirming Eric Miller (9th Cir., Wash.), the first nominee confirmed despite opposition from both home-state Senators. Miller was confirmed in a 53-46 vote. The Senate Judiciary Committee reported Neomi Rao (D.C. Cir.) out of Committee in a 12-10 vote. Rao has faced scrutiny from both Democrats and Republicans.

Cloture was filed on Allison Rushing (4th Cir., N.C.), Eric Murphy (6th Cir., Ohio), and Chad Readler (6th Cir., Ohio). Votes are expected on all three nominees next week. Murphy and Readler are both lacking blue slips from Senator Brown.

As of March 1, there are 159 Article III vacancies, 139 of which are current. There are 60 pending nominees:  42 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 15 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

February 22, 2019

The Senate is on recess this week. Next week, we expect a confirmation vote on Eric Miller (9th Cir., Wash.), who is lacking support from Senators Cantwell and Murray. Last week, the Senate Rules Committee approved legislation to reduce hours of post-cloture debate on district court nominees from 30 hours to 2 hours. Republicans are imminently expected to change the debate rules on the floor, where they only need a majority (51 votes) to pass it because they cannot secure the 60 votes required for the regular order of legislative rules change.

Although a seemingly wonky issue, this change promises to further speed up the confirmation of judicial nominees in the months to come. Regarding the rule change, Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said that, “Presidents deserve to have their teams in place.”

ACS disagrees. Lifetime federal judges are meant to be impartial arbiters of the law, not serve at the pleasure of any elected official.

As of February 22, there are 160 Article III vacancies, 140 of which are current. There are 61 pending nominees:  42 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 15 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

February 15, 2019

ACS President Caroline Fredrickson was quoted in Mother Jones about the pattern of Trump nominees, including, Neomi Rao, to refuse to embrace Brown v. Board: “Why wouldn’t you just embrace it? It just shows you how radical the Republican party has become.”

The Senate Rules Committee approved a proposal to reduce hours of post-cloture debate on district court nominees from 30 hours to two hours. Although seemingly a wonky issue, this change promises to have huge impacts in the months to come.  The full 30 hours of debate are rarely utilized, but they have allowed Senators off the Judiciary Committee to fully review nominees. For example, Senator Scott (R-S.C.) had the time to review and then oppose Ryan Bounds (9th Cir., Or.) and Thomas Farr (E.D.N.C.). The proposal must pass by a 60-vote threshold, but Republicans have not ruled out proposing a rule change on the floor to require a simple majority. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing this week on two nominees lacking blue slips from both home-state Senators: Joseph Bianco (2d Cir., N.Y.) and Michael Park (2d Cir., N.Y.). The Committee also considered three district court nominees: Greg Guidry (E.D. La.), Michael Liburdi (D. Ariz.), and Peter Welte (D.N.D.).

As of February 15, there are 159 Article III vacancies, 139 of which are current. There are 61 pending nominees:  42 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 15 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

February 8, 2019

The Senate Judiciary Committee held an Executive Business Meeting on February 7, and voted the Attorney General nominee William Barr out of Committee in a 12-10 vote. The Committee also reported out 42 nominees to lifetime judgeships. Among the nominees reported were four appellate nominees missing blue slips: Paul Matey (3d Cir., N.J.), Eric Miller (9th Cir., Wash.), Eric Murphy (6th Cir., Ohio), and Chad Readler (6th Cir., Ohio).

On February 5, the Committee will held a hearing for Neomi Rao (D.C. Cir.), nominated for the seat left by Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Rao was questioned on concerning writings about sexual assault and race.

As of February 8, there are 159 Article III vacancies, 138 of which are current. There are 61 pending nominees:  42 waiting for floor votes, 1 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 18 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

February 1, 2019

The Senate Judiciary Committee held an Executive Business Meeting on January 29, during which, as is customary, they held over the Attorney General nominee William Barr and 42 nominees to lifetime judgeships. The Committee will meet again February 7, in a “monster markup” to report these nominees to the Senate floor for a vote.  On February 5 the committee will hold a hearing for Neomi Rao (D.C. Cir.), nominated for the seat left by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and  for Matthew McFarland (S.D. Ohio).

