U.S. Federal Courts Judicial vacancies during the Trump administration

Judicial vacancies in federal courts •Judicial vacancies during the Trump administration •Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump •Federal judicial appointments by president

ABA ratings of presidential federal judicial nominees •ABA ratings during the Trump administration •ABA ratings during the Biden administration

Since taking office for his second term, President Donald Trump (R) has nominated32 individuals to federal judgeships onArticle III courts. As of November 4, 2025, 20 of the nominees wereconfirmed.

During his first term in office, PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated 274 individuals to federal judgeships. Trump made245 judicial appointments.^[1] Of those appointments,234 were Article III judges.^[2] Trump withdrew eight nominees and 143 received no vote from theSenate.^[3]

Ballotpedia publishes the federal vacancy count report tracking vacancies, nominations, and confirmations to all United StatesArticle III federal courts each month. In the most recent report covering activity in November 2025, there were 47 Article III vacancies in the federal judiciary. To learn more about current vacancies in the federal judiciary,click here.

This page provides an overview of the status of federal judicial nominees appointed by PresidentDonald Trump. This page also provides additional procedural and historical context about Trump's judicial nominees and the nomination records of previous presidents, including the following information:

• Supreme Court nominees appointed by Trump;
• The number ofhistorical judicial appointments made by presidents between 1933 and 2025;
• Vacancy statisticsby month;
• Nomination and confirmation statiticsby month;
• Status offederal court vacancies;
• Status ofall judicial nominees appointed by Trump;
• List of judicial nomineesconfirmed to their positions;
• List of judicial nomineeswaiting for a Senate vote;
• List of judicial nomineeswaiting for a committee vote;
• List of judicial nomineeswaiting for a committee hearing;
• Atimeline of nominations made by Trump; and
• A summary ofnoteworthy events related to Trump's judicial nominations.

The list of nominees is updated daily, and the comparisons are updated monthly.

Supreme Court nominees appointed by Trump

Amy Coney Barrett

See also:Supreme Court vacancy, 2020

Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed as the 115th associate justice of theU.S. Supreme Court by a vote of 52-48-0 on October 26, 2020.

PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated Barrett to succeed Associate JusticeRuth Bader Ginsburg on theU.S. Supreme Court on September 29, 2020.

On October 22, 2020, theSenate Judiciary Committee voted 12-0 along party lines to report Barrett's nomination to the Senate floor for a vote. The Judiciary Committee had held four days ofconfirmation hearings from October 12 to 15, 2020.

Trump said the following regarding Barrett's nomination: "Her qualifications are unsurpassed — unsurpassed — and her record is beyond reproach."^[4]

When Barrett was nominated, she was serving as a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. She was appointed to that court by President Trump (R). Before that, Barrett was a professor of law at Notre Dame Law School.

Brett Kavanaugh

See also:Supreme Court vacancy, 2018: An overview

Brett Kavanaugh wasconfirmed as the 114th associate justice of theU.S. Supreme Court by a vote of 50-48-1 on October 6, 2018.

PresidentDonald Trump nominated Kavanaugh to succeed Associate JusticeAnthony Kennedy on theU.S. Supreme Court on July 9, 2018.

On September 28, 2018, theSenate Judiciary Committeevoted 11-10 along party lines to report Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Senate floor for a vote.^[5] The Judiciary Committee had held four days ofconfirmation hearings from September 4 to 7, 2018, and an additional fifth day of hearings on September 27, 2018, regarding allegations of past sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh which he denied.

Trump said the following regarding Kavanaugh's nomination:

When Kavanaugh was nominated, he was serving as a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals on the D.C. Circuit. He was appointed by PresidentGeorge W. Bush (R). Prior to his appointment, Kavanaugh served in the Bush administration.

