{"id":3148,"date":"2019-07-08T10:52:30","date_gmt":"2019-07-08T10:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journals.law.harvard.edu\/lpr\/?p=3148"},"modified":"2019-07-08T03:56:19","modified_gmt":"2019-07-08T03:56:19","slug":"judicial-nominations-in-the-trump-administration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journals.law.harvard.edu\/lpr\/2019\/07\/08\/judicial-nominations-in-the-trump-administration\/","title":{"rendered":"Judicial Nominations in the Trump Administration"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Daniel Cotter*<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump has had great success in appointing Article III judges to the many vacancies that he inherited when he became President in January 2017.\u00a0 President Trump has touted recently that he is on a record-breaking pace for the judiciary<\/a>.\u00a0 However, a review of the data of\u00a0judgeships filled by president<\/a> does not confirm that assertion.<\/p>\n

On May 1, 2019, at the National Day of Prayer Dinner, President Trump boasted:<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019m thrilled to report that, <\/strong>tomorrow, the Senate will confirm the 100th federal judge to the court system. Under my administration, we\u2019re getting to a level where we\u2019re gonna be breaking records with respect to the judiciary<\/strong>, <\/strong>which means a lot to the people in this room because you were treated very poorly. And now, with time, you\u2019ll see what happens<\/strong>. <\/strong>And we\u2019ll have close to 145 very shortly.<\/p>\n

As of June 19, 2019, President Trump has appointed 2 Supreme Court justices, 41 Courts of Appeals judges, and 76 District Court judges, for a total of 119 Article III judges.\u00a0 In addition, currently he has 3 appellate judge nominees and 55 district court nominees pending, which would make his total (if all confirmed) 167 Article III judges in his first term.<\/p>\n

By comparison, the numbers by the previous six administrations are<\/a>:<\/p>\n

President\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Years in Office\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SCOTUS\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cts of App\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 DC\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Average per Year<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carter\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Four (1977-1981)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 56\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 203\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 65<\/p>\n

Reagan\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eight (1981-1989)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 83\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 290\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 47<\/p>\n

Bush\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Four (1989-1993)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 42\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 148\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 48<\/p>\n

Clinton\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Eight (1993-2001)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 66\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 305\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 47<\/p>\n

Bush\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eight (2001-2009)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 63\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 261\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 41<\/p>\n

Obama\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eight (2009-2017)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 55\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 268\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 41<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s current numbers, if he has no more vacancies, would be an average of approximately 42 Article III judges per year, not the lowest, but not on a much faster pace than his two immediate predecessors.\u00a0 Trump will have additional vacancies to fill during this first term and, if re-elected, will have numerous potential additional vacancies to fill.\u00a0 For example, recently Judge Carlos Bea announced he will take senior status once his replacement has been confirmed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The one place where President Trump is correct is in the number of circuit court nominees confirmed in the first two years.\u00a0 Per the Congressional Research Service\u2019s Judicial Nomination Statistics and Analysis<\/a> report:<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were 30 circuit court nominees confirmed during President Trump\u2019s first two years in office.\u00a0 This is the greatest number of circuit court nominees confirmed by the Senate during the first two years of any presidency listed in Table 2.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n

Judicial Nomination Statistics and Analysis Report, footnote 15, page 5.<\/em><\/p>\n

In addition to the pace that President Trump is on in filling judicial vacancies, one other factor that would suggest that he should be filling vacancies at a faster pace is the number of Article III vacancies he inherited when compared to the last three predecessors.\u00a0 When President Trump took office in 2017, there were 874 authorized judgeships and 142 vacancies<\/a>.\u00a0 By contrast, at the beginning of his predecessors\u2019 first terms, there were the following authorized judgeships and vacancies<\/a>:<\/p>\n

President\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Authorized \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Vacancies<\/strong><\/p>\n

Clinton\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0846\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 115<\/p>\n

Bush\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 862\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 110<\/p>\n

Obama\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 874\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 53<\/p>\n

While President Trump might not be correct in that he is setting records in terms of his nominees sitting on Article III courts, he will have a major long-term legacy in his judicial selections, especially on the higher courts.<\/p>\n

* Daniel Cotter is a lawyer practicing in Chicago.\u00a0 He currently is Co-Chair of the ACS Chicago Lawyer Chapter. He is a frequent writer on the Supreme Court and our judiciary, including on Twitter (@scotusbios) and the author of the recently published book, \u201cThe Chief Justices\u201d (Twelve Tables Press).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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