Judicial vacancies in federal courts
Ballotpedia's Federal Judicial Vacancy Count tracks the vacancy levels in the federal courts for Article III judges. As of the monthly report for September 1, 2025, there were 50 vacancies across 870 Article III judgeships in the United States.
Article III judges serve on courts authorized by Article III of the Constitution, which created and enumerated the powers of the judiciary. They are appointed for life terms. A vacancy occurs when a judge resigns, retires, takes senior status, or passes away. To read more about how vacancies are filled, click here.
This page provides highlights of the most recent September 1, 2025, a map of federal district court vacancies across the country, and navigation to more than 200 released editions of the report.
As of September 1, 2025, the number of federal court vacancies was as follows:
- Supreme Court: 0 vacancies
- Appeals Courts: 2 vacancies
- District Courts: 47 vacancies
- International Trade: 1 vacancies
The chart below shows federal court vacancies from April 2011 to the present.
Federal Judicial Vacancy Count: September 1, 2025
The vacancy level was in August 2025. The total vacancy percentage was 5.7 percent, and there were 49 vacancies out of 870 Article III judicial positions.
A breakdown of the vacancies at each level can be found in the table below. For a more detailed look at the vacancies on the federal courts, click here.
Key: | |
(Numbers indicate % of seats vacant.) | |
0% | 1%-9% |
10%-24% | 25%-40% |
More than 40% |
Though the United States territorial courts are named as district courts, they are not Article III courts. They are created in accordance with the power granted under Article IV of the U.S. Constitution. Click here for more information.
New vacancies
Three judges left active status, creating Article III life-term judicial vacancies, since the previous vacancy count. As Article III judicial positions, 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 Daniel D. Crabtree assumed senior status on the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.
- Judge Steven Merryday assumed senior status on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
- Judge Eric Melgren assumed senior status on the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.
New nominations
President Donald Trump (R) announced 10 new nominations since the previous report. Since August 1, 2025, the president announced his intent to nominate the following individuals:
- Bill Lewis, to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama.
- Edmund LaCour, to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
- Robert Chamberlin, to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi.
- Jimmy Maxwell, to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi.
- Harold Mooty, to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
- Rebecca Taibleson, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
- Lindsey Freeman, to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.
- David Bragdon, to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.
- Matthew Orso, to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.
- Susan Rodriguez, to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.
Since taking office for his second term in January 2025, President Donald Trump (R) made 27 Article III judicial nominations.
New confirmations
There have been no new confirmations since the previous report.
As of September 1, the Senate has confirmed five of President Trump's judicial nominees—three district court judges, two appeals court judges, no Court of International Trade judges, and no Supreme Court justices—since January 2025. To review a complete list of Trump's confirmed nominees from both presidential terms, click here.
Map of federal district court vacancies
Previously published reports
Below is a list of all Federal Judicial Vacancy Count reports sorted by year. The most recent year appears in reverse chronological order, while previous years are presented in chronological order.
