In this month’s federal judicial vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies from May 2, 2025, through June 1, 2025. 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 2025 report. There are 49 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, 50 of 890 active federal judicial positions are vacant.
- Nominations: There have been 11 new nominations since the previous report.
- Confirmations: There have been no new confirmations since the previous report.
New vacancies
There were 49 vacancies out of 870 active Article III judicial positions, a total vacancy percentage of 5.6, which is 0.4 percentage points higher than the vacancy percentage in May 2025.
- The nine-member U.S. Supreme Court has no vacancies.
- Three (1.7%) of the 179 U.S. Appeals Court positions are vacant.
- 46 (6.8%) of the 677 U.S. District Court positions are vacant.
- The nine-member U.S. Court of International Trade has no vacancies.
A vacancy occurs when a judge resigns, retires, takes senior status, or passes away. Article III judges, who serve on courts authorized by Article III of the Constitution, are appointed for life terms.
Three judges left active status in May 2025, creating Article III life-term judicial vacancies. As Article III judicial positions, these 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 Nathaniel Gorton assumed senior status on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
- Judge Ricardo Hinojosa assumed senior status on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
- Judge Timothy Batten retired from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
Federal judicial vacancies
The following map shows the number of vacancies on the United States Court of Appeals as of June 1, 2025.
The following map shows the number of vacancies in the United States District Courts as of June 1, 2025.
The following chart shows the number of federal judicial vacancies each month during President Donald Trump’s (R) administration for his second term from January 21, 2025, to June 1, 2025.
New nominations
Trump has announced 10 nominees to 11 court positions since the previousreport:
- Zachary Bluestone, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- Joshua Divine, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri
- Maria Lanahan, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- Cristian M. Stevens, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- Ed Artau, to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
- John Guard, to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- Kyle Dudek, to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe, to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- Jordan Pratt, to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- Emil Bove, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Since taking office for his second term in January 2025, Trump has made 12 Article III judicial nominations.
New confirmations
There were no new confirmations since the previous report.
As of June 1, 2025, the Senate had not confirmed any of Trump’s judicial nominees from his second term. To review a complete list of Trump’s confirmed nominees from both presidential terms, click here.
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