Chairman Lindsey Graham confirmed this week that home-state senator blue slips will be respected for nominees to the district courts. The lack of blue slip respect for appellate nominees was reiterated when the President announced the nomination of Daniel Bress (9th Cir., Cal.) and re-nomination of Kenneth Lee (9th Cir., Cal.) and Daniel Collins (9th Cir., Cal.), all of whom lack support from Senators Feinstein (D-Cal.) and Harris (D-Cal.). An additional four re-nominees were named for district court vacancies in California.

As of February 1, there are 156 Article III vacancies, 137 of which are current. There are 60 pending nominees:  42 waiting to be reported out of Committee and 18 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

January 25, 2019

The President announced he would re-nominate 48 judicial nominees, nine of them to the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals, pending at the end of the 115th Congress. Of the appellate nominees, two are missing blue slips from both home-state Senators and two are missing blue slips from one home-state Senator. For more information on the blue slip tradition, click here . A monster mark-up in the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected next week for William Barr and the re-nominated individuals.

January 18, 2019

The president announced his intention to nominate six people for judicial vacancies. Like many of the president’s previous nominees, all six are white men. James Hendrix (N.D. Tex.) was previously nominated by President Obama. None of the nominees pending at the end of the 115th Congress have been re-nominated.

As of January 18, there are 153 Article III vacancies, 134 of which are current. There are six nominees waiting for hearings.

January 11, 2019

The nomination hearing to consider William Barr for the position of Attorney General will take place on January 15 and 16. All judicial nominees left pending at the end of the 115th Congress were returned to the White House on January 3. The President will decide which nominees to re-nominate. Some of the most controversial nominees may not be re-nominated, but it is widely expected that most of the returned individuals will be re-nominated. For more information on judicial vacancies, nominations, and confirmations, click here.

As of January 10, there are 151 Article III vacancies, 134 of which are current.

January 4, 2019

The 116th Congress was sworn in this week. The judicial nominees left pending at the end of the 115th Congress will need to be re-nominated by the President in order to be considered. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) will be joining the Senate Judiciary Committee after criticism for the absence of Republican women serving on the Committee. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) will also be joining the Committee, which will now be led by Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

As of January 4, there are 151 Article III vacancies, 133 of which are current. Of the 161 nominees named by President Trump, 85 were confirmed by the Senate. There were 70 nominees pending at the end of the 115th Congress:  30 waiting for Senate floor votes, 24 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 16 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. All pending nominees from the last Congress will be returned to the White House. The President will decide which nominees to re-nominate. Some of the most controversial nominees may not be re-nominated.

For more information, see ACS’s Judicial Nominations Resources.

December 21, 2018

Before adjourning the 115th Congress, the Senate held off on confirming yet another package of judicial nominees. Of President Trump’s 161 judicial nominees, 85 were confirmed this Congress, compared to 62 nominees confirmed during President Obama’s first two years in office. The high number of confirmations was largely a result of breakdowns in the judicial nominations process. [Learn about broken norms, like ignoring ABA ratings, in its rush to confirm President Trump’s nominees.] Of the 85 nominees, 92% are white.

As of December 21, there are 149 Article III vacancies, 132 of which are current. There are 70 nominees pending:  30 waiting for Senate floor votes, 24 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 16 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. Of the pending nominees 74% are male, 59% are white males, and 20% are people of color.

December 14, 2018

The Senate voted 50-50 in the confirmation vote on Jonathan Kobes (8th Cir., S.D.), who received a Not Qualified rating from the ABA. The confirmation vote on Kobes is the ninth time the Senate has confirmed a nominee with at least a partially “not qualified” rating by the ABA. [Learn about how the Senate GOP is breaking norms, like ignoring ABA ratings, in its rush to confirm President Trump’s nominees.]

The Vice President broke the first-ever judicial confirmation tie by any Vice President on Kobes, the 30th nominee confirmed to the U.S. Courts of Appeals this Congress.

Sen. Merkley (D-Or.) wrote this week about the judicial nominees posing threats to equal justice under law, including the failed nominees for the 9th Cir. and E.D.N.C.

