A project of the American Constitution Society
Judicial Vacancies
The following is a list of the five judgeships that have been vacant for longer than all others. Click on any vacancy for more information, or click below for information on all judicial vacancies.
- Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit - vacant since 12/31/04 - no nominee
- Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit - vacant since 11/01/08 - no nominee
- Eastern District of North Carolina - vacant since 12/31/05 - no nominee
- Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit - vacant since 9/29/05 - no nominee
- Western District of Texas - vacant since 11/30/2008 -no nominee
Pending Nominees
The following is a list of the five judicial nominees who have been waiting the longest for confirmation. Click on any nominee for more information, or click below for information on all pending judicial nominees.
- Mary Geiger Lewis, Nominated to the District of South Carolina on March 16, 2011
- Jeffrey J. Helmick, Nominated to the Northern District of Ohio on May 11, 2011.
- Rosemary Marquez, Nominated to the District of Arizona on June 23, 2011.
- Patty Shwartz, Nominated to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals on October 5, 2011.
- Paul J. Watford, Nominated to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on October 17, 2011.
Judicial Nominations At A Glance
05/15/12 – Judicial Nominations at a Glance
View comparisons of the rate and number of confirmations and nominations under the last three presidents. read full story
In the News…
05/17/12 – President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the US District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Matthew W. Brann and Judge Malachy Edward Mannion to serve on the United States District Court. “I am pleased to nominate these distinguished individuals to serve on the United States District Court bench,” said President Obama. “I am confident they will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice.” read full story
05/17/12 – George Allen: Sexual orientation shouldn’t factor in qualifying judges
Former Sen. George Allen, who is running to regain the U.S. Senate seat he lost to Sen. Jim Webb four years ago, said he would make decisions about judges based on judicial qualifications. “My criteria is that I want to know their knowledge, their capabilities, their judicial temperament if they’re a trial judge in particular. I want to know, most importantly, that they understand that their role is to interpret the law and apply the Constitution faithfully and not invent the law or skew decisions to their own political views,” Allen said. read full story
05/17/12 – Josh Brodesky: Kyl stonewalls judge-in-waiting
Talk about obstruction of justice. It's been more than 300 days since Rosemary Márquez, a local defense attorney, was nominated to be a federal judge and still there is nothing. No hearings. No debate. Nothing but crickets. What she doesn't have is the endorsement of U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, and that's what really matters. read full story
Upcoming Events
Click on a link below to learn more about upcoming events addressing judicial nominations:
Recommended Readings
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05/16/12: Rochester district court nominee deserves vote
Democrat & Chronicle (NY): First the good news: President Obama this week nominated Monroe County Court Judge Frank Geraci Jr. to fill a three-year-old vacancy on the Rochester-based court in the Western District of New York. Now the bad: For too many nominees, such an announcement marks the beginning of a prolonged waiting period and/or the end of the line. -
05/16/12: White House Condemns Obstruction of Judicial Nominations
People for the American Way: When White House Press Secretary Jay Carney observed that the pace of confirmations has never been slower, a reporter from Fox News interrupted with the inaccurate statement that the pace is about the same as under the previous two presidents.
Congressional Statements
The following are selected statements by senators and congressmen concerning judicial nominations. Click on the link to view the item.
- 05/14/12: Sens. Mikulski and Cardin on Confirmation of Judge Russell
- 05/14/12: Sens. Durbin and Kirk on Confirmation of Judge Tharp
- 05/09/12: Sen. Lee Defends Judicial Nominations Record
- 05/07/12: Sen. Grassley on Judicial Vacancies and White House Strategy Session
- 05/07/12: Sen. Hutchison on Criticism of Senate Delays
- 04/26/12: Sen. Cornyn on Texas Judicial Confirmations
- 04/26/12: Congressman Reyes on Confirmation of Judge Guaderrama
The Role of the Courts
Click here to view a document from the state of Maryland that includes a discussion of the concept of separation of powers and a description of the judicial branch.
Click here to view a document from the Federal Judicial Center that discusses the historical development of the federal judiciary.
How the Confirmation
Process Works
Click here to view a slide show explaining how the confirmation process works.
Click on the links below to learn more about the invididual parts of the confirmation process.
Videos
04/08/12: Up with Chris Hayes: Judicial review along party lines
2/28/12: Sen. Coons on Judicial Vacancy Crisis
2/28/12: Sen. Schumer of Judicial Vacancy Crisis
2/28/12: Sen. Cardin on Nomination of Judge George Levi Russell
2/28/12: Sen. Klobuchar on Judicial Vacancy Crisis
