President Joe Biden (D) announced his intent to nominate nine individuals to Article III judgeships with lifetime terms on Dec. 15:
- Jessica Clarke, to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- Sherilyn Garnett, to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- Hector Gonzalez, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- Kenly Kiya Kato, to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- Nina Morrison, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- William Pocan, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- Jennifer Rochon, to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- Fred Slaughter, to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- Sunshine Sykes, to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
To date, Biden has nominated 71 individuals to federal judgeships. Thirty-one of the nominees have been confirmed. There were 74 Article III vacancies in the federal judiciary as of Dec. 1.
As of his inauguration in January 2021, Biden inherited 46 Article III vacancies: two vacancies in the U.S. courts of appeal, 43 vacancies in the U.S. district courts, and one vacancy on the U.S. Court of International Trade. Biden announced his first federal judicial nominees on March 30.
Biden also announced his intent to nominate three individuals to Washington, D.C., local courts:
- Errol Arthur, to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
- Leslie Meek, to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
- Carl Ross, to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Washington, D.C., has two local courts: the superior court—a trial court of general jurisdiction—and a court of appeals. Justices on these courts are nominated by the U.S. president after recommendation from the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission. They then face confirmation by the U.S. Senate. D.C. judges are appointed to 15-year renewable terms.
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