Neil Gorsuch

See also:Supreme Court vacancy, 2017: An overview

On January 31, 2017, PresidentDonald Trump nominatedNeil Gorsuch to succeed JusticeAntonin Scalia on theU.S. Supreme Court. Scalia was a member of theU.S. Supreme Court for three decades.^[8] President Trump said regarding the nomination,^[9]

Confirmation hearings on Gorsuch's nomination before theSenate Judiciary Committee were held from March 20-23, 2017. On April 3, 2017, voting 11-9 on party lines, theSenate Judiciary Committee reportedNeil Gorsuch's nomination to the fullU.S. Senate. That same day, SenateDemocrats announced that they had a sufficient number of votes to sustain afilibuster against the nomination of JudgeNeil Gorsuch to theU.S. Supreme Court. In anticipation of an expected filibuster, Senate majority leaderMitch McConnell (R-Ky.) indicated that he was prepared to restrict the use of filibusters on Supreme Court nominations, referred to as the nuclear option. The Senate voted on April 6, 2017, to end the use of filibusters on all presidential nominations and proceeded to vote to end debate on the Gorsuch nomination. Gorsuch was confirmed on a recorded 54-45 vote of the Senate on Friday, April 7, 2017, and he received his commission on Monday, April 10, 2017.^[10]

Appointments by court type

The following chart from the monthly federal vacancy count report forNovember 1, 2025, details the number of appointments made by President Trump to each type of Article III federal court since taking office. This chart is updated at the start of each month with new appointments data.

List of judges

The following is a table of President Trump's nominations for federal judgeships. Among the most notable of these are Supreme Court justicesNeil Gorsuch,Brett Kavanaugh, andAmy Coney Barrett.

Historical context

Appointments by current president

See also:Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

Since taking office for his second term, President Donald Trump (R) has nominated32 individuals to federal judgeships onArticle III courts. As of November 4, 2025, 20 of the nominees wereconfirmed.

During his first term in office, PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated 274 individuals to federal judgeships. Trump made245 judicial appointments.^[13] Of those appointments,234 were Article III judges.^[14] Trump withdrew eight nominees and 143 received no vote from theSenate.^[15]

Ballotpedia publishes the federal vacancy count report tracking vacancies, nominations, and confirmations to all United StatesArticle III federal courts each month. In the most recent report covering activity in November 2025, there were 47 Article III vacancies in the federal judiciary. To learn more about current vacancies in the federal judiciary,click here.The following chart from the monthly federal vacancy count report forNovember 1, 2025, details the number of appointments made by President Trump to each type of Article III federal court since taking office. This chart is updated at the start of each month with new appointments data.

How do President Trump's federal judicial appointments compare to previous presidents? Click to watch View other episodeshere.

Appointments by current president

See also:Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

Since taking office for his second term, President Donald Trump (R) has nominated32 individuals to federal judgeships onArticle III courts. As of November 4, 2025, 20 of the nominees wereconfirmed.

During his first term in office, PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated 274 individuals to federal judgeships. Trump made245 judicial appointments.^[16] Of those appointments,234 were Article III judges.^[17] Trump withdrew eight nominees and 143 received no vote from theSenate.^[18]

Ballotpedia publishes the federal vacancy count report tracking vacancies, nominations, and confirmations to all United StatesArticle III federal courts each month. In the most recent report covering activity in November 2025, there were 47 Article III vacancies in the federal judiciary. To learn more about current vacancies in the federal judiciary,click here.The following chart from the monthly federal vacancy count report forNovember 1, 2025, details the number of appointments made by President Trump to each type of Article III federal court since taking office. This chart is updated at the start of each month with new appointments data.

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Appointments since Theodore Roosevelt

See also:Federal judicial appointments by president

The following chart shows the total judgeship appointments made by each president from 1901 to 2024.

The following chart shows the judgeship appointments by court made by each president from 1901 to 2024. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is abbreviated as USCAFC. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims, previously known as the U.S. Court of Claims, is abbreviated USCFC.

The following chart shows the average number of judicial appointments per year in office by presidents from 1901 to 2024.

The chart below shows the number of appeals court judges confirmed by the U.S. Senate through November 1 of the first year of each president's second term in office. At this point in the term, Presidents Obama had the most appeals court appointments with 9.

The chart below shows the number of district court judges confirmed by the U.S. Senate through November 1 of the first year of presidents' second term in office. At this point in the term, President Obama had the most district court appointments with 25.

Current judicial vacancies

See also:Current federal judicial vacancies

According toU.S. Courts, there are46 currentArticle III vacancies in the federal judiciary of 870 total Article III judgeships. Including non-Article III judges from theUnited States Court of Federal Claims and theUnited States territorial courts, there are 47 vacancies out of 890 active federal judicial positions.^[19]

Article III judges serve on courts authorized byArticle 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. In the event of a scheduled upcoming vacancy, the president may submit a nomination to the U.S. Senate prior to the vacancy taking effect.

