Note: Judiciary Tracker is currently not updating. The data displayed below is as of the last day of the Trump presidency. We are working on a new version of Judiciary Tracker that we hope to release soon.
We pull together data from
multiple public sources
to make it easy to access key information about the federal judiciary, judicial vacancies, and pending nominations.
As of today, the
1460th
day of Donald J. Trump's presidency, the Senate has confirmed
234
Article III judges nominated by President Trump, and
54
intermediate appellate judges nominated by President Trump. That is the
2nd fastest confirmation pace
of all U.S. presidents, and the
2nd fastest confirmation pace
for federal appellate judges of any U.S. president.
For comparison, here are the numbers of (1) confirmed Article III judges and (2) federal intermediate appellate judges nominated by every U.S. president at the 1460th day of their presidencies:
All Article III
Jimmy Carter: 266
Donald J. Trump: 234
George W. Bush: 204
William J. Clinton: 203
Richard M. Nixon: 195
George H.W. Bush: 194
Barack Obama: 173
Ronald Reagan: 168
Lyndon B. Johnson: 153
John F. Kennedy: 132
Dwight D. Eisenhower: 101
Herbert Hoover: 71
William H. Taft: 69
Harry S Truman: 66
Gerald Ford: 64
Warren G. Harding: 57
Theodore Roosevelt: 57
Franklin D. Roosevelt: 54
Benjamin Harrison: 54
Grover Cleveland: 53
Woodrow Wilson: 46
Calvin Coolidge: 45
Abraham Lincoln: 40
William McKinley: 34
Ulysses Grant: 30
George Washington: 29
Rutherford B. Hayes: 25
Chester A. Arthur: 24
John Adams: 23
Franklin Pierce: 21
Thomas Jefferson: 12
Martin Van Buren: 12
James Buchanan: 12
Andrew Johnson: 12
John Quincy Adams: 11
James Monroe: 11
James Madison: 10
James K. Polk: 10
Andrew Jackson: 9
John Tyler: 8
Zachary Taylor: 6
James A. Garfield: 6
Millard Fillmore: 5
U.S. Courts of Appeals
Jimmy Carter: 56
Donald J. Trump: 54
George H.W. Bush: 42
Richard M. Nixon: 38
George W. Bush: 35
Ronald Reagan: 33
Lyndon B. Johnson: 33
William J. Clinton: 30
Barack Obama: 30
Dwight D. Eisenhower: 23
John F. Kennedy: 21
Herbert Hoover: 16
William H. Taft: 13
Franklin D. Roosevelt: 13
Theodore Roosevelt: 12
Harry S Truman: 12
Gerald Ford: 11
Woodrow Wilson: 10
Calvin Coolidge: 10
Benjamin Harrison: 10
Grover Cleveland: 9
William McKinley: 6
Warren G. Harding: 6
Note: there are only 43 presidents listed in the left column because (1) Grover Cleveland was both the 22nd and 24th President, and (2) William Henry Harrison did not appoint any Article III judges. There are only 22 presidents listed in the right column because the modern-day U.S. Courts of Appeals were created by Congress in 1891, so no president before Grover Cleveland made appointments to those courts.
Composition of the Federal Judiciary
As of Jan. 20, 2017
As of Jan. 19, 2021
Court
Seats
D
R
Vacant
Balance
D
R
Vacant
Balance
Supreme Court
9
4
4
1
Tie
3
6
0
R + 3
D.C. Circuit
11
7
4
0
D + 3
7
4
0
D + 3
Federal Circuit
12
8
4
0
D + 4
8
4
0
D + 4
First Circuit
6
4
2
0
D + 2
4
1
1
D + 3
Second Circuit
13
7
4
2
D + 3
6
7
0
R + 1
Third Circuit
14
7
5
2
D + 2
6
8
0
R + 2
Fourth Circuit
15
9
6
0
D + 3
8
7
0
D + 1
Fifth Circuit
17
5
10
2
R + 5
5
12
0
R + 7
Sixth Circuit
16
5
10
1
R + 5
5
11
0
R + 6
Seventh Circuit
11
3
6
2
R + 3
2
8
1
R + 6
Eighth Circuit
11
1
9
1
R + 8
1
10
0
R + 9
Ninth Circuit
29
18
7
4
D + 11
16
13
0
D + 3
Tenth Circuit
12
7
5
0
D + 2
7
5
0
D + 2
Eleventh Circuit
12
8
3
1
D + 5
5
7
0
R + 2
Ct. Int'l Trade
9
5
2
2
D + 3
4
4
1
Tie
D. Alaska
3
1
1
1
Tie
1
2
0
R + 1