As of December 14, there are 149 Article III vacancies, 132 of which are current. There are 70 nominees pending:  30 waiting for Senate floor votes, 24 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 16 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. Of the pending nominees 74% are male, 59% are white males, and 20% are people of color. Of the 161 nominees named by President Trump, 85 have been confirmed by the Senate.

December 7, 2018

The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed an Executive Business Meeting on 15 nominees because Sen. Flake (R-Ariz.) is refusing to vote on any judges until a vote is taken to protect the Mueller investigation. To learn more about norms being broken in the partisan attempt to capture the courts, click here.

As of December 7, there are 149 Article III vacancies, 128 of which are current. There are 72 nominees pending:  31 waiting for Senate floor votes, 24 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 16 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. Of the pending nominees 75% are male, 61% are white males, and 18% are people of color. Of the 161 nominees named by President Trump, 84 have been confirmed by the Senate.

November 30, 2018

A vote scheduled for November 29, on whether to confirm controversial nominee Thomas Farr to the E.D.N.C. was halted after Sen. Scott (R-S.C.) announced he would oppose Farr’s confirmation.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for four judicial nominees:  Brian Buescher (D. Neb.), Clifton Corker (E.D. Tenn.), M. Baker (Ct. Intl. Trade), and Tim Reif (Ct. Intl. Trade). The Committee planned to report up to 15 nominees out of Committee this week, but Senator Flake (R-Ariz.) is refusing to vote on any judges until a vote is taken to protect the Mueller investigation.. The Senate is also cuing up Jonathan Kobes (8th Cir., Neb.) for a confirmation vote after a 50-49 cloture vote with the Vice President breaking a tie, despite his majority Not Qualified rating from the American Bar Association.

As of November 30, there are 148 Article III vacancies, 126 of which are current. There are 72 nominees pending:  32 waiting for Senate floor votes, 24 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 16 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. Of the pending nominees 75% are male, 60% are white males, and 18% are people of color. Of the 161 nominees named by President Trump 84 have been confirmed by the Senate.

November 16, 2018

The President announced he will be nominating Neomi Rao to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit created by Justice Kavanaugh’s elevation to the Supreme Court.

The Senate returned from recess on November 13 and the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for five nominees:  Paul Matey (3d Cir., N.J.), Jean-Paul Boulee (N.D. Ga.), James Cain (W.D. La.), Damon Leichty (N.D. Ind.), and J. Nicholas Ranjan (W.D. Pa.). Matey lacks blue slips from Senators Booker and Menendez. The Committee also held an Executive Business Meeting on November 15, but held over 14 lifetime judicial nominees.

As of November 16, there are 144 Article III vacancies, 124 of which are current. There are 72 nominees pending:  32 waiting for Senate floor votes, 20 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 20 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. Of the pending nominees 76% are male, 60% are white males, and 18% are people of color. Of the 160 nominees named by President Trump 84 have been confirmed by the Senate.

November 9, 2018

Justice Brett Kavanaugh received his investiture at the Supreme Court of the United States on November 8. The Senate will return from recess on November 13. The Senate Judiciary Committee has noticed a hearing for November 13, though no nominees have been listed. The Committee is also expected to hold an Executive Business Meeting.

As of November 9, there are 144 Article III vacancies, 124 of which are current. There are 71 nominees pending:  32 waiting for Senate floor votes, 15 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 24 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. Of the pending nominees 76% are male, 60% are white males, and 18% are people of color. Of the 160 nominees named by President Trump 84 have been confirmed by the Senate.

November 2, 2018

After holding two unprecedented hearings during recess despite objection from the Democrats, the Senate Judiciary Committee will not be convening until after the Senate returns from recess on November 13. The Committee is expected to hold a hearing on November 14, as well as an Executive Business Meeting on November 15, during which they will consider 15 judicial nominees.

As of November 2, there are 143 Article III vacancies, 123 of which are current. There are 71 nominees pending:  32 waiting for Senate floor votes, 15 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 24 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. Of the pending nominees 76% are male, 60% are white males, and 18% are people of color. Of the 160 nominees named by President Trump 84 have been confirmed by the Senate.