There are five key steps in the vacancy process: a presidential nomination, a U.S. Senate committee hearing, a vote by a U.S. Senate committee to report the nominee to the full Senate, a confirmation vote by the U.S. Senate, and a confirmed nominee taking their judicial oath and receiving their judicial commission.

The map below details the percentage of vacant seats in each federal district court. This map is updated on the second business day of each month. Ballotpedia considers a vacancy to be filled once the confirmed nominee has received commission.

Note: this map is auto-generated. Due to rounding, a section may be colored differently than the legend indicates.Click here to see the specific percentage for each court.

Status of Article III judicial nominees appointed by Trump

The sections below group Trump'sArticle III judicial nominees by which step of the process they are on: confirmed by the U.S. Senate, awaiting a vote by the full Senate, awaiting a vote in committee, and awaiting a hearing before the committee. Click the arrows at the top of each table to sort by name, court, or the date of an individual's formal nomination. For a list of non-Article III nominees,click here.

Confirmed to their positions

Nominees in this table have been confirmed by the fullUnited States Senate. So far, 19 Trump nominees have been confirmed by the Senate.

Waiting for vote in Senate

Nominees in this table are awaiting a vote in the fullUnited States Senate following committee consideration. Number of nominees awaiting a Senate vote: 7

Waiting for committee vote

No nominees are awaiting a vote in committee.

Waiting for committee hearing

Note: Individuals without a date in the "first nomination" column have been announced as nominees by Trump but not yet formally nominated.

The nominees in this table are awaiting hearing in aU.S. Senate committee. Number of nominees awaiting hearing: 5

Timeline

The sections below list all the judges nominated by Trump based on the month they were first nominated.

October 2025

In October, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• William J. Crain to theU.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
• Alexander Van Hook to theU.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

September 2025

In September, Trump did not announce his intent to nominate any individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts.

August 2025

In August, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Bill Lewis, to theU.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama.
• Edmund LaCour, to theU.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
• Robert Chamberlin, to theU.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi.
• Jimmy Maxwell, to theU.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi.
• Harold Mooty, to theU.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
• Rebecca Taibleson, to theU.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
• Lindsey Freeman, to theU.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.
• David Bragdon, to theU.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.
• Matthew Orso, to theU.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.
• Susan Rodriguez, to theU.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.

July 2025

In July, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Joshua D. Dunlap, to the United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit
• Eric Tung, to the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
• Bill Mercer, to the United States District Court for the District of Montana
• Jennifer Mascott, to the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit

June 2025

In June, Trump nominated the following individual to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Chad Meredith, to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky

May 2025

In May, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Whitney Hermandorfer, to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• Zachary Bluestone, to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
• Joshua Divine, to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
• Maria Lanahan, to the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
• Cristian M. Stevens, to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
• Ed Artau, to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
• John Guard, to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• Kyle Dudek, to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe, to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• Jordan Pratt, to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• Emil Bove, to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

April 2025

In April, Trump did not announce his intent to nominate any individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts.

March 2025

In March, Trump did not announce his intent to nominate any individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts.

February 2025

In February, Trump did not announce his intent to nominate any individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts.

December 2020

In December, Trump did not nominate any individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts.

November 2020

In November, Trump nominated the following individual to an Article III seat in the federal courts:

• Raúl Arias-Marxuach, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit

October 2020

In October, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Joseph Dawson, to the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina
• Thomas Kirsch II, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
• Joseph Barloon, to the U.S. Court of International Trade

September 2020

In September, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Amy Coney Barrett, to the U.S. Supreme Court
• Charles Atchley, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
• Katherine Crytzer, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee

August 2020

In August, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• Benjamin Beaton, to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
• Hector Gonzalez, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
• Ryan McAllister, to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
• David Woll, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

July 2020

In July, Trump did not nominate any individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts.

