Demand Justice Highlights 300+ Chances For Right-Wing Judicial Takeover
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 18, 2025
CONTACT: [email protected]
New Trackers Detail:
54 Judicial Vacancies Prime For Right-Wing Appointment
Nearly 250 Judges Eligible For “Senior Status”, Allowing Trump To Appoint Even More Right-Wing Judges
Federal Courts of Appeals Most In Danger Of Flipping
WASHINGTON, DC— Today Demand Justice unveils comprehensive data revealing over 300 opportunities for a right-wing judicial takeover under President Trump. The organization has highlighted 54 current and known future judicial vacancies across the country primed for right-wing appointments and identified nearly 250 judges who are or will become eligible for “senior status” by 2028 who could step aside while they continue to work, allowing Trump to appoint new right-wing judges in their place. This would “radically shift the balance of the courts back in his [favor],” according to The Guardian, which was the first to report on Demand Justice’s extensive analysis of where the judiciary is the most vulnerable.
These strategic appointments threaten to continue radically changing the balance of federal courts nationwide, placing more lifetime right-wing ideologues on the bench, particularly in the influential circuit courts where judges have the final say on most cases. Trump’s nominees are guaranteed to “cement and extend” an extreme agenda through lifetime appointments of loyalists whose qualifications center on their willingness to gut Medicaid, privatize Social Security, decimate environmental protections, and eliminate veterans’ benefits.
Demand Justice’s newly launched trackers monitor existing judicial vacancies without nominees, all circuit and district court judges who are or will become eligible for senior status by 2028, and the appointing party of all active circuit court judges.
“Knowledge is power, and a core part of the fight for fair and balanced courts is making this information easily accessible to everyday people,” said Demand Justice Interim Executive Director Maggie Jo Buchanan. “For years, the federal courts have felt untouchable and insulated from the public, despite federal judges playing a major role in everyday Americans’ access to justice, civil rights, health care and more.
“While the far-right works to fill our courts with MAGA loyalists who will override the will of the people, Demand Justice will continue to fight for courts that fulfill the promise of equal justice for all. Our courts need to work for all of us, and in order to make that happen we must continue to democratize this information and use it to hold our leaders accountable.”
Additional background on each tracker is below:
Existing Judicial Vacancies
There are currently 54 federal judicial vacancies without a nominee across the country. Of these, nine are district court judgeships in states where Democratic or Independent senators could attempt to veto a nominee under the blue slip policy currently observed by the Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC).
Senior Status Eligibility
According to federal law, lifetime federal judges have the option to continue to collect their full salary but work at a much reduced workload by taking “senior status” once they meet certain age and service requirements. Should they elect to do so, President Trump can then appoint a new judge to fill their newly vacant seat. Demand Justice has identified nearly 250 judges – including over 60 circuit court judges – who will be eligible to take senior status through the end of 2028, representing over one-fourth of all active federal judges.
Circuit Courts Composition Status
With the Supreme Court picking just a few cases to decide every year, circuit court judges often have the final word, making them some of the most powerful judges in our judiciary. Demand Justice has constructed an interactive map detailing which party has appointed the most judges on each of the 13 federal courts of appeals and the federal district courts below them.
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