In this month’s federal judicial vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies to all United States Article III federal courts from June 1 to July 1. Ballotpedia publishes the federal judicial vacancy count at the start of each month.
HIGHLIGHTS
Vacancies: There have been three new judicial vacancies since the May 2021 report. There are 78 vacancies out of 870 active Article III judicial positions on courts covered in this report. Including the United States Court of Federal Claims and the United States territorial courts, 82 of 890 active federal judicial positions are vacant.
Nominations: There were 11 new nominations since the May 2021 report.
Confirmations: There were seven confirmations since the May 2021 report.
New vacancies
There are 78 vacancies out of 870 active Article III judicial positions, a total vacancy percentage of 9%.
- The nine-member U.S. Supreme Court does not have any vacancies.
- Seven (3.9%) of the 179 U.S. Appeals Court positions are vacant.
- 69 (10.3%) of the 673 U.S. District Court positions are vacant.*
- Two (22.2%) of the nine U.S. Court of International Trade positions are vacant.
*District court count does not include territorial courts.
Three judges left active status, creating Article III life-term judicial vacancies, since the previous vacancy count. As Article III judicial positions, vacancies must be filled by a nomination from the president. Nominations are subject to confirmation on the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate.
- Judge John Dowdell assumed senior status on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
- Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby left her seat on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims when she was elevated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
- Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson left her seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia when she was elevated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
U.S. Court of Appeals vacancies
The following chart tracks the number of vacancies on the United States Court of Appeals from the inauguration of President Joe Biden (D) to the date indicated on the chart.
The following maps show the number of vacancies on the United States Court of Appeals at the inauguration of President Joe Biden (D) and as of July 1, 2021.
New nominations
President Joe Biden (D) has announced 11 new nominations since the May 2021 report.
- Toby Heytens, to the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
- Myrna Pérez, to the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit
- Jennifer Sung, to the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
- Jane Beckering, to the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
- Jia Cobb, to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
- Shalina Kumar, to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- Sarah A.L. Merriam, to the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
- Michael Nachmanoff, to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- Sarala Nagala, to the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
- Patricia Tolliver Giles, to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- Omar A. Williams, to the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
New confirmations
As of July 1, 2021, the Senate has confirmed seven of President Biden’s judicial nominees—two appeals court judges and five district court judges—since January 2021.
- Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, to the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
- Deborah Boardman, to the United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- Lydia Kay Griggsby, to the United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- Julien Xavier Neals, to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
- Zahid Quraishi, to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
- Regina Rodriguez, to the United States District Court for the District of Colorado
Additional reading:
Current Federal Judicial Vacancies
Federal Judges Nominated by Joe Biden
Federal Judicial Appointments by President