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id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading page-header" lang="en"><span dir="auto"><span class="mw-page-title-main">United States federal courts</span></span></h1>  <div id="bodyContent"> <div id="siteSub">From Ballotpedia</div> <div id="contentSub" ></div> <div id="jump-to-nav" class="mw-jump"> Jump to: <a href="#mw-navigation">navigation</a>, <a href="#p-search">search</a> </div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="mw-parser-output"><div class="bp-dropdown-menu"> <ul><li><a href="#Supreme_Court">Supreme Court</a> <ul><li><a href="/Associate_Justice" title="Associate Justice">Associate Justice</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States" title="Supreme Court of the United States">Supreme Court of the United States</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2024-2025" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2024-2025">Supreme Court cases, October term 2024-2025</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2023-2024" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2023-2024">Supreme Court cases, October term 2023-2024</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2022-2023" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2022-2023">Supreme Court cases, October term 2022-2023</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2021-2022" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2021-2022">Supreme Court cases, October term 2021-2022</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2020-2021" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2020-2021">Supreme Court cases, October term 2020-2021</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2019-2020" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2019-2020">Supreme Court cases, October term 2019-2020</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2018-2019" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2018-2019">Supreme Court cases, October term 2018-2019</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2017-2018" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2017-2018">Supreme Court cases, October term 2017-2018</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2016-2017" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2016-2017">Supreme Court cases, October term 2016-2017</a></li> <li><a href="/Supreme_Court_cases,_October_term_2015" class="mw-redirect" title="Supreme Court cases, October term 2015">Supreme Court cases, October term 2015</a></li> <li><a href="/History_of_the_Supreme_Court" title="History of the Supreme Court">History of the Supreme Court</a></li> <li><a href="/Category:SCOTUS_chief_justice_pages" title="Category:SCOTUS chief justice pages">Chief Justice Eras</a></li> <li><a href="/Category:Historic_SCOTUS_cases" title="Category:Historic SCOTUS cases">Historic cases</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="#Courts">Courts</a> <ul><li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals" title="United States Court of Appeals">United States Court of Appeals</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_District_Court" title="United States District Court">United States District Court</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_bankruptcy_court" title="United States bankruptcy court">United States Bankruptcy Court</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_subject-matter_jurisdiction_courts" title="Federal subject-matter jurisdiction courts">Subject-matter jurisdiction courts</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_territorial_courts" title="United States territorial courts">United States territorial courts</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="#District_of_Columbia">District of Columbia</a> <ul><li><a href="/Washington,_D.C." title="Washington, D.C.">Washington, D.C.</a></li> <li><a href="/District_of_Columbia_Court_of_Appeals" title="District of Columbia Court of Appeals">District of Columbia Court of Appeals</a></li> <li><a href="/Superior_Court_of_the_District_of_Columbia" title="Superior Court of the District of Columbia">Superior Court of the District of Columbia</a></li> <li><a href="/Judicial_selection_in_Washington,_D.C." title="Judicial selection in Washington, D.C.">Judicial selection in Washington, D.C.</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="#Federal_Vacancy_Warning_System">Federal vacancies</a> <ul><li><a href="/Current_federal_judicial_vacancies" title="Current federal judicial vacancies">Current federal judicial vacancies</a></li> <li><a href="/Category:Federal_vacancy_count" title="Category:Federal vacancy count">By Congress</a></li> <li><a href="/Category:Federal_vacancy_count" title="Category:Federal vacancy count">By Year</a></li> <li><a href="/Category:Empty_benches_news" title="Category:Empty benches news">Archived vacancy counts</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="#Presidential_nominations">Presidential nominations</a> <ul><li><a href="/Presidential_nominations" class="mw-redirect" title="Presidential nominations">Presidential nominations</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judicial_appointments_by_president" title="Federal judicial appointments by president">Federal judicial nominations by president</a></li> <li><a href="/Category:Lists_of_nominees_to_the_federal_bench_by_president" title="Category:Lists of nominees to the federal bench by president">President pages</a> <ul><li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_George_Washington" title="Federal judges nominated by George Washington">Washington</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_John_Adams" title="Federal judges nominated by John Adams">Adams</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Thomas_Jefferson" title="Federal judges nominated by Thomas Jefferson">Jefferson</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_James_Madison" title="Federal judges nominated by James Madison">Madison</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_James_Monroe" title="Federal judges nominated by James Monroe">Monroe</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_John_Quincy_Adams" title="Federal judges nominated by John Quincy Adams">Quincy Adams</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Andrew_Jackson" title="Federal judges nominated by Andrew