Senate Confirms 17 BIDEN-nominated Judges Since the Election (UPDATE)

                                                           FEDERAL JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS RECORD

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            BIDEN

                                       TRUMP-45        BIDEN (11/5)       BIDEN (12/09/2024)* NOMINEES

Supreme Court of the U.S.:             3                            1                                  1

U.S. Courts of Appeals:                 54                          44                                45                          4

U.S. District Courts:                    174                        166                              181                        10

U.S. Court of Int’l Trade:                3                            2                                  2

ARTICLE III TOTAL               234                        213                              229

Article I Specialty Courts:             26                          16                                17

Article IV Territorial Courts:           1                            1                                  1

 

Total Judicial Positions:            261                        230                              247                         14

In the weeks since the November 5, 2024 election, the U.S. Senate has confirmed 17 Biden nominees for federal judicial appointments. This includes 1 Article III appellate judge, 15 Article III district court judges, and 1 Article I judge. President Biden’s number of lame duck appointments exceeds the 14 “midnight” appointments made by President John Adams. Adams’ record of 14 midnight appointments (to then newly created judicial posts) is now being used as a how-to guide. (The Senate confirmed some 19 Trump-45 nominees during Trump’s lame duck period, including 14 Article III judges, and 5 Article I judges.)

There are 874 authorized Article III judicial posts. Both Trump-45 and Biden have appointed more than 25% of the number of authorized posts. More than half the Article III judicial positions were filled during the last 8 years!

Currently, it appears that Trump-45 made more federal judicial appointments than Biden has made (to date). And, at this juncture, December 9, 2024, there are 48 federal judicial vacancies** to Article III courts, with 14 Biden nominees’ confirmations pending before the U.S. Senate. See <https://www.uscourts.gov/judges-judgeships/judicial-vacancies/current-judicial-vacancies>, and, <https://www.uscourts.gov/judges-judgeships/judicial-vacancies/future-judicial-vacancies>. 

The lame duck U.S. Senate and Joe Biden, the lame duck U.S. President, might now push forward, and so it is possible that over the course of the next several weeks Biden’s record might (further) improve and equal (or, possibly, even surpass) Trump-45’s record for judicial appointments. There is also the less likely possibility of Biden’s submitting additional and entirely new nominees—even at this late juncture. Interestingly, after the November 5, 2024 election, Biden nominated two individuals to federal district court positions.

The Senate is NOT scheduled to meet in January prior to January 3, 2025, when the new Congress convenes. As of Monday, December 9, 2024, the Senate is scheduled to meet only today and during the next 9 business days in December. That is a total of 10 business days. See <https://www.senate.gov/legislative/resources/pdf/2024_calendar.pdf>. As things now stand, these 10 business days are Biden’s only really opportunity to secure advice and consent for his remaining (unconfirmed) nominees. 

(source: Wikipedia) 

 

Seth Barrett Tillman, ‘Senate Confirms 17 BIDEN-nominated Judges Since the Election (UPDATE),’ New Reform Club (Nov. 7, 2024, 6:56 AM) (Updated Dec. 9, 2024), <https://reformclub.blogspot.com/2024/11/trump-45-v-biden-federal-judicial.html>;

See also: Seth Barrett Tillman, ‘Trump-47 and the Future of the Federal Judiciary (UPDATE),’ New Reform Club (Dec. 7, 2024, 3:09 PM) (Updated Dec. 9, 2024), <https://reformclub.blogspot.com/2024/12/trump-47-and-future-of-federal-judiciary.html>;

Note: the U.S. Court of International Trade is an Article III court.

*I am including positions where the Senate has confirmed a Biden nominee, but the President has not formally appointed that person. I expect the appointments will be made imminently. 

**As vacancies, I am counting current vacancies, and also future vacancies which will take effect on or prior to January 20, 2025 (that is, while Biden remains President) and also any vacancy marked “TBD” in the www.uscourts.gov website. There are 4 such “TBD” vacancies. President Biden has submitted a nominee for each such “TBD”-position. If Biden can shepherd these 4 nominees through during the remainder of the Senate’s session and his presidential term, along with his other 10 remaining nominees replacing judges who have announced pre-January-20-2024 vacancy dates, then Biden will have appointed the same number of Justices/judges Trump-45 appointed. It seems that in order for Biden to surpass Trump-45’s record, Biden will have to nominate further candidates to vacant judicial positions. And, of course, extant positions could become vacant in the days remaining to Biden’s administration.