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Federal Courts, Empty Benches: The Wednesday Vacancy Count 1/9/2013

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January 9, 2013

By Joshua Meyer-Gutbrod

For a District by District break down, see: Federal Court Vacancy Warning System
FederalVacancy Blue.png


The vacancy warning level for the U.S. District courts is currently set at Blue. This week's vacancy count marks the first count of the 113th Congress. There were three new vacancies this past week, leaving the final tally at 81 vacancies or approximately 9.3% of the total Article III posts currently unfilled. The vacancy information for the various court levels is as follows:


Key:
(Percentage of seats vacant.)
0%1%-9%
10%-24%25%-40%
More than 40%
Supreme Court 0% or no vacancies
Appeals Courts 9.5% or 17 vacancies
District Courts 9.4% or 64 vacancies

There are currently 9 Supreme Court posts, 179 appellate court posts and 680 district court posts for a total of 868 Article III judges. This count includes four temporary posts, one each in the Northern District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Southern District of Florida and the Central District of California. This also includes two shared post between the two Missouri districts and the two Kentucky districts, which count as two posts with separate vacancies.

Weekly map

The new weekly map feature will be updated every week and posted here and on the vacancy warning level analysis page.

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New confirmations

During the past week there were no new confirmations. The 113th Congress opened session on January 3, 2013 and consequentially returned all pending nominations to the president.

New vacancies

Federal Circuit

FederalVacancy yellow.png


On January 7, 2013 William Bryson assumed senior status for the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit after serving on the court for 18 years.[1] Bryson first joined the court on September 28, 1994 after an appointment from Bill Clinton. At the time of his appointment he was Deputy Associate U.S. Attorney General. Bryson graduated from Harvard with his bachelor's degree in 1969 and later graduated from the University of Texas School of Law with his J.D. degree in 1973. [2] The transition to senior status creates the third vacancy on the court of twelve, leaving the vacancy warning level unchanged at Yellow.

Eastern District of Kentucky/Western District of Kentucky

FederalVacancy yellow.png
FederalVacancy orange.png


On January 8, 2013 Jennifer Coffman assumed senior status for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky and the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky after serving on the court for 19 years.[3] Coffman first joined the court on October 1, 1993 after an appointment from Bill Clinton. At the time of her appointment she was a private practice attorney in Lexington, KY. Born in Union City, Tennessee, Coffman attended the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY and graduated with her bachelor's degree in 1969, her Master's degree in Library Science 1971, and her J.D. degree in 1978.[4] The transition to senior status creates the first vacancy on the Eastern District of Kentucky, raising the vacancy warning level from Green to Yellow. The vacancy creates the second vacancy for the Western District of Kentucky, raising the vacancy warning level from Yellow to Orange.

New nominations

On January 3, 2013, the opening day of the new congressional session, President Barack Obama renominated 33 judges to the United States federal courts after the nominations had been returned to him at the end of the previous session. Obama commented on the nominations, stating, “Today, I am re-nominating thirty-three highly qualified candidates for the federal bench, including many who could have and should have been confirmed before the Senate adjourned. Several have been awaiting a vote for more than six months, even though they all enjoy bipartisan support. I continue to be grateful for their willingness to serve and remain confident that they will apply the law with the utmost impartiality and integrity. I urge the Senate to consider and confirm these nominees without delay, so all Americans can have equal and timely access to justice."[5] The nominees include:

Appellate court nominations

District court nominations

Court of International Trade nominations

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ U.S. Courts Current Vacancies
  2. ↑ Judge Bryson's Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
  3. ↑ U.S. Courts Current Vacancies
  4. ↑ Judge Jennifer Coffman's Biography from the Federal Judicial Center.
  5. ↑ "President Obama Re-nominates Thirty-Three to Federal Judgeships" 1/3/2013
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