Jackson">Jackson</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Martin_Van_Buren" title="Federal judges nominated by Martin Van Buren">Van Buren</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_William_Henry_Harrison" title="Federal judges nominated by William Henry Harrison">Harrison</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_John_Tyler" title="Federal judges nominated by John Tyler">Tyler</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_James_Polk" title="Federal judges nominated by James Polk">Polk</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Zachary_Taylor" title="Federal judges nominated by Zachary Taylor">Taylor</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Millard_Fillmore" title="Federal judges nominated by Millard Fillmore">Fillmore</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Franklin_Pierce" title="Federal judges nominated by Franklin Pierce">Pierce</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_James_Buchanan" title="Federal judges nominated by James Buchanan">Buchanan</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Abraham_Lincoln" title="Federal judges nominated by Abraham Lincoln">Lincoln</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Andrew_Johnson" title="Federal judges nominated by Andrew Johnson">A. Johnson</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Ulysses_Grant" title="Federal judges nominated by Ulysses Grant">Grant</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Rutherford_B._Hayes" title="Federal judges nominated by Rutherford B. Hayes">Hayes</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_James_Garfield" title="Federal judges nominated by James Garfield">Garfield</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Chester_Arthur" title="Federal judges nominated by Chester Arthur">Arthur</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Grover_Cleveland" title="Federal judges nominated by Grover Cleveland">Cleveland</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Benjamin_Harrison" title="Federal judges nominated by Benjamin Harrison">Harrison</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_William_McKinley" title="Federal judges nominated by William McKinley">McKinley</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Theodore_Roosevelt" title="Federal judges nominated by Theodore Roosevelt">T. Roosevelt</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_William_Howard_Taft" title="Federal judges nominated by William Howard Taft">Taft</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Woodrow_Wilson" title="Federal judges nominated by Woodrow Wilson">Wilson</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Warren_Harding" title="Federal judges nominated by Warren Harding">Harding</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Calvin_Coolidge" title="Federal judges nominated by Calvin Coolidge">Coolidge</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Herbert_Hoover" title="Federal judges nominated by Herbert Hoover">Hoover</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Franklin_Delano_Roosevelt" title="Federal judges nominated by Franklin Delano Roosevelt">F. Roosevelt</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Harry_Truman" title="Federal judges nominated by Harry Truman">Truman</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Dwight_Eisenhower" title="Federal judges nominated by Dwight Eisenhower">Eisenhower</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_John_F._Kennedy" title="Federal judges nominated by John F. Kennedy">Kennedy</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Lyndon_Johnson" title="Federal judges nominated by Lyndon Johnson">L. Johnson</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Richard_Nixon" title="Federal judges nominated by Richard Nixon">Nixon</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Gerald_Ford" title="Federal judges nominated by Gerald Ford">Ford</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Jimmy_Carter" title="Federal judges nominated by Jimmy Carter">Carter</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Ronald_Reagan" title="Federal judges nominated by Ronald Reagan">Reagan</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_George_H.W._Bush" title="Federal judges nominated by George H.W. Bush">H.W. Bush</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Bill_Clinton" title="Federal judges nominated by Bill Clinton">Clinton</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_George_W._Bush" title="Federal judges nominated by George W. Bush">W. Bush</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Barack_Obama" title="Federal judges nominated by Barack Obama">Obama</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Donald_Trump" title="Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump">Trump</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Joe_Biden" title="Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden">Biden</a></li></ul></li></ul></li> <li><a href="#About">About</a> <ul><li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">United States federal courts</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div> <table class="infobox" style="text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="text-align: center; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><big><a class="mw-selflink selflink">U.S. Federal Courts</a></big> </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/File:Fedbadgesmall.png" class="image"><img alt="Great seal of the United States.png" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/34/Fedbadgesmall.png/115px-Fedbadgesmall.png" decoding="async" width="115" height="115" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/34/Fedbadgesmall.png/173px-Fedbadgesmall.png 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/34/Fedbadgesmall.png/230px-Fedbadgesmall.png 2x" data-file-width="275" data-file-height="275" /></a> </td></tr> <tr> <th style="background-color: #d0d0d0">General jurisdiction courts </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States" title="Supreme Court of the United States">Supreme Court of the United States</a><br /><a href="/United_States_court_of_appeals" class="mw-redirect" title="United States court of appeals">U.S. Courts of Appeal</a><br /><a href="/United_States_district_court" class="mw-redirect" title="United