June 2020

In June, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• James P. Arguelles, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
• Taylor McNeel, to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi

May 2020

In May, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Roderick Young, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
• Toby Crouse, to the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas
• Edmund LaCour, to the U.S.District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
• Fred Federici, to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico
• Brenda Saiz, to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico

April 2020

In April, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Justin Walker, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
• Aileen Cannon, to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
• Dirk Paloutzian, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

March 2020

In March, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Hala Jarbou, United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
• Cory Wilson, United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
• Kristi Johnson, United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi

February 2020

In February, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• David Dugan, United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
• Iain D. Johnston, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• Franklin U. Valderrama, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• Christy Wiegand, United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
• Saritha Komatireddy, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
• Jennifer Rearden, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
• J. Philip Calabrese, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
• James Knepp, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
• Brett H. Ludwig, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
• Michael J. Newman, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

January 2020

In January, Trump nominated the following individual to an Article III seat in the federal courts:

• Drew Tipton, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas

December 2019

In December, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Thomas Cullen, United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
• Anna Manasco, United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
• John L. Badalamenti, United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• Stephen P. McGlynn, United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois

November 2019

In November, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Andrew Brasher, United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
• John Cronan, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
• William Scott Hardy, United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
• John Heil, United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Eastern District of Oklahoma, and Western District of Oklahoma
• John Hinderaker, United States District Court for the District of Arizona
• Iris Lan, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
• Matthew Schelp, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
• David Joseph, United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana

October 2019

In October, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Bernard Jones, United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
• Stephen Vaden, United States Court of International Trade
• Joshua Kindred, United States District Court for the District of Alaska
• Jennifer Togliatti, United States District Court for the District of Nevada

September 2019

In September, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Barbara Lagoa, United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
• Robert J. Luck, United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
• Sherri Lydon, United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
• Scott Rash, United States District Court for the District of Arizona
• Todd Robinson, United States District Court for the Southern District of California
• Patrick Bumatay, United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
• Lawrence VanDyke, United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
• John Holcomb, United States District Court for the Central District of California
• Knut Johnson, United States District Court for the Southern District of California
• Steve Kim, United States District Court for the Central District of California
• Michelle Pettit, United States District Court for the Southern District of California

August 2019

In August, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Steven Menashi, United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit.
• Jodi Dishman, United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.
• Karen Marston, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
• Richard Myers II, United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
• Sarah Pitlyk, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
• Anuraag Singhal, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
• Danielle Hunsaker, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
• William Nardini, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
• Fernando Aenlle-Rocha, United States District Court for the Central District of California.
• Adam Braverman, United States District Court for the Southern District of California.
• Silvia Carreno-Coll, United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.
• John Gallagher, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
• Barbara Bailey Jongbloed, United States District Court for the District of Connecticut.
• Sandy Nunes Leal, United States District Court for the Central District of California.
• Shireen Matthews, United States District Court for the Southern District of California.
• Rick Richmond, United States District Court for the Central District of California.
• Daniel Traynor, United States District Court for the District of North Dakota.
• Cory Wilson, United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi.

July 2019

In July, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Lee Rudofsky, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
• R. Austin Huffaker, United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama.

June 2019

In June, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Halil Ozerden, United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.
• John Kness, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
• Justin Walker, United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.

May 2019

In May, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Peter Phipps, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
• Douglas Cole, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
• Charles Eskridge, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
• Kea Riggs, United States District Court for the District of New Mexico.
• William Shaw Stickman, United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
• Jennifer Philpott Wilson, United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
• David Barlow, United States District Court for the District of Utah.
• Kevin R. Sweazea, United States District Court for the District of New Mexico.

April 2019

In April, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Steven Grimberg, United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
• Frank W. Volk, United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

March 2019

In March, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Robert J. Colville, United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
• Stephanie Haines, United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
• Jason Pulliam, United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.
• Michael Bogren, United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan.
• Jeff Brown, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
• Stephanie Dawkins Davis, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
• Brantley Starr, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
• Ada Brown, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
• David J. Novak, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

February 2019

In February, Trump did not nominate any individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts.

January 2019

In January, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Daniel Bress, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
• Greg Guidry, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
• James Wesley Hendrix, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
• Sean Jordan, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
• Michael Liburdi, United States District Court for the District of Arizona.
• Mark Pittman, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
• Peter Welte, United States District Court for the District of North Dakota.

December 2018

In December, Trump did not nominate any individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts.

