The Judicial Conference of the United States urges Congress to add 71 new judgeships to address critical court backlog issues that threaten Americans’ access to timely justice.
Quick Takes
- The proposed 71 new judgeships include 69 positions for district courts and two for appellate courts
- District court filings have increased by 30% since 1990, while authorized judgeships have only grown by 4% since 1991
- Civil cases pending for more than three years have skyrocketed by 346% over the past two decades
- A previous bipartisan bill to address judgeship shortages in 2024 was vetoed but may now have a path forward
Growing Court Backlog Creates Justice Crisis
The federal court system is facing a mounting crisis as caseloads continue to overwhelm the available judges. In response, the Judicial Conference of the United States, the policy-making body for federal courts presided over by the Chief Justice, has formally recommended that Congress create 71 new judgeships to alleviate the growing backlog. This recommendation comes after careful analysis of workload statistics that reveal troubling trends affecting Americans’ ability to receive timely judicial proceedings. The Conference conducts biannual surveys using empirical standards to determine these recommendations.
Court records show that district court filings have surged by nearly a third over the past three decades, yet the number of judges authorized to handle these cases has remained virtually stagnant. This imbalance has created significant delays in case processing, increased costs for litigants, and raised serious concerns about access to justice for ordinary Americans. In 20 of the 25 district courts recommended for additional judgeships, the weighted filings exceeded 500 per judgeship in fiscal year 2024 – well above the 430 threshold typically required to recommend new positions.
Today, the Judicial Conference of the United States approved a recommendation to Congress for the creation of 71 new judgeships to meet high workload demands in courts across the country. https://t.co/JqM7vDP7QE
— United States Courts (@uscourts) March 11, 2025
Decades of Neglect Leads to Judicial Strain
The current judicial shortage stems from decades of congressional inaction on comprehensive judgeship legislation. The last major bill addressing federal court staffing was enacted in 1990, and since 1991, the number of authorized district court judgeships has increased by only 4% despite the 30% growth in caseloads. This disparity has created an untenable situation in many jurisdictions, with some courts facing weighted filings exceeding 700 cases per judge – more than 60% above the recommended threshold for adequate judicial resources.
“The Judicial Conference of the United States has again asked Congress to create additional judgeships to address burgeoning caseloads in many courts,” noted the Judicial Conference of the United States.
The impact of this judicial shortage is most clearly illustrated by the explosive growth in delayed justice. According to data received by the Conference, the number of civil cases pending for more than three years has increased by a staggering 346% over the past two decades. This statistic represents thousands of Americans and businesses waiting years for resolution to legal matters that affect their lives, livelihoods, and rights. The situation has become particularly dire in twelve courts where weighted filings exceeded 600 per judgeship and five courts where they surpassed 700.
Path Forward After Previous Veto
President Trump now has an opportunity to address this judicial crisis after a previous attempt was blocked. In 2024, Congress approved a bipartisan bill to address the need for new judgeships, but it was vetoed amid concerns about potentially creating too many seats for a future president to fill at once. The current recommendation suggests staggering the creation of new seats over eight years to minimize partisan advantage, potentially creating a compromise path forward for this critical judicial infrastructure.
“District court filings have grown by 30 percent since 1990, when the last comprehensive judgeship bill was enacted. Since 1991, the overall number of authorized district court judgeships increased by only four percent.” stated the Judicial Conference of the United States.
The Judicial Conference’s comprehensive recommendation draws on detailed data from the Annual Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and Judicial Business reports. These analyses consider various workload factors beyond raw case numbers, including the complexity and time requirements of different case types. With the federal court system reaching a breaking point in many jurisdictions, the Conference’s formal request places the responsibility on Congress to take action to ensure Americans’ constitutional right to timely judicial proceedings.
