28 U.S.C. § 133 — Appointment and number of district judges
submitted 78 years ago by ch. 646 to r/title-28-JUDICIARY-AND-JUDICIAL-PROCEDURE · 395 words · no verdicts yet
This law lets the President appoint federal district judges, with Senate approval. It sets the exact number of judgeships allowed in every judicial district nationwide. It also allows one extra judge when a sitting judge takes a full-time court-administration job.
(a) The President appoints district* judges — with the Senate's advice and consent — for every federal judicial district*. This section then lists the exact number of judgeships allowed in every district in the country, from small districts with as few as two judges up to the busiest districts, like the Central District of California and the Southern District of New York, which each get 28.
(b)(1) If a sitting district judge (someone who is not a senior, semi-retired judge) takes a full-time job running part of the federal judiciary's administration, the President may appoint — with Senate approval — one additional judge to that judge's court. If that judge later leaves the administrative job and goes back to being an active judge, the President may not fill the very next vacancy that opens on that court afterward.
(b)(2) An "office of Federal judicial administration" means serving as Director of the Federal Judicial Center, Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, or Counselor to the Chief Justice.
The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, district* judges for the several judicial districts, as follows:
Districts | Judges |
|---|---|
Alabama: | |
Northern | 8 |
Middle | 3 |
Southern | 3 |
Alaska | 3 |
Arizona | 13 |
Arkansas: | |
Eastern | 5 |
Western | 3 |
California: | |
Northern | 14 |
Eastern | 6 |
Central | 28 |
Southern | 13 |
Colorado | 7 |
Connecticut | 8 |
Delaware | 4 |
District of Columbia | 15 |
Florida: | |
Northern | 4 |
Middle | 15 |
Southern | 18 |
Georgia: | |
Northern | 11 |
Middle | 4 |
Southern | 3 |
Hawaii | 4 |
Idaho | 2 |
Illinois: | |
Northern | 22 |
Central | 4 |
Southern | 4 |
Indiana: | |
Northern | 5 |
Southern | 5 |
Iowa: | |
Northern | 2 |
Southern | 3 |
Kansas | 6 |
Kentucky: | |
Eastern | 5 |
Western | 4 |
Eastern and Western | 1 |
Louisiana: | |
Eastern | 12 |
Middle | 3 |
Western | 7 |
Maine | 3 |
Maryland | 10 |
Massachusetts | 13 |
Michigan: | |
Eastern | 15 |
Western | 4 |
Minnesota | 7 |
Mississippi: | |
Northern | 3 |
Southern | 6 |
Missouri: | |
Eastern | 7 |
Western | 5 |
Eastern and Western | 2 |
Montana | 3 |
Nebraska | 3 |
Nevada | 7 |
New Hampshire | 3 |
New Jersey | 17 |
New Mexico | 7 |
New York: | |
Northern | 5 |
Southern | 28 |
Eastern | 15 |
Western | 4 |
North Carolina: | |
Eastern | 4 |
Middle | 4 |
Western | 5 |
North Dakota | 2 |
Ohio: | |
Northern | 11 |
Southern | 8 |
Oklahoma: | |
Northern | 3 |
Eastern | 1 |
Western | 6 |
Northern, Eastern, and Western | 1 |
Oregon | 6 |
Pennsylvania: | |
Eastern | 22 |
Middle | 6 |
Western | 10 |
Puerto Rico | 7 |
Rhode Island | 3 |
South Carolina | 10 |
South Dakota | 3 |
Tennessee: | |
Eastern | 5 |
Middle | 4 |
Western | 5 |
Texas: | |
Northern | 12 |
Southern | 19 |
Eastern | 8 |
Western | 13 |
Utah | 5 |
Vermont | 2 |
Virginia: | |
Eastern | 11 |
Western | 4 |
Washington: | |
Eastern | 4 |
Western | 7 |
West Virginia: | |
Northern | 3 |
Southern | 5 |
Wisconsin: | |
Eastern | 5 |
Western | 2 |
Wyoming | 3. |
In any case in which a judge of the United States* (other than a senior judge) assumes the duties of a full-time office of Federal judicial administration, the President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, an additional judge for the court on which such judge serves. If the judge who assumes the duties of such full-time office leaves that office and resumes the duties as an active judge of the court, then the President shall not appoint a judge to fill the first vacancy which occurs thereafter in that court.
For purposes of paragraph (1), the term “office of Federal judicial administration” means a position as Director of the Federal Judicial Center, Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, or Counselor to the Chief Justice.
