§ 133. Appointment and number of district judges

§ 133. Appointment and number of district judges

(a) The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, district judges for the several judicial districts, as follows: DistrictsJudges Alabama: Northern8 Middle3 Southern3 Alaska3 Arizona13 Arkansas: Eastern5 Western3 California: Northern14 Eastern6 Central28 Southern13 Colorado7 Connecticut8 Delaware4 District of Columbia15 Florida: Northern4 Middle15 Southern18 Georgia: Northern11 Middle4 Southern3 Hawaii4 Idaho2 Illinois: Northern22 Central4 Southern4 Indiana: Northern5 Southern5 Iowa: Northern2 Southern3 Kansas6 Kentucky: Eastern5 Western4 Eastern and Western1 Louisiana: Eastern12 Middle3 Western7 Maine3 Maryland10 Massachusetts13 Michigan: Eastern15 Western4 Minnesota7 Mississippi: Northern3 Southern6 Missouri: Eastern7 Western5 Eastern and Western2 Montana3 Nebraska3 Nevada7 New Hampshire3 New Jersey17 New Mexico7 New York: Northern5 Southern28 Eastern15 Western4 North Carolina: Eastern4 Middle4 Western5 North Dakota2 Ohio: Northern11 Southern8 Oklahoma: Northern3 Eastern1 Western6 Northern, Eastern, and Western1 Oregon6 Pennsylvania: Eastern22 Middle6 Western10 Puerto Rico7 Rhode Island3 South Carolina10 South Dakota3 Tennessee: Eastern5 Middle4 Western5 Texas: Northern12 Southern19 Eastern8 Western13 Utah5 Vermont2 Virginia: Eastern11 Western4 Washington: Eastern4 Western7 West Virginia: Northern3 Southern5 Wisconsin: Eastern5 Western2 Wyoming3.

(b)

(1) 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.

(2) 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.

(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.)