States district court">Federal district courts</a><br /><a href="/United_States_territorial_courts" title="United States territorial courts">U.S. territorial courts</a> </td></tr> <tr> <th style="background-color: #d0d0d0"><a href="/Subject-matter_jurisdiction" title="Subject-matter jurisdiction">Subject-matter jurisdiction</a> </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_bankruptcy_court" title="United States bankruptcy court">Bankruptcy courts</a><br /><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Federal_Claims" title="United States Court of Federal Claims">Court of Federal Claims</a><br /><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Armed_Forces" title="United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces">Armed Forces</a><br /><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_Veterans_Claims" title="United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims">Veterans Claims</a><br /><a href="/United_States_Tax_Court" title="United States Tax Court">Tax Court</a><br /><a href="/United_States_Court_of_International_Trade" title="United States Court of International Trade">International Trade</a><br /><a href="/United_States_Foreign_Intelligence_Surveillance_Court" title="United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court">Intelligence Surveillance</a> </td></tr> <tr> <th style="background-color: #d0d0d0"><a href="/Federal_judge" title="Federal judge">Federal judges</a> </th></tr> <tr> <th style="background-color: #d0d0d0"><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Federal judiciary</a> </th></tr> <tr> <th style="background-color: #d0d0d0"><a href="/Current_federal_judicial_vacancies" title="Current federal judicial vacancies">Federal vacancies</a> </th></tr></tbody></table> <p><br /> </p><p>The <b>United States federal courts</b> are the system of courts organized under the <a href="/United_States_Constitution" title="United States Constitution">United States Constitution</a> and federal law. The federal courts decide disputes involving the Constitution and laws passed by Congress. </p><p>Altogether, there are nearly 1,770 judgeships authorized across the 209 courts in the federal court system. About half of the judges sitting on federal courts are appointed by the president of the United States for life terms. The remaining judges are selected by judges sitting on circuit or district courts for terms of defined lengths. For a list of judges nominated by the current president, click <a href="/Federal_judges_nominated_by_Donald_Trump" title="Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump">here</a>. To learn more about how federal judges are selected, click <a href="/United_States_federal_courts#The_federal_nomination_process" title="United States federal courts">here</a>. </p><p>The map below shows the geography of the federal court system. Clicking on a district will take you directly to that court's page. Clicking on one of the numbered dots will take you to the corresponding circuit court page. </p><p><iframe title="U.S. Circuit and District Courts" aria-label="Map" id="datawrapper-chart-eFiw6" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/eFiw6/5/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" height="400" class="data-wrapper-vnt"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var a in e.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<t.length;r++){if(t[r].contentWindow===e.source)t[r].style.height=e.data["datawrapper-height"][a]+"px"}}}))}(); </script><style> .data-wrapper-vnt { width: 65% !important; } @media screen and (max-width: 600px) { .data-wrapper-vnt { width: 100% !important; } } </style> </p><p><br /> </p> <div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="display:none" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr"><h2 id="mw-toc-heading">Contents</h2><span class="toctogglespan"><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox"></label></span></div> <ul> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#Courts"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Courts</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2"><a href="#Supreme_Court"><span class="tocnumber">1.1</span> <span class="toctext">Supreme Court</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="#Circuit_Courts"><span class="tocnumber">1.2</span> <span class="toctext">Circuit Courts</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="#District_Courts"><span class="tocnumber">1.3</span> <span class="toctext">District Courts</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="#Bankruptcy_Courts"><span class="tocnumber">1.4</span> <span class="toctext">Bankruptcy Courts</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6"><a href="#Courts_of_specific_subject-matter_jurisdiction"><span class="tocnumber">1.5</span> <span class="toctext">Courts of specific subject-matter jurisdiction</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7"><a href="#Former_courts"><span class="tocnumber">1.6</span> <span class="toctext">Former courts</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8"><a href="#Judges"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Judges</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-9"><a href="#Article_III_judges"><span class="tocnumber">2.1</span> <span class="toctext">Article III judges</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10"><a href="#Non-Article_III_judges"><span class="tocnumber">2.2</span> <span class="toctext">Non-Article III judges</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11"><a href="#Judges_by_court"><span class="tocnumber">2.3</span> <span class="toctext">Judges by court</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-12"><a href="#Judges_by_circuit"><span class="tocnumber">2.3.1</span> <span class="toctext">Judges by circuit</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-13"><a href="#Judges_by_district"><span class="tocnumber">2.3.2</span> <span class="toctext">Judges by district</span></a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-14"><a href="#The_federal_nomination_process"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">The federal nomination process</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-15"><a href="#Role_of_the_other_federal_branches"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Role of the other