November 2018

In November, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Neomi Rao, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia

October 2018

In October, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Joseph Bianco, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
• Michael Park, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
• Patrick Bumatay, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Daniel Collins, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Kenneth Kiyul Lee, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Stanley Blumenfeld, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
• Brian Buescher, U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska
• Clifton L. Corker, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
• Philip Halpern, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
• Thomas Marcelle, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
• Matthew McFarland, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
• Jeremy Rosen, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
• Mark Scarsi, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

August 2018

In August, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Allison Jones Rushing, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• Bridget Shelton Bade, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• J.P. Boulee, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
• James D. Cain, Jr., U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana

July 2018

In July, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Eric D. Miller, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Tessa Gorman, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
• Damon Leichty, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
• Kathleen O'Sullivan, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
• J. Nicholas Ranjan, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
• John M. Younge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

June 2018

In June, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Jonathan Kobes, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
• Eric Murphy, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• Chad Readler, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• Rossie Alston, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
• Miller Baker, U.S. Court of International Trade
• Stephanie Gallagher, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
• Karin J. Immergut, U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
• Carl Nichols, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
• Martha Pacold, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• Timothy Reif, U.S. Court of International Trade
• Mary Rowland, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• Steven Seeger, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

May 2018

In May, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Ryan Nelson, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Gary R. Brown, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
• Diane Gujarati, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
• Eric Komitee, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
• Rachel Kovner, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
• Lewis Liman, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
• Corey Maze, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
• John Sinatra, U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
• Mary Kay Vyskocil, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
• Joshua Wolson, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• Julius Richardson, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• Richard Sullivan, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
• Roy Altman, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
• Thomas Barber, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• Rodolfo Ruiz, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
• Rodney Smith, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
• T. Kent Wetherell, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
• Richard Hertling, U.S. Court of Federal Claims

April 2018

In April, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Britt C. Grant,United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
• Paul B. Matey,United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
• David J. Porter,United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
• Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach,United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
• Pamela A. Barker,United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
• Kenneth D. Bell,United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina
• Wendy Williams Berger,United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• Holly A. Brady,United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
• Andrew L. Brasher,United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
• Stephen R. Clark, Sr.,United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
• J.P. Hanlon,United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
• Jonathan W. Katchen,United States District Court for the District of Alaska
• Mary McElroy,United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island
• David S. Morales,United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
• Sarah Daggett Morrison,United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
• John M. O’Connor, United States District Court for the Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma
• Emin Toro,United States Tax Court
• Lance E. Walker,United States District Court for the District of Maine
• Allen C. Winsor,United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida
• Patrick Wyrick,United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma

February 2018

In February, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Mark Bennett,United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Michael Scudder,United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
• Eric Tostrud,United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
• Peter Phipps,United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
• Thomas Kleeh,United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia
• Nancy E. Brasel,United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
• Amy St. Eve,United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
• Andrew Oldham,United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
• Charles Williams,United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa

January 2018

In January, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• John B. Nalbandian,United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
• Joseph L. Falvey, Jr.,United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
• Alan D. Albright,United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
• Susan Brnovich,United States District Court for the District of Arizona
• J. Campbell Barker,United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• Courtney Dunbar Jones,United States Tax Court
• Jeremy D. Kernodle,United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• Dominic W. Lanza,United States District Court for the District of Arizona
• Maureen K. Ohlhausen,United States Court of Federal Claims
• Robert R. Summerhays,United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
• Michael J. Truncale,United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• Wendy Vitter,United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

December 2017

In December, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:

• Joel Carson,United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
• Susan Baxter,United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
• Colm Connolly,United States District Court for the District of Delaware
• Kari A. Dooley,United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
• Gordon Giampietro,United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
• Marilyn J. Horan,United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
• Chad F. Kenney, Sr.,United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• Maryellen Noreika,United States District Court for the District of Delaware
• Jill Otake,United States District Court for the District of Hawaii
• William Jung,United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida

November 2017

In November, Trump nominated the following individual to an Article III seat in the federal courts:

• James R. Sweeney II,United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana

October 2017

In October, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:^[20]

• Kyle Duncan,United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
• Don Willett,United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
• Kurt Engelhardt,United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
• James Ho,United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
• Barry Ashe,United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
• Daniel Domenico,United States District Court for the District of Colorado

September 2017

In September, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:^[21]