M.D. Alabama
3
0
1
2
R + 1
0
2
1
R + 2
N.D. Alabama
8
2
4
2
R + 2
2
6
0
R + 4
S.D. Alabama
3
0
2
1
R + 2
0
3
0
R + 3
E.D. Arkansas
5
3
2
0
D + 1
3
2
0
D + 1
W.D. Arkansas
3
3
0
0
D + 3
3
0
0
D + 3
D. Arizona
13
8
3
2
D + 5
7
6
0
D + 1
C.D. California
28
11
12
5
R + 1
9
13
6
R + 4
E.D. California
6
3
3
0
Tie
3
1
2
D + 2
N.D. California
14
13
1
0
D + 12
13
1
0
D + 12
S.D. California
13
5
7
1
R + 2
4
5
4
R + 1
D. Colorado
7
3
3
1
Tie
3
3
1
Tie
D. Connecticut
8
6
1
1
D + 5
5
2
1
D + 3
D. Columbia
15
11
0
4
D + 11
11
4
0
D + 7
D. Delaware
4
3
1
0
D + 2
2
2
0
Tie
M.D. Florida
15
7
7
1
Tie
6
9
0
R + 3
N.D. Florida
4
1
1
2
Tie
1
3
0
R + 2
S.D. Florida
18
8
8
2
Tie
7
10
1
R + 3
M.D. Georgia
4
2
1
1
D + 1
2
2
0
Tie
N.D. Georgia
11
8
2
1
D + 6
6
5
0
D + 1
S.D. Georgia
3
1
2
0
R + 1
0
3
0
R + 3
D. Hawaii
4
2
1
1
D + 1
2
2
0
Tie
N.D. Iowa
2
1
1
0
Tie
1
1
0
Tie
S.D. Iowa
3
2
1
0
D + 1
2
1
0
D + 1
D. Idaho
2
1
0
1
D + 1
1
1
0
Tie
C.D. Illinois
4
4
0
0
D + 4
4
0
0
D + 4
N.D. Illinois
22
15
6
1
D + 9
13
9
0
D + 4
S.D. Illinois
4
4
0
0
D + 4
2
2
0
Tie
N.D. Indiana
5
1
3
1
R + 2
1
4
0
R + 3
S.D. Indiana
5
3
1
1
D + 2
3
2
0
D + 1
D. Kansas
6
3
2
1
D + 1
1
5
0
R + 4
E.D. Kentucky
6
0
5
1
R + 5
0
6
0
R + 6
W.D. Kentucky
5
3
0
2
D + 3
2
3
0
R + 1
E.D. Louisiana
12
6
4
2
D + 2
6
6
0
Tie
M.D. Louisiana
3
3
0
0
D + 3
3
0
0
D + 3
W.D. Louisiana
7
1
4
2
R + 3
1
6
0
R + 5
D. Massachusetts
13
9
3
1
D + 6
8
3
2
D + 5
D. Maryland
10
8
1
1
D + 7
8
2
0
D + 6
D. Maine
3
2
1
0
D + 1
2
1
0
D + 1
E.D. Michigan
15
11
3
1
D + 8
11
4
0
D + 7
W.D. Michigan
4
0
4
0
R + 4
0
4
0
R + 4
D. Minnesota
7
3
2
2
D + 1
3
3
1
Tie
E.D. Missouri
9
4
3
2
D + 1
5
4
0
D + 1
W.D. Missouri
7
6
1
0
D + 5
6
1
0
D + 5
N.D. Mississippi
3
1
2
0
R + 1
1
2
0
R + 1
S.D. Mississippi
6
1
5
0
R + 4
1
5
0
R + 4
D. Montana
3
3
0
0
D + 3
3
0
0
D + 3
E.D. North Carolina
4
0
3
1
R + 3
0
4
0
R + 4
M.D. North Carolina
4
2
2
0
Tie
2
2
0
Tie
W.D. North Carolina
5
1
4
0
R + 3
1
4
0
R + 3
D. North Dakota
2
0
1
1
R + 1
0
2
0
R + 2
D. Nebraska
3
2
1
0
D + 1
2
1
0
D + 1
D. New Hampshire
3
1
2
0
R + 1
1
2
0
R + 1
D. New Jersey
17
7
8
2
R + 1
7
4
6
D + 3
D. New Mexico
7
2
5
0
R + 3
2
3
2
R + 1
D. Nevada
7
5
1
1
D + 4
5
0
2
D + 5
E.D. New York
15
6
6
3
Tie
6
6
3
Tie
N.D. New York
5
3
1
1
D + 2
3
1
1
D + 2
S.D. New York
28
21
6
1
D + 15
19
7
2
D + 12
W.D. New York
4
3
0
1
D + 3
3
1
0
D + 2
N.D. Ohio
11
6
4
1
D + 2
6
5
0
D + 1
S.D. Ohio
8
4
3
1
D + 1
3
5
0
R + 2
E.D. Oklahoma
2
0
1
1
R + 1
0
2
0
R + 2
N.D. Oklahoma
4
1
2
1
R + 1
1
3
0
R + 2
W.D. Oklahoma
7
1
3
3
R + 2
0
7
0
R + 7
D. Oregon
6
5
1
0
D + 4
4
2
0
D + 2
E.D. Pennsylvania
22
9
11
2
R + 2
9
12
1
R + 3
M.D. Pennsylvania
6
4
2
0
D + 2
3
3
0
Tie
W.D. Pennsylvania
10
2
4
4
R + 2
2
8
0
R + 6
D. Puerto Rico
7
3
3
1
Tie
2
5
0
R + 3
D. Rhode Island
3
1
1
1
Tie
1
2
0
R + 1
D. South Carolina
10
5
3
2
D + 2
5
5
0
Tie
D. South Dakota
3
3
0
0
D + 3
3
0
0
D + 3
E.D. Tennessee
5
2
3
0
R + 1
1
4
0
R + 3
M.D. Tennessee
4
3
0
1
D + 3
2
2
0
Tie
W.D. Tennessee
5
2
2
1
Tie
2
3
0
R + 1
E.D. Texas
8
3
2
3
D + 1
3
5
0
R + 2
N.D. Texas
12
2
6
4
R + 4
2
10
0
R + 8
S.D. Texas
19
8
9
2
R + 1
8
11
0
R + 3
W.D. Texas
13
4
7
2
R + 3
4
9
0
R + 5
D. Utah
5
3
1
1
D + 2
3
2
0
D + 1
E.D. Virginia
11
6
5
0
D + 1
5
5
1
Tie
W.D. Virginia
4
3
1
0
D + 2
3
1
0
D + 2
D. Vermont
2
2
0
0
D + 2
2
0
0
D + 2
E.D. Washington
4
4
0
0
D + 4
4
0
0
D + 4
W.D. Washington
7
0
4
3
R + 4
0
2
5
R + 2
E.D. Wisconsin
5
2
2
1
Tie
2
2
1
Tie
W.D. Wisconsin
2
2
0
0
D + 2
2
0
0
D + 2
N.D. West Virginia
3
1
2
0
R + 1
1
2
0
R + 1