federal branches</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-16"><a href="#Executive_branch"><span class="tocnumber">4.1</span> <span class="toctext">Executive branch</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-17"><a href="#Legislative_branch"><span class="tocnumber">4.2</span> <span class="toctext">Legislative branch</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-18"><a href="#See_also"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-19"><a href="#Footnotes"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">Footnotes</span></a></li> </ul> </div> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Courts">Courts</span></h2> <p>The sections below detail the different courts within the federal court structure. There are five types of courts outlined here: the <a href="/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States" title="Supreme Court of the United States">Supreme Court of the United States</a>, <a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals" title="United States Court of Appeals">circuit courts</a>, <a href="/United_States_district_court" class="mw-redirect" title="United States district court">district courts</a>, <a href="/United_States_Bankruptcy_Courts" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Bankruptcy Courts">bankruptcy courts</a>, and courts of specific <a href="/Subject-matter_jurisdiction" title="Subject-matter jurisdiction">subject-matter jurisdiction</a>. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Supreme_Court">Supreme Court</span></h3> <dl><dd><dl><dd><i>See also: <a href="/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States" title="Supreme Court of the United States">Supreme Court of the United States</a> and <a href="/SCOTUS_case_reversal_rates_(2007_-_Present)" title="SCOTUS case reversal rates (2007 - Present)">SCOTUS case reversal rates (2007 - Present)</a></i></dd></dl></dd></dl> <p>The <a href="/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States" title="Supreme Court of the United States">Supreme Court of the United States</a> is the highest judicial body in the nation and leads the judicial branch of the federal government. Its rulings are final and cannot be appealed to any other court. Its rulings are used as precedent by other courts in the country. </p><p>This page covers cases granted <i><span class="simple-tooltip simple-tooltip-inline" data-simple-tooltip="<p>Latin for 'to be more fully informed.' It is an 'order issued by the U.S. Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case it will hear on appeal.'&lt;ref&gt;<a target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener' class='external text' href='https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/understanding-federal-courts.pdf'><i>Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts</i>, 'Understanding the Federal Courts,' accessed May 23, 2019</a>&lt;/ref&gt; </p>">certiorari</span></i> by the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) for appellate review in which SCOTUS <span class="simple-tooltip simple-tooltip-inline" data-simple-tooltip="<p>The action of an appellate court overturning a lower court's decision. </p>">reversed</span> the lower court's ruling. <a href="/Original_jurisdiction" title="Original jurisdiction">Original jurisdiction</a> cases cannot be considered <span class="simple-tooltip simple-tooltip-inline" data-simple-tooltip="<p>The action of an appellate court confirming a lower court's decision. </p>">affirmed</span> or <span class="simple-tooltip simple-tooltip-inline" data-simple-tooltip="<p>The action of an appellate court overturning a lower court's decision. </p>">reversed</span> since SCOTUS is the first and only court that rules in the case. </p><p>When the U.S. Supreme Court is asked to review a case, a petition for a <i><span class="simple-tooltip simple-tooltip-inline" data-simple-tooltip="<p>A court's written order commanding the recipient to either do or refrain from doing a specified act. </p>">writ</span></i> of <i><span class="simple-tooltip simple-tooltip-inline" data-simple-tooltip="<p>Latin for 'to be more fully informed.' It is an 'order issued by the U.S. Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case it will hear on appeal.'&lt;ref&gt;<a target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener' class='external text' href='https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/understanding-federal-courts.pdf'><i>Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts</i>, 'Understanding the Federal Courts,' accessed May 23, 2019</a>&lt;/ref&gt; </p>">certiorari</span></i> must be filed within 90 days of a lower court’s ruling. Each term, approximately 7,000 to 8,000 new petitions are filed with the U.S. Supreme Court. During its weekly conference—a private meeting of the justices—the court reviews petitions and decides whether or not to grant <i><span class="simple-tooltip simple-tooltip-inline" data-simple-tooltip="<p>Latin for 'to be more fully informed.' It is an 'order issued by the U.S. Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case it will hear on appeal.'&lt;ref&gt;<a target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener' class='external text' href='https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/understanding-federal-courts.pdf'><i>Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts</i>, 'Understanding the Federal Courts,' accessed May 23, 2019</a>&lt;/ref&gt; </p>">certiorari</span></i>. The court accepts and hears arguments in about 80 cases per term and settles 100 or more cases without hearing arguments. Granting <i><span class="simple-tooltip simple-tooltip-inline" data-simple-tooltip="<p>Latin for 'to be more fully informed.' It is an 'order issued by the U.S. Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case it will hear on appeal.'&lt;ref&gt;<a target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener' class='external text' href='https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/understanding-federal-courts.pdf'><i>Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts</i>, 'Understanding the Federal Courts,' accessed May 23, 2019</a>&lt;/ref&gt; </p>">certiorari</span></i> requires affirmative votes from four justices.