Weekly Judicial Update - July 20, 2026

Judicial Update reports each week on activity during the previous week in new federal court vacancies, court nominations and confirmations of Article III (lifetime tenure) judges. For a masterlist of confirmations and judicial vacancies and nominees to fill these vacancies plus judicial nominee biographies, see Federal Section of NationsCourts.com.

The following table shows vacancies and nominations (including future vacancies for which nominees have been named) pending as of Friday, July 17, 2026 (for details, see vacancies and nominations).

 
New Vacancies:
During the previous week (July 13 - July 17), there were no new vacancies in the U.S. appellate or district courts.

For masterlist of court vacancies in the federal appellate and district courts and nominations to fill these vacancies, click here. 

New Nominees:
During the previous week, there were 2 new nominations, 1 to the appellate courts and 1 to the district courts:

   Gregory Carl Cook, Northern District of Alabama, Nominated 7/14/26.
   Anna St. John, Fifth Circuit, Nominated 7/14/26.

For biographical information on those nominated thus far by the Trump administration, click here. 

New Confirmations:
During the previous week, there were 3 new confirmations, 1 to the appellate courts and 2 to the district courts:

   July 15, 2026
   Jeffrey T. Kuntz (51-to-46)
      Southern District of Florida. Nominated 4/14/26.
   July 14, 2026
   Matthew A. Schwartz (50-to-45)
      Second Circuit. Nominated 4/27/26.
   July 13, 2026
   Arthur Roberts Jones (46-to-44)
      Southern District of Texas. Nominated 4/14/26.

For masterlist of confirmations, click here.

Senate Judiciary Committee:
For upcoming schedule of the committee, click here.

Current Status: Vacancies, Nominations, Confirmations:
As of July 20, 2026, there are 30 Article III (lifetime tenure) vacancies in the federal courts, including 4 in the appellate courts and 25 in the district courts and 1 in the U.S. Court of Int'l Trade. There are 11 nominees pending to fill these vacancies, 4 in the appellate courts, 6 in the district courts, and 1 in the Court of Int'l Trade.

Thus far in Trump's second term, there have been 49 confirmations, 8 in the appellate courts and 41 in the district courts.

NationsCourts.com will note court vacancies, judicial nominations, and confirmations (or rejections) as they occur. See court nominations and confirmations included herein.

Trump - Biden Judiciary Scorecards:
President Biden during his four years as president (2021-2025) had 235 of his judicial nominations confirmed, 1 to the Supreme Court, 45 to the appellate courts, 187 to the district courts, and 2 to the U.S. Court of Int'l Trade.

During President Trump's first four years in office (2017-21), the U.S. Senate confirmed 234 federal judges that he nominated, including 3 Supreme Court justices; 54 judges to the appellate courts; 174 judges to the district courts; and 3 judges to the Court of Int'l Trade.

The following table shows current composition of U.S. appeals courts based on Republican and Democrat Presidential judicial appointments:

 

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