S.D. West Virginia
5
3
2
0
D + 1
3
2
0
D + 1
D. Wyoming
3
2
1
0
D + 1
2
1
0
D + 1
Vacancies in the Federal Judiciary
The highlight color of the state column indicates whether that state has two Republican senators (red), two Democratic senators (blue), or one Republican senator and one Democratic senator (purple). (Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who were elected as independents, are counted as Democrats because they caucus with Senate Democrats.) Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have no senators, and the Court of International Trade, which is located in New York, is not subject to the "blue slip" procedure by which home-state senators can exercise limited veto power over judicial nominees.
Note: This tracker counts vacant Article III
seats
. There are 673 district judgeships, but 678 district court seats. The discrepancy is attributable to multiple seats held "concurrently" by a single judge:
The Eastern District of Kentucky shares one judge with the Western District of Kentucky.
The Eastern District of Missouri shares two judges with the Western District of Missouri.
The Eastern District of Oklahoma shares one judge with both the Western and Northern Districts of Oklahoma.
As of today, there are
46
vacancies on the Article III courts, and
21
nominations pending to fill those vacancies.
Of the remaining
25
vacancies that are awaiting a nominee,
1 (4%)
are in red states,
21 (84%)
are in blue states,
3 (12%)
are in purple states, and
0 (0%)
are in states (or for courts) that have no senators.
As of today, there are
0
Article III nominations pending in the U.S. Senate. Also listed below are 3 recently confirmed nominations that may not yet be reflected in the composition and vacancy trackers on this page.
A brief primer on Senate procedure:
The first step when a nomination is received in the Senate is to refer it to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where a hearing will be held regarding the nomination. Usually about four weeks after the hearing, the Judiciary Committee "reports" the nomination to the floor of the Senate, where it is placed on the Executive Calendar. In modern practice, because filibusters of judicial nominees have become routine, the next step is for the Majority Leader to file a cloture petition. If the Senate successfully invokes cloture, which requires a simple majority, then debate is limited to two hours for district court nominees, or 30 hours for court of appeals and Supreme Court nominees. (Note: these are "floor hours," so only hours that the Senate is actually in session count.) Finally, when cloture takes effect, the Senate can proceed to a confirmation vote, which also requires a simple majority.
There is technically one more step before a confirmed nominee becomes a judge: the President must sign and deliver the nominee's judicial commission. Because this step often takes several days, there may be a lag between when Senate data reflects a nominee's confirmation and when the Federal Judicial Center and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts reflects that a vacancy has been filled.
Note: The data underlying this table is only updated once per day. For up-to-the-minute information, consult the Senate Republican Cloakroom.
This work is
licensed
under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License. Journalists and others are free to use this information in their work, as long as the work includes attribution to Judiciarytracker.com.