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup> </p><p>Since 2007, SCOTUS has released opinions in <b>1,250 cases</b>. Of those, it reversed a lower court decision <b>891 times (71.3 percent)</b> while affirming a lower court decision <b>347 times (27.8 percent)</b>. In that time period, SCOTUS has decided more cases originating from the <a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Ninth_Circuit" title="United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit">Ninth Circuit</a> (243) than from any other circuit. The next-most Article III circuit court is the <a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Fifth_Circuit" title="United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit">Fifth Circuit</a>, which had 105 decisions. During that span, SCOTUS overturned a greater number and percentage of cases originating from the Ninth Circuit (192, or 79 percent). </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Circuit_Courts">Circuit Courts</span></h3> <dl><dd><dl><dd><i>See also: <a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals" title="United States Court of Appeals">United States Court of Appeals</a></i></dd></dl></dd></dl> <p>The <a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals" title="United States Court of Appeals">United States Courts of Appeals</a> are the intermediate appellate courts of the nation. There are 16 of these courts. Decisions of the district courts are appealed to the circuit courts, and appeals of circuit court decisions are heard by the Supreme Court of the United States. </p><p>Click the links below to view information on each of the courts of appeals. </p> <div style="-moz-column-count:2; -webkit-column-count:2; column-count:2;" class="mobile-columns"> <ul><li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_1st_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit">United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_2nd_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit">United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_3rd_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit">United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_4th_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit">United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_5th_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit">United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_6th_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit">United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_7th_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit">United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_8th_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit">United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_9th_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit">United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_10th_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit">United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_11th_Circuit" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit">United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Armed_Forces" title="United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces">United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_District_of_Columbia_Circuit" title="United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit">United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Federal_Circuit" title="United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit">United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_Veterans_Claims" title="United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims">United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_International_Trade" title="United States Court of International Trade">United States Court of International Trade</a></li></ul> </div> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="District_Courts">District Courts</span></h3> <dl><dd><dl><dd><i>See also: <a href="/United_States_district_court" class="mw-redirect" title="United States district court">United States district court</a></i></dd></dl></dd></dl> <p>The <a href="/United_States_district_court" class="mw-redirect" title="United States district court">United States District Courts</a> are the trial courts of the federal courts. Both <a href="/Civil_law_(common_law)" title="Civil law (common law)">civil</a> and <a href="/Criminal_law" title="Criminal law">criminal</a> cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of both law and equity. This level of court is composed of 94 different courts. There is at least one judicial district for each state, and one each for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Bankruptcy_Courts">Bankruptcy Courts</span></h3> <dl><dd><dl><dd><i>See also: <a href="/United_States_Bankruptcy_Courts" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Bankruptcy Courts">United States Bankruptcy Courts</a></i></dd></dl></dd></dl> <p>The <a href="/United_States_Bankruptcy_Courts" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Bankruptcy Courts">United States Bankruptcy Courts</a> handle matters of bankruptcy across the nation. The jurisdiction of these courts corresponds with the jurisdiction of the <a href="/United_States_district_court" class="mw-redirect" title="United States district court">United States District Courts</a>. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Courts_of_specific_subject-matter_jurisdiction">Courts of specific subject-matter jurisdiction</span></h3> <p>There are seven courts of <a href="/Subject-matter_jurisdiction" title="Subject-matter jurisdiction">subject-matter jurisdiction</a> in the federal court system. Most of these are <a href="/Article_I_tribunal" title="Article I tribunal">Article I tribunals</a> established by the <a href="/United_States_Congress" title="United States Congress">United States Congress</a>. <a href="/Federal_subject-matter_jurisdiction_courts" title="Federal subject-matter jurisdiction courts">Click here</a> for a summary of these courts. These courts are: </p> <ul><li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Armed_Forces" title="United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces">United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_Veterans_Claims" title="United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims">United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Federal_Claims" title="United States