• Ryan Bounds,United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Elizabeth Branch,United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
• Greg Katsas,United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
• Emily Coody Marks,United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
• Brett Talley,United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
• Jeffrey Beaverstock,United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama
• Terry F. Moorer,United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama
• R. Stan Baker,United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
• John Broomes,United States District Court for the District of Kansas
• Rebecca Grady Jennings,United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
• Jeff Mateer,United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• Matthew Kacsmaryk,United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
• Karen Gren Scholer,United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
• Fernando Rodriguez Jr.,United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
• Matthew Petersen,United States District Court for the District of Columbia
• Walter David Counts III,United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
• Howard C. Nielson Jr.,United States District Court for the District of Utah

August 2017

In August, Trump nominated the following individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts:^[22]

• Michael Brennan,United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
• L. Steven Grasz,United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit
• Holly Lou Teeter,United States District Court for the District of Kansas
• Donald C. Coggins Jr.,United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
• A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr.,United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
• Terry A. Doughty,United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
• Michael Juneau,United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
• Robert Wier,United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky

July 2017

In July, Trump nominated 11 individuals to Article III seats in the federal courts. The nominees were:

• Annemarie Carney Axon,United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
• Liles Burke,United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
• Tilman E. Self III,United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
• Michael L. Brown,United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
• William M. Ray, II,United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
• Thomas Farr,United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
• Charles B. Goodwin,United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
• William L. Campbell Jr.,United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Eli Richardson,United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• Mark Norris,United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
• Thomas Parker,United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee

June 2017

In June, Trump nominated the following individuals to seats in the federal courts:^[23]

• Stephanos Bibas,United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit
• Ralph Erickson,United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit
• Allison Eid,United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
• Dabney Friedrich,United States District Court for the District of Columbia
• Timothy J. Kelly,United States District Court for the District of Columbia
• Trevor McFadden,United States District Court for the District of Columbia
• Claria Horn Boom, a shared seat on theEastern District of Kentucky and theWestern District of Kentucky
• Stephen Schwartz,United States Court of Federal Claims

May 2017

On May 8, 2017, Trump nominated eight individuals to serve as federal judges. Seven of those eight appointments were to Article III appointments. The other, Damien Schiff, was nominated as a judge to theCourt of Federal Claims, an Article I tribunal. Judges confirmed to that court are commissioned to serve 15-year terms of office. The people Trump nominated on May 8, 2017, were:

• Joan Larsen,United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
• John K. Bush,United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
• Amy Coney Barrett,United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
• David Stras,United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit
• Kevin Newsom,United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
• David C. Nye,United States District Court for the District of Idaho
• Scott Palk,United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
• Damien Schiff,United States Court of Federal Claims

Appointments since Theodore Roosevelt

See also:Federal judicial appointments by president

The following chart shows the total judgeship appointments made by each president from 1901 to 2024.

The following chart shows the judgeship appointments by court made by each president from 1901 to 2024. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is abbreviated as USCAFC. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims, previously known as the U.S. Court of Claims, is abbreviated USCFC.

The following chart shows the average number of judicial appointments per year in office by presidents from 1901 to 2024.

The chart below shows the number of appeals court judges confirmed by the U.S. Senate through November 1 of the first year of each president's second term in office. At this point in the term, Presidents Obama had the most appeals court appointments with 9.

The chart below shows the number of district court judges confirmed by the U.S. Senate through November 1 of the first year of presidents' second term in office. At this point in the term, President Obama had the most district court appointments with 25.

Noteworthy events

Senate limits post-cloture debate on presidential nominees, 2019

On April 3, 2019, the Senate voted to change the body's precedent and reduce post-cloture debate allowed on executive nominees below the Cabinet-level and federal district court nominees from 30 hours to 2 hours. Two separate votes on executive nominees and judicial nominees passed 51-48. All but two Senate Republicans—Susan Collins (R) andMike Lee (R)—voted for the changes, while all Senate Democrats who voted opposed the changes. To enact the changes, the Senate used the nuclear option rather than changing its standing rules.^[24]

Senate Majority LeaderMitch McConnell (R) said his caucus pursued the change due to obstruction by Senate Democrats. He said, "The all-encompassing, systematic nature of this obstruction is not part of the Senate’s important tradition of minority rights. It is a new departure from that tradition. And this break with tradition is hurting the Senate, hamstringing our duly elected president, and denying citizens the government they elected." He also said that many Democrats privately supported the change and would favor it if they controlled the White House.^[25]

Senate Minority LeaderChuck Schumer (D) criticized the change, particularly with regard to judicial nominees. He said, “Two hours for a lifetime appointment is unacceptable. Two hours for a lifetime appointment with huge influence on people’s lives is unacceptable. It’s ridiculous.”^[24]