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 1 and notes; sections 641, 643, 863, and 864 of title 48, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Territories and Insular Possessions; District of Columbia Code, 1940 ed., § 11–301 (Apr. 12, 1900, ch. 191, §§ 34, 35, 31 Stat. 84, 85; Apr. 30, 1900, ch. 339, § 86, 31 Stat. 158; Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 854, § 60, 31 Stat. 1199; Mar. 3, 1909, ch. 269, § 1, 35 Stat. 838; Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 1, 36 Stat. 1087; Jan. 7, 1913, ch. 6, 37 Stat. 648; July 30, 1914, ch. 216, 38 Stat. 580; Mar. 3, 1915, ch. 100, § 1, 38 Stat. 961; Apr. 11, 1916, ch. 64, § 1, 39 Stat. 48; Feb. 26, 1917, ch. 120, 39 Stat. 938; Mar. 2, 1917, ch. 145, §§ 41, 42, 39 Stat. 965, 966; Feb. 26, 1919, ch. 50, § 1, 40 Stat. 1183; Mar. 4, 1921, ch. 161, § 1, 41 Stat. 1412; July 9, 1921, ch. 42, § 313, 42 Stat. 119; Sept. 14, 1922, ch. 306, § 1, 42 Stat. 837; Jan. 16, 1925, ch. 83, § 3, 43 Stat. 752; Feb. 12, 1925, ch. 220, 43 Stat. 890; Feb. 13, 1925, ch. 229, §§ 1, 13, 43 Stat. 936, 942; Feb. 16, 1925, ch. 233, §§ 2, 3, 43 Stat. 946; Mar. 2, 1925, ch. 397, §§ 1–3, 43 Stat. 1098; Mar. 3, 1927, ch. 297, § 1, 44 Stat. 1346; Mar. 3, 1927, ch. 298, 44 Stat. 1347; Mar. 3, 1927, ch. 300, § 1, 44 Stat. 1348; Mar. 3, 1927, ch. 332, 44 Stat. 1370; Mar. 3, 1927, ch. 336, §§ 1, 2, 44 Stat. 1372; Mar. 3, 1927, ch. 338, 44 Stat. 1374; Mar. 3, 1927, ch. 344, 44 Stat. 1380; Jan. 31, 1928, ch. 14, § 1, 45 Stat. 54; Apr. 21, 1928, ch. 393, § 5, 45 Stat. 439; May 29, 1928, ch. 882, 45 Stat. 974; Dec. 20, 1928, ch. 41, 45 Stat. 1056; Jan. 17, 1929, ch. 72, § 1, 45 Stat. 1081; Feb. 26, 1929, ch. 334, 45 Stat. 1317; Feb. 26, 1929, ch. 337, 45 Stat. 1319; Feb. 28, 1929, ch. 358, § 1, 45 Stat. 1344; Feb. 28, 1929, ch. 380, 45 Stat. 1409; May 28, 1930, ch. 346, § 1, 46 Stat. 431; June 19, 1930, ch. 537, 46 Stat. 785; June 27, 1930, ch. 633, 46 Stat. 819; June 27, 1930, ch. 635, § 1, 46 Stat. 820; July 3, 1930, ch. 852, 46 Stat. 1006; Feb. 20, 1931, ch. 244, 46 Stat. 1196; Feb. 20, 1931, ch. 245, 46 Stat. 1197; Feb. 25, 1931, ch. 296, 46 Stat. 1417; May 17, 1932, ch. 190, 47 Stat. 158; May 20, 1932, ch. 196, 47 Stat. 161; Aug. 2, 1935, ch. 425, 49 Stat. 508; Aug. 19, 1935, ch. 558, §§ 1, 2, 49 Stat. 659; Aug. 28, 1935, ch. 793, 49 Stat. 945; June 5, 1936, ch. 515, 49 Stat. 1476; June 15, 1936, ch. 544, 49 Stat. 1491; June 16, 1936, ch. 585, § 1, 49 Stat. 1523; June 22, 1936, ch. 693, 49 Stat. 1804; June 22, 1936, ch. 694, 49 Stat. 1804; June 22, 1936, ch. 696, 49 Stat. 1806; Aug. 25, 1937, ch. 771, § 1, 50 Stat. 805; Mar. 18, 1938, ch. 47, 52 Stat. 110; Mar. 26, 1938, ch. 51, § 2, 52 Stat. 118; May 31, 1938, ch. 290, §§ 4, 5, 6, 52 Stat. 584, 585; June 20, 1938, ch. 528, 52 Stat. 780; Jan. 20, 1940, ch. 11, 54 Stat. 16; May 24, 1940, ch. 209, § 2(c), 54 Stat. 220; June 8, 1940, ch. 282, 54 Stat. 253; Nov. 27, 1940, ch. 92, § 1, 54 Stat. 1216; Nov. 21, 1941, ch. 479, 55 Stat. 773; July 7, 1942, ch. 489, 56 Stat. 648; Dec. 24, 1942, ch. 817, 56 Stat. 1083; Dec. 24, 1942, ch. 827, 56 Stat. 1092; Dec. 7, 1944, ch. 521, 58 Stat. 796; Dec. 22, 1944, ch. 663, 58 Stat. 887; Oct. 16, 1945, ch. 419, §§ 1, 2, 59 Stat. 545, 546; June 15, 1946, ch. 413, 60 Stat. 260; July 24, 1946, chs. 600, 602, 60 Stat. 654).

Section consolidates provisions of section 1 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., and sections 641, 643, 863, and 864 of title 48, U.S.C., 1940 ed., with changes in phraseology necessary to effect consolidation.

Provisions of section 1 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., relating to residence of judges, are covered by section 134 of this title.

The act of Dec. 7, 1944, amended section 2 of the act of May 24, 1940, 54 Stat. 219, section 1, note, of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., to read as follows: “(a) Provided, That the first vacancy in the office of district judge in each of said districts except in the eastern district of Pennsylvania, shall not be filled.”