Court of Federal Claims">United States Court of Federal Claims</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_International_Trade" title="United States Court of International Trade">United States Court of International Trade</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Military_Commission_Review" title="United States Court of Military Commission Review">United States Court of Military Commission Review</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Foreign_Intelligence_Surveillance_Court" title="United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court">United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Tax_Court" title="United States Tax Court">United States Tax Court</a></li></ul> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Former_courts">Former courts</span></h3> <ul><li><a href="/Defunct_circuit_courts" title="Defunct circuit courts">Defunct circuit courts</a></li> <li><a href="/Category:Defunct_federal_district_courts" title="Category:Defunct federal district courts">Defunct federal district courts</a></li> <li><a href="/Category:Defunct_special_jurisdiction_courts" title="Category:Defunct special jurisdiction courts">Defunct special jurisdiction courts</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Private_Land_Claims" title="United States Court of Private Land Claims">United States Court of Private Land Claims</a></li> <li><a href="/United_States_Commerce_Court" title="United States Commerce Court">United States Commerce Court</a></li></ul> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Judges">Judges</span></h2> <p>Judges that serve on federal courts can be broken down into two major categories: <i>Article III judges</i> and non-<i>Article III judges</i>. The table below shows the number of judges of each type within the court structure, how they are selected, and how long their term lasts. These figures were last reviewed and updated on January 2, 2025.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3">[3]</a></sup> </p> <table class="wikitable" style="align: center; border: 0px; background: white; text-align: center; box-shadow: 0px 2px 5px #A0A0A0; width: 50%;"> <tbody><tr> <th colspan="4" style="background-color:#2B2B2B; border: 1px; box-shadow: 0px 2px 5px #A0A0A0; color: white; font-size:130%; padding-top: 0.25em; padding-bottom: 0.25em;"><i>Number of federal judgeships (January 1, 2025)</i> </th></tr> <tr> <th style="background-color:#666; color: white;">Court </th> <th style="background-color:#666; color: white;">Number of judgeships </th> <th style="background-color:#666; color: white;">Appointed by </th> <th style="background-color:#666; color: white;">Term length </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States" title="Supreme Court of the United States">Supreme Court of the United States</a> </td> <td>9 </td> <td>President </td> <td>Life </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals" title="United States Court of Appeals">United States Court of Appeals</a> </td> <td>179 </td> <td>President </td> <td>Life </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_District_Court" title="United States District Court">United States District Court</a> </td> <td>677 </td> <td>President </td> <td>Life </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_Court_of_International_Trade" title="United States Court of International Trade">United States Court of International Trade</a> </td> <td>9 </td> <td>President </td> <td>Life </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/United_States_bankruptcy_court" title="United States bankruptcy court">United States bankruptcy court</a> </td> <td>345<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4">[4]</a></sup> </td> <td>Circuit court judges </td> <td>14 years </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/Federal_magistrate_judge" title="Federal magistrate judge">Federal magistrate judge</a> </td> <td>588<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5">[5]</a></sup> </td> <td>District court judges </td> <td>8 years </td></tr></tbody></table> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Article_III_judges">Article III judges</span></h3> <p><i>Article III judges</i> refer to judges who serve on courts authorized by <i><a href="/Article_III" class="mw-redirect" title="Article III">Article III</a></i> of the Constitution, which created and enumerated the powers of the judiciary. Those judges are: justices of the <a href="/SCOTUS" class="mw-redirect" title="SCOTUS">Supreme Court</a>, judges of the <a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals" title="United States Court of Appeals">Circuit Courts of Appeal</a>, judges of the <a href="/United_States_district_court" class="mw-redirect" title="United States district court">District Courts</a>, and judges of the <a href="/United_States_Court_of_International_Trade" title="United States Court of International Trade">Court of International Trade</a>. These judges are appointed by the <a href="/President_of_the_United_States" title="President of the United States">President of the United States</a> and confirmed by the U.S. Senate before joining the court. These judges serve life terms.<sup id="cite_ref-fed_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-fed-6">[6]</a></sup> </p> <div style="float:right; width:400px; margin-top: 0.0em; margin-bottom:3px; background-color: #FoF8FF; padding:.2em .6em; font-size: 110%; border:2px solid #00308F;"> <center> Did you know that only magistrate and bankruptcy judges are required to be lawyers? There is no statutory requirement that Article III judges have any legal training.<sup id="cite_ref-fed_6-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-fed-6">[6]</a></sup> </center></div> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Non-Article_III_judges">Non-Article III judges</span></h3> <p><i>Article III judges</i> are not the only ones serving the federal judiciary. <a href="/Federal_bankruptcy_judge" title="Federal bankruptcy judge">Bankruptcy judges</a> and <a href="/Federal_magistrate_judge" title="Federal magistrate judge">magistrate judges</a> also contribute to case resolution. </p><p>Bankruptcy judges serve 14-year renewable terms after being appointed by the judges of the corresponding <a href="/United_States_Court_of_Appeals" title="United States Court of Appeals">Circuit Court of Appeal</a>. </p><p>Magistrate judges serve eight-year renewable terms and are appointed by a majority vote of active district judges on the court.