October 26, 2018

The Senate Judiciary Committee continued to break norms, holding a second hearing during recess despite objection from all Democratic members of the Committee, for three judicial nominees. The result was a practically empty dais, with two Republican Senators and no Democratic Senators in attendance to question nominees the hearing concluded in 40 minutes. A nominee for a 9th Cir. seat in Washington state, Eric Miller, lacked blue slips from both Senators. The other two nominees on the hearing agenda were Bridge Bade (9th Cir., Ariz.) and Karin Immergut (D. Or.).

As of October 26, there are 143 Article III vacancies, 121 of which are current. There are 71 nominees pending:  32 waiting for Senate floor votes, 15 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 24 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. Of the 160 nominees named by President Trump 84 have been confirmed by the Senate.

October 19, 2018

Last week, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell forced confirmation of 15 lower court nominees by threatening to cancel recess ahead of the midterm elections to confirm all judicial nominees waiting for votes. In an unprecedented move, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on October 17, for six nominees, despite the Senate being in recess and despite objection from all Democratic members of the Committee. The result was a practically empty dais, with two Republican Senators and no Democratic Senators in attendance to question nominees. Nominees on the agenda were Allison Rushing (4th Cir., N.C.), Thomas Barber (M.D. Fla.), Wendy Berger (M.D. Fla.), Corey Maze (N.D. Ala.), Rodney Smith (S.D. Fla.), and T. Kent Wetherell (N.D. Fla.). Committee Chair Chuck Grassley plans to hold a hearing next week, including for Eric Miller (9th Cir., Wash.) who lacks support from both home-state Senators. To learn more about norms being broken in the partisan attempt to capture the courts, click here.

As of October 19, there are 143 Article III vacancies, 121 of which are current. There are 71 nominees pending:  32 waiting for Senate floor votes, 12 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 27 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. The Senate has confirmed 84 nominees to lifetime judicial seats, twice the number confirmed at this point in President Obama’s Administration.

October 12, 2018

On October 6, Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States in a 50-48 vote.

The Trump administration, aided by Senate leadership, continues its quest to dramatically transform the composition of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Courts. The Senate has been confirming nominees at an accelerated rate by disregarding norms and traditions like sidestepping the blue slip, ignoring ABA ratings of individual nominees, and stacking hearings.

This week, White House announced intent to nominate 13 men for judicial vacancies: Joseph Bianco (2d Cir., N.Y.), Patrick Bumatay (9th Cir., Cal.), Daniel Collins (9th Cir., Cal.), Kenneth Lee (9th Cir., Cal.), Michael Park (2d Cir., N.Y.), Stanley Bumenfeld (C.D. Cal.), Brian Buescher (D. Neb.), Clifton Corker (E.D. Tenn.), Philip Halpern (S.D.N.Y.), Thomas Marcelle (N.D.N.Y.), Matthew McFarland (S.D. Ohio), Jeremy Rosen (C.D. Cal.), and Mark Scarsi (C.D. Cal.).

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for six nominees: Eric Murphy (6th Cir., Ohio), Chad Readler (6th Cir., Ohio), Rossie Alston (E.D. Va.), Pamela Barker (N.D. Ohio), and Sarah Morrison (S.D. Ohio). It was the seventh hearing this Congress with multiple nominees to the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals. Senator Brown (D-Ohio) did not submit blue slips for Murphy or Readler; the fourth and fifth nominees to be given a hearing despite lacking at least one blue slip from a home-state Senator.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported eight nominees out of Committee: Jonathan Kobes (8th Cir., Neb.) in an 11-10 vote, Kenneth Bell (W.D.N.C.) in an 11-10 vote, Stephanie Gallagher (D. Md.) in a 20-1 vote, Mary McElroy (D.R.I.), in a 19-2 vote, Carl Nichols (D.D.C.) in an 11-10 vote, Martha Pacold (N.D. Ill.) in an 18-3 vote, Mary Rowland (N.D. Ill.) in a 16-5 vote, and Stephen Seeger in a voice vote. Jonathan Kobes was reported despite have a Not Qualified rating from the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary due to lack of relevant experience.

