JUDGES Act of 2024
Congress passed a bill adding 63 new federal district court judgeships spread over three years, following years of recommendations from the Judicial Conference of the United States. The expansion addressed chronic understaffing in high-caseload federal courts.
New judgeships were phased in gradually, with appointments staggered to avoid politicizing the process.
The act showed how workload studies translate into concrete judicial expansion, though implementation was slower than advocates hoped.
Like the Salt Lake City expansion, the federal judgeships followed a formal workload study and required legislative approval before appointments could proceed.