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7">[7]</a></sup> </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Judges_by_court">Judges by court</span></h3> <h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Judges_by_circuit">Judges by circuit</span></h4> <p>The table below displays the number of judges in each circuit and indicates how many were appointed by presidents from each major political party. It also includes the number of vacancies on a circuit and how many pending nominations for that circuit are before the <a href="/United_States_Senate" title="United States Senate">United States Senate</a>. The table can be sorted by clicking the column headers above the line. It is updated every Monday. </p><p><iframe title="Current U.S. Circuit Court judges" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-PD05F" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/PD05F/304/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="889" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}(); </script> </p><p><br /><br /> The map below displays the composition of federal circuit courts by the partisan affiliation of each judge's appointing president. Hover your mouse of the map to see the breakdown of by circuit court. It is updated monthly. </p> <center><iframe title="Circuit court composition by appointing president's party" aria-label="Map" id="datawrapper-chart-7x9K8" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/7x9K8/61/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="504" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}(); </script></center> <p><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p> <h4><span class="mw-headline" id="Judges_by_district">Judges by district</span></h4> <p>The table below displays the number of judges in each district and indicates how many were appointed by presidents from each major political party. It also includes the number of vacancies in a district and how many pending nominations for that district are before the <a href="/United_States_Senate" title="United States Senate">United States Senate</a>. The table can be sorted by clicking the column headers above the line, and you can navigate through the pages by clicking the arrows at the top of the table. It is updated every Monday. </p><p><iframe title="Current U.S. District Court judges" aria-label="Table" id="datawrapper-chart-XRhul" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/XRhul/304/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="1200" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}(); </script> </p><p><br /> </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="The_federal_nomination_process">The federal nomination process</span></h2> <p>Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process: </p> <ul><li>The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.</li> <li>The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the <a href="/Senate_Judiciary_Committee" class="mw-redirect" title="Senate Judiciary Committee">Senate Judiciary Committee</a>.</li> <li>The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.</li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li>As part of this process, the committee sends a <a href="/Blue_slip_(federal_judicial_nominations)" title="Blue slip (federal judicial nominations)">blue slip</a> to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.</li></ul></dd></dl> <ul><li>After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.</li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li>If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.</li> <li>If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.</li></ul></dd></dl> <ul><li>The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.</li></ul> <dl><dd><ul><li>If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.</li> <li>If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.</li></ul></dd></dl> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Role_of_the_other_federal_branches">Role of the other federal branches</span></h2> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Executive_branch">Executive branch</span></h3> <p>The most integral responsibility of the executive branch as pertains to the judiciary is to nominate and appoint judges for service on the federal courts. See <a href="/Category:Lists_of_nominees_to_the_federal_bench_by_president" title="Category:Lists of nominees to the federal bench by president">this category</a> for a list of every judge appointed by each president throughout U.S. history. </p><p>For a list of current vacancies on the federal courts, <a href="/Current_federal_judicial_vacancies" title="Current federal judicial vacancies">click here</a>. </p><p>The Cabinet-level post of <a href="/United_States_Attorney_General" title="United States Attorney General">United States Attorney General</a> is the highest-ranking member of the <a href="/United_States_Department_of_Justice" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Department of Justice">United States Department of Justice</a>. He or she is responsible for the <a href="/United_States_Attorney" title="United States Attorney">United States attorneys</a> assigned to each judicial district, as well as the assistant United States attorneys serving. </p><p>The <a href="/United_States_Solicitor_General" title="United States Solicitor General">United States Solicitor General</a> argues cases on behalf of the federal government. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Legislative_branch">Legislative branch</span></h3> <p><b>Senate</b> </p><p>The <a href="/United_States_Senate" title="United States Senate">United States Senate</a> is responsible for confirming federal judges following appointment by the president. The <a href="/Senate_Judiciary_Committee" class="mw-redirect" title="Senate Judiciary Committee">Senate Judiciary Committee</a> evaluates nominees and considers federal legislation pertaining to the judicial branch. </p><p>Senators are also charged with recommending nominees to the president for appointment to federal courts in their respective states. </p><p><b>House of Representatives</b> </p><p>The <a href="/United_States_House_of_Representatives_Committee_on_Judiciary" title="United States House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary">United States House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary</a> considers and recommends legislation pertaining to the judicial branch. </p> <div id="div-gpt-ad-1548351761485-0"><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1548351761485-0"); });</script></div><h2><span class="mw-headline" id="See_also">See also</span></h2> <table align="center" style="width:75%"> <tbody><tr> <td width="15%" align="center"><a href="/Judgepedia:WikiProject_Bankruptcy_Courts" title="Judgepedia:WikiProject Bankruptcy Courts"><img alt="Ballotpedia Bankruptcy Courts badge.png" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/34/Ballotpedia_Bankruptcy_Courts_badge.png/110px-Ballotpedia_Bankruptcy_Courts_badge.png" decoding="async" width="110" height="110" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/34/Ballotpedia_Bankruptcy_Courts_badge.png/165px-Ballotpedia_Bankruptcy_Courts_badge.png 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/3/34/Ballotpedia_Bankruptcy_Courts_badge.png/220px-Ballotpedia_Bankruptcy_Courts_badge.png 2x" data-file-width="788" data-file-height="788" /></a> </td> <td width="15%" align="center"><a href="/Federal_Court_Vacancy_Warning_System" title="Federal Court Vacancy Warning System"><img alt="JP-FVT seal.png" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/6/64/JP-FVT_seal.png/110px-JP-FVT_seal.png" decoding="async" width="110" height="111" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/6/64/JP-FVT_seal.png/165px-JP-FVT_seal.png 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/6/64/JP-FVT_seal.png/220px-JP-FVT_seal.png 2x" data-file-width="674" data-file-height="683" /></a> </td> <td width="15%" align="center"><a href="/Judicious_education,_The_Federal_College_Count" title="Judicious education, The Federal College Count"><img alt="College Count-Final 2.png" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/23/College_Count-Final_2.png/115px-College_Count-Final_2.png" decoding="async" width="115" height="115" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/23/College_Count-Final_2.png/173px-College_Count-Final_2.png 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/2/23/College_Count-Final_2.png/230px-College_Count-Final_2.png 2x" data-file-width="638" data-file-height="638" /></a> </td> <td width="15%" align="center"><a href="/Judgepedia:WikiProject_Judicial_Interest_Organization" title="Judgepedia:WikiProject Judicial Interest Organization"><img alt="Judicial interest organizations.png" src="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/d/d7/Judicial_interest_organizations.png/120px-Judicial_interest_organizations.png" decoding="async" width="120" height="117" srcset="https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/d/d7/Judicial_interest_organizations.png/180px-Judicial_interest_organizations.png 1.5x, https://ballotpedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/thumb/d/d7/Judicial_interest_organizations.png/240px-Judicial_interest_organizations.png 2x" data-file-width="786" data-file-height="768" /></a> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <ul><li><a href="/Federal_courts_by_state" title="Federal courts by state">Federal courts by state</a></li> <li><a href="/Judicial_vacancies_in_federal_courts" title="Judicial vacancies in federal courts">Judicial vacancies in federal courts</a></li> <li><a href="/Federal_judicial_appointments_by_president" title="Federal judicial appointments by president">Federal judicial appointments by president</a></li></ul> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Footnotes">Footnotes</span></h2> <p> <script type="text/javascript"> if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; </script> </p> <div class="references-small"><div class="mobile-columns"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-1">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/courtatwork.aspx"><i>U.S. Supreme Court</i>, “The Supreme Court at Work: The Term and Caseload,” accessed February 5, 2024</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-2">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.scotusblog.com/supreme-court-procedure/"><i>SCOTUSblog</i>, “Supreme Court Procedure,” accessed February 5, 2024</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-3">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.uscourts.gov/judges-judgeships/judicial-vacancies/archive-judicial-vacancies/2025/01/summary"><i>U.S. Courts</i>, "Vacancy Summary for January 2025," accessed January 2, 2025</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-4">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.uscourts.gov/statistics-reports/status-bankruptcy-judgeships-judicial-business-2021"><i>United States Courts</i>, "Status of Bankruptcy Judgeships — Judicial Business 2021," accessed June 3, 2023</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-5">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="https://www.uscourts.gov/statistics-reports/status-magistrate-judge-positions-and-appointments-judicial-business-2021"><i>United States Courts</i>, "Status of Magistrate Judge Positions and Appointments — Judicial Business 2021," accessed June 3, 2023</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-fed-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-fed_6-0">6.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-fed_6-1">6.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.fjc.gov/federal/courts.nsf/autoframe?OpenForm&nav=menu3c&page=/federal/courts.nsf/page/A783011AF949B6BF85256B35004AD214?opendocument"><i>Federal Judicial Center</i>, "How the Federal Courts are Organized," accessed March 12, 2019</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-7">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" class="external text" href="http://www.uscourts.gov/Common/FAQS.aspx"><i>United States Courts</i>, "FAQs," accessed March 12, 2019</a></span> </li> </ol></div></div></div> <table class="navbox" cellspacing="0" style=";"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:2px;"><table cellspacing="0" class="collapsible autocollapse" style="width:100%;background:transparent;color:inherit;;"><tbody><tr><th style=";background:#bbccee;" colspan="2" class="navbox-title"><div style="float:left; 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