Senate Democrats also said McConnell pursued similar tactics while in the minority. Sen.Michael Bennet (D) said, “[McConnell] seems to have completely forgotten the Obama administration. He led the most famous blockade that’s ever happened in the Senate. And that was the blockade of Merrick Garland … it was shameful.”^[26]

McConnell responded by criticizing Senate Democrats for using the nuclear option to lower the cloture threshold from 60 votes to 51 votes in 2013. He said, “I said at the time I didn’t like the way it was done. And I thought maybe the other side would rue the day they did it. Amazingly enough, about a year and a half later I’m majority leader. Funny how these things change, isn’t it?”^[24]

Definitions

Nuclear option: The nuclear option, also known as the constitutional option, is a procedure that allows the majority party to change a Senate rule or precedent with a simple majority vote. Normally, the Senate needs a two-thirds vote to invoke cloture on a resolution to change its standing rules.^[27] Prior to 2019, the nuclear option was deployed by Senate MajorityHarry Reid (D-Nev.) in 2013 to reduce the cloture threshold for presidential nominees other than Supreme Court nominees from 60 votes to 51 votes. In 2017, McConnell used the nuclear option to reduce the cloture threshold for Supreme Court nominees to 51 votes.Read more about the nuclear option here.

Cloture: Cloture is a process that allows senators to end debate on legislation, nominations, resolutions, and other business before the body. Before 1917, debate was not limited by Senate rules, which could allow a small number of senators to delay, or filibuster, priorities supported by a majority of senators. After a filibuster in 1917 impacted the country's ability to arm ships during World War One, the Senate amended its rules to allow debate to be shut off by a two-thirds vote of those senators present to vote. Over time, the threshold for invoking cloture was reduced from two-thirds of the body to three-fifths. In 2013 and 2017, cloture was reduced to a simple majority for presidential nominations, but the three-fifths threshold for legislation stayed in effect. As of 2019, time-limited debate was allowed after cloture was invoked, typically giving minority senators the ability to voice their opposition to a measure or nominee before a final passage vote.Read more about cloture here.

Ballotpedia analysis

On April 5, 2019, Ballotpedia released an analysis of the changes in debate rules and the possible effects on federal judicial vacancies.

To see our full analysis,click here.

See also

• Judicial vacancies during the Trump administration
• Six-month checkup on federal judicial vacancies during Trump's first term
• Current federal judicial vacancies

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Administrative Office of U.S. Courts
• U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee

Footnotes

v • e Federal judges as nominated byU.S. presidents Federal judicial appointments by president •Washington •Adams •Jefferson •Madison •Monroe •Quincy Adams •Jackson •Van Buren •Harrison •Tyler •Polk •Taylor •Fillmore •Pierce •Buchanan •Lincoln •A. Johnson •Grant •Hayes •Garfield •Arthur •Cleveland •Harrison •McKinley •T. Roosevelt •Taft •Wilson •Harding •Coolidge •Hoover •F. Roosevelt •Truman •Eisenhower •Kennedy •L. Johnson •Nixon •Ford •Carter •Reagan •H.W. Bush •Clinton •W. Bush •Obama •Trump •Biden •Trump

v • e President Donald Trump's policies (first term) Overviews Donald Trump •Donald Trump presidential Cabinet •Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016 Polling indexes:Opinion polling during the Trump administration Domestic policy Abortion •Crime and justice •Education •Energy and the environment •Federal courts •Firearms policy •First Amendment •Healthcare •Immigration •Infrastructure •LGBTQ issues •Marijuana •Puerto Rico •Social welfare programs •Veterans •Voting issues Economic affairs and regulations Agriculture and food policy •Budget •Financial regulation •Jobs •Social Security •Taxes •Trade Foreign affairs and national security Afghanistan •Arab states of the Persian Gulf •China •Cuba •Iran •Iran nuclear deal •Islamic State and terrorism •Israel and Palestine •Latin America •Military •NATO •North Korea •Puerto Rico •Russia •Syria •Syrian refugees •Technology, privacy, and cybersecurity Trump's second term overviews Donald Trump presidential transition, 2024-2025 •Donald Trump's Cabinet, 2025 •Confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, 2025 •Donald Trump presidential administration, 2025