Source credit: (June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 895; Aug. 3, 1949, ch. 387, § 2(a), 63 Stat. 493; Aug. 14, 1950, ch. 708, 64 Stat. 443; Aug. 29, 1950, ch. 819, § 1, 64 Stat. 562; Sept. 5, 1950, ch. 848, § 1, 64 Stat. 578; Feb. 10, 1954, ch. 6, § 2(a)(3), 68 Stat. 9; Pub. L. 85–310, Sept. 7, 1957, 71 Stat. 631; Pub. L. 85–508, § 12(c), July 7, 1958, 72 Stat. 348; Pub. L. 86–3, § 9(b), Mar. 18, 1959, 73 Stat. 8; Pub. L. 87–36, § 2(d), May 19, 1961, 75 Stat. 81; Pub. L. 87–562, § 3, July 30, 1962, 76 Stat. 248; Pub. L. 89–242, § 1(c), Oct. 7, 1965, 79 Stat. 951; Pub. L. 89–372, § 4, Mar. 18, 1966, 80 Stat. 77; Pub. L. 91–272, § 1(d), June 2, 1970, 84 Stat. 295; Pub. L. 92–208, § 3(d), Dec. 18, 1971, 85 Stat. 742; Pub. L. 95–408, § 4(b)(2), Oct. 2, 1978, 92 Stat. 885; Pub. L. 95–486, § 1(c), Oct. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 1630; Pub. L. 97–471, § 3, Jan. 14, 1983, 96 Stat. 2601; Pub. L. 98–353, title II, § 202(e), July 10, 1984, 98 Stat. 348; Pub. L. 101–650, title II, § 203(d), title III, § 303, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5101, 5105; Pub. L. 105–53, § 4, Oct. 6, 1997, 111 Stat. 1174; Pub. L. 106–113, div. B, § 1000(a)(1) [title III, § 309(b)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1535, 1501A–37; Pub. L. 106–553, § 1(a)(2) [title III, § 305(b)], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2762, 2762A–85; Pub. L. 107–273, div. A, title III, § 312(a)(2), (b)(2), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1786, 1787; Pub. L. 110–402, § 1(b)(1), Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4254; Pub. L. 118–203, § 2(b), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 2693.)
- 1948Enacted · Act of June 25, 1948, ch. 646 · 62 Stat. 895
- 1949Amended · Act of Aug. 3, 1949, ch. 387 · 63 Stat. 493
- 1950Amended · Act of Aug. 14, 1950, ch. 708 · 64 Stat. 443
- 1950Amended · Act of Aug. 29, 1950, ch. 819 · 64 Stat. 562
- 1950Amended · Act of Sept. 5, 1950, ch. 848 · 64 Stat. 578
- 1954Amended · Act of Feb. 10, 1954, ch. 6 · 68 Stat. 9
- 1957Amended · Pub. L. 85-310 · 71 Stat. 631
- 1958Amended · Pub. L. 85-508 · 72 Stat. 348
- 1959Amended · Pub. L. 86-3 · 73 Stat. 8
- 1961Amended · Pub. L. 87-36 · 75 Stat. 81
- 1962Amended · Pub. L. 87-562 · 76 Stat. 248
- 1965Amended · Pub. L. 89-242 · 79 Stat. 951
- 1966Amended · Pub. L. 89-372 · 80 Stat. 77
- 1970Amended · Pub. L. 91-272 · 84 Stat. 295
- 1971Amended · Pub. L. 92-208 · 85 Stat. 742
- 1978Amended · Pub. L. 95-408 · 92 Stat. 885
- 1978Amended · Pub. L. 95-486 · 92 Stat. 1630
- 1983Amended · Pub. L. 97-471 · 96 Stat. 2601
- 1984Amended · Pub. L. 98-353 · 98 Stat. 348
- 1990Amended · Pub. L. 101-650 · 104 Stat. 5101, 5105
- 1997Amended · Pub. L. 105-53 · 111 Stat. 1174
- 1999Amended · Pub. L. 106-113 · 113 Stat. 1535, 1501
- 2000Amended · Pub. L. 106-553 · 114 Stat. 2762, 2762
- 2002Amended · Pub. L. 107-273 · 116 Stat. 1786, 1787
- 2008Amended · Pub. L. 110-402 · 122 Stat. 4254
- 2024Amended · Pub. L. 118-203 · 138 Stat. 2693
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by ch. 646 on 1948-06-25.
all 0 arguments · sorted by: best
no arguments yet — make the first case