As of October 12, there are 158 Article III vacancies, 135 of which are current. There are 87 nominees pending:  47 waiting for Senate floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 34 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

October 5, 2018

A cloture vote is scheduled for 10:30 AM, October 5, to end debate on Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. The FBI delivered its report, without having interviewed Dr. Christine Blasey Ford or Kavanaugh, ahead of the October 5 deadline, and Senators were given an opportunity to review a single copy of the report.

ACS’s Vacancy Toolkit has more coverage and analysis on the Kavanaugh nomination.

September 28, 2018

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on September 27, to hear testimony from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh regarding sexual assault allegations. The Committee is scheduled to hold an Executive Business Meeting to consider Kavanaugh’s nomination, despite lack of an FBI investigation into allegations.

As of September 28, there are 156 Article III vacancies, 131 of which are current. There are 75 nominees pending:  39 waiting for Senate floor votes and 9 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 27 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

ACS’s Vacancy Toolkit has more coverage and analysis on the Kavanaugh nomination.

September 21, 2018

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley has ignored calls for a non-partisan investigation of sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh. Instead, Grassley scheduled a hearing for Monday, September 24, at which he intends to have Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh testify. Dr. Blasey Ford’s lawyer has just re-opened talks to consider the terms of the hearing.

As of September 21, there are 156 Article III vacancies, 130 of which are current. There are 75 nominees pending:  39 waiting for Senate floor votes and 9 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 27 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

September 13, 2018

September 13, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an Executive Business meeting to consider Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States along with 3 nominees to the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals and 17 nominees to the U.S. District Courts. Senator Grassley announced the Committee will vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination on September 20, at 1:45 PM, in defiance of Committee rules and requests from Democratic Senators for access to withheld documents. Ultimately, 11 nominees were reported out of Committee: Ryan Nelson (9th Cir., Idaho) in an 11-10 vote, Richard Sullivan (2d Cir., N.Y.) in a 17-4 vote, Gary Brown (E.D.N.Y.) in a 20-1 vote, Stephen Clark (E.D. Mo.) in an 11-10 vote, Diane Gujarati (E.D.N.Y.) in a 21-0 vote, Eric Komitee (E.D.N.Y.) in a 21-0 vote, Rachel Kovner (E.D.N.Y.) in a 21-0 vote, Lewis Liman (S.D.N.Y.) in a 17-4 vote, John Sinatra (W.D.N.Y.) a 16-5 vote, Mary Vyskocil (S.D.N.Y.) in a 21-0 vote, Joshua Wolson (E.D. Pa.) in an 18-3 vote.

Senator McConnell announced he intends to keep the Senate in session for the month of October to clear the decks of nominees to the lower courts.

As of September 14, there are 155 Article III vacancies, 129 of which are current. There are 75 nominees pending:  39 waiting for Senate floor votes and 7 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 29 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

September 7, 2018

Today is the fourth day of hearings on Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s (D.C. Cir.) nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States and will feature panels of witnesses. Documents formerly designated “committee confidential” released over the objection of Republican senators after the second day of hearings shed new light on Judge Kavanaugh’s views regarding reproductive rights, racial profiling, affirmative action, as well as possible misrepresentations he made in previous testimony before the committee. 

On September 6, the Senate voted to confirm eight nominees to the U.S. District Courts. The nominees were Alan Albright (W.D. Tex.), Kari Dooley (D. Conn.), Marilyn Horan (W.D. Pa.), William Jung (M.D. Fla.), Dominic Lanza (D. Ariz.), Robert Summerhays (W.D. La.), Eric Tostrud (D. Minn.), and C.J. Williams (N.D. Iowa). All of the nominees were confirmed in voice votes, except for Dominic Lanza, who was confirmed in a 60-35 vote, and C.J. Williams in a 79-12 vote.

As of September 7, there are 155 Article III vacancies, 129 of which are current. There are 74 nominees pending:  28 waiting for Senate floor votes and 18 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 29 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

August 31, 2018

The hearings on Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s (D.C. Cir.) nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States will commence on September 4. ACS will be posting updates at the hearings progress.