2025
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 9/1/2025
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 08/1/2025
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 7/1/2025
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 6/1/2025
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 5/1/2025
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 4/1/2025
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 3/1/2025
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 2/1/2025
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 1/1/2025
2024
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 12/1/2024
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 11/1/2024
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 9/1/2024
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 8/1/2024
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 7/1/2024
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 6/1/2024
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 5/1/2024
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 4/1/2024
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 3/1/2024
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 2/1/2024
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 1/1/2024
2023
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 12/1/2023
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 11/1/2023
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 10/1/2023
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 9/1/2023
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 8/1/2023
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 7/1/2023
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 6/1/2023
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 5/1/2023
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 4/1/2023
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 3/1/2023
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 2/1/2023
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 1/1/2023
2022
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 12/1/2022
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 11/1/2022
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 10/1/2022
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 9/1/2022
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 8/1/2022
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 7/1/2022
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 6/1/2022
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 5/1/2022
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 4/1/2022
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 3/1/2022
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 2/1/2022
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 1/1/2022
2021
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 1/4/2021
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 2/1/2021
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 3/1/2021
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 4/1/2021
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 5/1/2021
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 6/1/2021
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 7/1/2021
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 8/1/2021
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 9/1/2021
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 10/1/2021
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 11/1/2021
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 12/1/2021
2020
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 1/2/2020
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 2/3/2020
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 3/2/2020
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 4/2/2020
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 5/1/2020
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 6/2/2020
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 7/2/2020
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 8/3/2020
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 9/1/2020
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 10/1/2020
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 11/2/2020
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 12/1/2020
2019
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 2/6/2019
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 2/27/2019
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 3/27/2019
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 4/24/2019
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 5/29/2019
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 6/26/2019
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 7/31/2019
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 9/1/2019
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 10/1/2019
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 11/5/2019
- The Federal Judicial Vacancy Count 12/2/2019
2018
- The Federal Vacancy Count 1/31/2018
- The Federal Vacancy Count 2/28/2018
- The Federal Vacancy Count 3/30/2018
- The Federal Vacancy Count 4/25/2018
- The Federal Vacancy Count 6/4/2018
- The Federal Vacancy Count 6/27/2018
- The Federal Vacancy Count 7/25/2018
- The Federal Vacancy Count 8/29/2018
- The Federal Vacancy Count 9/26/2018
- The Federal Vacancy Count 10/31/2018
- The Federal Vacancy Count 11/28/2018
- The Federal Vacancy Count 12/26/2018
2017
- The Federal Vacancy Count 1/25/2017
- The Federal Vacancy Count 3/1/2017
- The Federal Vacancy Count 3/29/2017
- The Federal Vacancy Count 4/26/2017
- The Federal Vacancy Count 5/31/2017
- The Federal Vacancy Count 6/28/2017
- The Federal Vacancy Count 7/26/2017
- The Federal Vacancy Count 8/29/2017
- The Federal Vacancy Count 9/27/2017
- The Federal Vacancy Count 10/25/2017
- The Federal Vacancy Count 11/29/2017
- The Federal Vacancy Count 12/28/2017
2016
- The Federal Vacancy Count 1/27/2016
- The Federal Vacancy Count 2/24/2016
- The Federal Vacancy Count 3/30/2016
- The Federal Vacancy Count 4/27/2016
- The Federal Vacancy Count 5/25/2016
- The Federal Vacancy Count 6/29/2016
- The Federal Vacancy Count 7/27/2016
- The Federal Vacancy Count 8/31/2016
- The Federal Vacancy Count 9/28/2016
- The Federal Vacancy Count 10/26/2016
- The Federal Vacancy Count 11/30/2016
- The Federal Vacancy Count 12/28/2016
2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 1/7/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 1/14/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 1/21/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 1/28/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 2/4/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 2/11/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 2/18/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 2/25/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 3/4/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 3/11/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 3/18/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 3/25/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 4/1/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 4/8/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 4/15/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 4/29/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 5/27/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 6/24/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 7/29/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 8/25/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 9/30/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 10/28/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 11/25/2015
- The Federal Vacancy Count 12/30/2015
Background
Article III judges
The number of federal judicial positions is set by the United States Congress, which authorizes a set number of judge positions for each level of the courts and makes adjustments as necessary.[1][2]
Article III
- Supreme Court of the United States: 9 justices, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1869.
- United States court of appeals: 179 judgeships[3]
- United States district court: 677 judgeships[3]
- United States Court of International Trade: 9 judgeships[3]
Article I
- United States bankruptcy court: 350 judgeships[4]
Other
- Federal magistrate judge: There are 579 magistrate judgeships.[5]
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Federal Judiciary Frequently Asked Questions
- ↑ U.S. Courts chart of Federal Judgeships, 2008
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 United States Courts, "Federal Judgeships," accessed March 12, 2019
- ↑ United States Courts, "Status of Bankruptcy Judgeships — Judicial Business 2018," accessed April 1, 2019
- ↑ United States Courts, "Status of Magistrate Judge Positions and Appointments — Judicial Business 2018," accessed April 1, 2019
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