We can’t believe it’s that time again. SCOTUS has officially released all of its opinions for the 2023-2024 term, and is now in recess. We’re not crying. You’re crying. Dry your tears, dear reader. Dry your tears, grab a seat, and let’s gavel on in.
Follow Ballotpedia on X or subscribe to the Daily Brew for the latest news and analysis.
We #SCOTUS and you can, too!
Grants
SCOTUS has accepted 17 new cases to its merits docket since our June 10 issue. To date, the court has agreed to hear 28 cases for the 2024-2025 term. The court has not yet scheduled the cases for argument.
Click the links below to learn more about these cases:
United States v. Miller (2025)
Republic of Hungary v. Simon (2024)
Dewberry Group, Inc. v. Dewberry Engineers, Inc.
Velazquez v. Garland
Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado
Hewitt v. United States
Food and Drug Administration v. Wages and White Lion Investments, LLC
Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton
Opinions
SCOTUS has ruled on 28 cases since our June 10 edition. The court has issued rulings in 60 cases this term. Two cases were dismissed from the docket. There are no cases still awaiting rulings.
Click the links below to read more about the specific cases SCOTUS ruled on since June 10:
The Federal Vacancy Count tracks vacancies, nominations, and confirmations to all Article III federal courts in a one-month period. This month’s edition includes nominations, confirmations, and vacancies from June 2 to July 1.
Highlights
Vacancies: There have been two new judicial vacancies since the June 10 report. There are 46 vacancies out of 870 active Article III judicial positions on courts covered in this report. Including the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. territorial courts, 47 of 890 active federal judicial positions are vacant.
Nominations: There were three new nominations since the June 2024 report.
Confirmations: There were no new confirmations since the June 2024 report.
Vacancy count for July 1, 2024
A breakdown of the vacancies at each level can be found in the table below. For a more detailed look at the vacancies in the federal courts, click here.
*Though the territorial courts are named as district courts, they are not Article III courts. They are created in accordance with the power granted under Article IV of the U.S. Constitution. Click here for more information.
New vacancies
Two judges left active status since the previous vacancy count, creating Article III life-term judicial vacancies. The president nominates individuals to fill Article III judicial position vacancies. Nominations are subject to U.S. Senate confirmation.
The following chart tracks the number of vacancies in the United States Courts of Appeals from President Joe Biden’s (D) inauguration to the date indicated on the chart.
U.S. District Court vacancies
The following map shows the number of vacancies in the U.S. District Courts as of July 1.
New nominations
President Joe Biden announced three new nominations since the June 2024 report:
The president has announced 241 Article III judicial nominations since taking office on Jan. 20, 2021. For more information on the president’s judicial nominees, click here.
New confirmations
There have been no new confirmations since the previous report.
As of July 1, the Senate has confirmed 201 of President Biden’s Article III judicial nominees—156 district court judges, 42 appeals court judges, two international trade judges, and one Supreme Court justice—since January 2024.
Comparison of Article III judicial appointments over time by president (1981-Present)
Presidents have made an average of 178.6 judicial appointments through July 1 of their fourth year in office.
President Joe Biden (D) made the most appointments through July 1 of his fourth year with 201. President Ronald Reagan (R) made the fewest with 148.
President Ronald Reagan (R) made the most appointments through one year in office with 41. President Barack Obama (D) made the fewest with 13.
President Donald Trump (R) made the most appointments through four years with 234. President Ronald Reagan (R) made the fewest through four years with 166.
Need a daily fix of judicial nomination, confirmation, and vacancy information? Click here for continuing updates on the status of all federal judicial nominees.
Or, keep an eye on this list for updates on federal judicial nominations.
Looking ahead
We’ll be back on Aug. 12 with a new edition of Robe & Gavel. Until then, gaveling out!
Contributions
Myj Saintyl compiled and edited this newsletter, with contributions from Sam Post, and Ellie Mikus.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Most Popular
Comments / 0