On August 28, the Senate voted to confirm seven nominees to the U.S. District Courts with bipartisan support in an attempt to clear the judicial nominations docket before Labor Day. The nominees were Barry Ashe (E.D. La.), R. Stan Baker (S.D. Ga.), Susan Baxter (W.D. Pa.), Nancy Brasel (D. Minn.), Charles Goodwin (W.D. Okla.), Terry Moorer (S.D. Ala.), James Sweeney II (S.D. Ind.). All of the nominees were confirmed in voice votes, except for Charles Goodwin, who was confirmed in a 52-42 vote. Charles Goodwin is the sixth nominee to be confirmed this Congress with at least a partial Not Qualified rating from the American Bar Association Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary.

On August 28, the President nominated four individuals for vacancies in the federal courts: Bridge Bade (9th Cir., Ariz.), Allison Rushing (4th Cir., N.C.), J.P. Boulee (N.D. Ga.), and James Cain Jr. (W.D. La.).

As of August 30, there are 163 Article III vacancies, 134 of which are current. There are 83 nominees pending: 36 waiting for Senate floor votes and 18 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 29 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

August 23, 2018

In response to this week’s conviction of President Trump’s former campaign manager and the guilty plea of his former lawyer that directly implicated the President in criminal activity many Senators are calling for postponement of the hearing on Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States.

On August 22, Majority Leader McConnell filed cloture on 12 nominees to the U.S. District Courts in an attempt to clear the judicial nominations docket before Labor Day with bipartisan support, thereby confirming even more Trump judges. The nominees are Alan Albright (W.D. Tex.), Barry Ashe (E.D. La.), R. Stan Baker (S.D. Ga.), Susan Baxter (W.D. Pa.), Charles Goodwin (W.D. Okla.), Marilyn Horan (W.D. Pa.), William Jung (M.D. Fla.), Dominic Lanza (D. Ariz.), Terry Moorer (S.D. Ala.), James Sweeney II (S.D. Ind.), Robert Summerhays (W.D. La.), and C.J. Williams (N.D. Iowa).

On August 22, The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on six nominees this week:  Jonathan Kobes (8th Cir., S.D.), Kenneth Bell (W.D.N.C.), Carl Nichols (D.D.C.), Martha Pacold (N.D. Ill.), Mary Rowland (N.D. Ill.), and Steven Seeger (N.D. Ill.).

As of August 23, there are 168 Article III vacancies, 141 of which are current. There are 86 nominees pending:  43 waiting for Senate floor votes and 18 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 25 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

August 17, 2018

In a further breakdown of norms, Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced that the hearing to consider Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court will take place September 4-7, 2018, despite the lack of a full record from Judge Kavanaugh’s time in President George W. Bush’s Administration.

On August 16, the Senate confirmed A. Marvin Quattlebaum (4th Cir., S.C.) in a 62-28 vote and Julius Richardson (4th Cir., S.C.) in a 81-8 vote.

As of August 16, there are 168 Article III vacancies, 141 of which are current. There are 86 nominees pending:  43 waiting for Senate floor votes and 10 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 33 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

Judicial Nominations: A Year in Review

The Senate confirmed 13 district court nominees this week, including former ACS chapter leader Stephanie Dawkins Davis to the Eastern District of Michigan. This brings the total number of confirmed lifetime judges during this administration to 187.

With 2019 ending, it is important to take stock of the historic overhaul of the federal judiciary. In 2019, the Senate confirmed 102 lifetime judges, 20 of whom were to the circuit courts. This is an incredibly rapid pace and means that 1 lifetime judge was confirmed every 4 days. These confirmations illustrate two larger trends in judicial nominations under this administration: an increase in ABA “not qualified” ratings and a failure to value diversity on the federal bench.

As of December 20, there are 84 Article III vacancies, 70 of which are current. Once the two intent to nominate nominees are officially nominated there will be 35 pending nominees: 5 waiting for floor votes, 10 waiting to be reported out of Committee, and 20 waiting for Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

The Senate is scheduled to recess for the holidays. On the Bench will return when the Senate does. Please continue to speak out in your community about the importance of the courts and let ACS know if you need any resources.

Visit more ACS resources on judicial nominations.