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 09/29/05 - 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 11/01/08 - Srikanth Srinivasan, nominated to seat on 06/11/12.
- 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.
- Mark A. Barnett, Nominated to the Court of International Trade on July 12, 2012.
- Sri Srinivasan , Nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on June 11, 2012.
- Brian J. Davis, Nominated to the Middle District of Florida on Feb. 29, 2012.
- Jill Pryor, Nominated to the Eleventh Circuit on February 16, 2012.
- Rosemary Marquez, Nominated to the District of Arizona on June 23, 2011.
Judicial Nominations At A Glance
05/20/2013 – Judicial Nominations at a Glance
View comparisons of the rate and number of confirmations and nominations under the last three presidents. Also see our nominations infographic! read full story
In the News…
05/22/2013 – Filibuster Fight Looms In Senate As Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell Spar Over Stalled Nominees
As the Senate inches closer to a potentially explosive filibuster fight this summer, top party leaders sparred Wednesday over just how much Republicans have been jamming President Barack Obama's nominees since he took office. read full story
05/22/2013 – Reid: D.C. court needs Obama nominees for ideological balance
Sen. Harry Reid said Wednesday that he will push to confirm more judges to the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., after that court ruled earlier this year that President Obama’s broad use of recess appointment powers was unconstitutional. read full story
05/22/2013 – McConnell: Dems are trying to ‘stack the court’ with D.C. Circuit nominee
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Democrats are trying to exercise a "power grab" by rushing the nomination of Srikanth Srinivasan to serve on the D.C. Circuit Court. 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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05/22/2013: McConnell Bobs and Weaves on Judicial Nominations
On the Senate floor this morning, Republican leader Mitch McConnell again showed how utterly without merit his party's obstruction techniques are. -
05/22/2013: Scuttling a President’s ‘Popular Imprint’ on the Judiciary
The real reason that Senate Republicans and their allies don’t want Obama to appoint any judges to the court beyond Srinivasan is because they want to maintain the conservative jurisprudence that results from the dominance of the court’s active and senior status Republican appointees.
Congressional Statements
The following are selected statements by senators and congressmen concerning judicial nominations. Click on the link to view the item.
- 05/16/2013: Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Ia.) on the caseload of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- 05/16/2013: Sens. Hatch, Lee on the nomination of Judge Carolyn B. McHugh to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.
- 05/15/2013: U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today praised the Senate’s confirmation of San Francisco attorney William Orrick to serve as a U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of California.
- 05/15/2013: Statement of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein on the confirmation of William Orrick to be a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of California
- 05/15/2013: Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee On the Nomination of William Orrick, III To the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
- 05/15/2013: U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) signals Support for Kansan Nominee to U.S. Court of Appeals
- 05/09/2013: Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on the Nomination of Gregory Howard Woods III to serve on the bench of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
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
11/01/12: Holding Court: Huffpost Live on the Future of the Supreme Court
10/03/12: Nan Aron: Romney Would ‘Turn the Clock Back’ on Supreme Court
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
