The Los Angeles County Bar Association: The #JUDGESAct responds to the need to increase federal judgeships across the nation. @LACBA

The Executive Committee and Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles County Bar Association applauds the bipartisan effort in the United States Senate to unanimously pass the Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act (S.4199) in August, 2024. We now urge the United States House of Representatives to take prompt action to vote and pass the companion JUDGES Act (H.R. 9625).

Our federal courts are facing ever-increasing caseloads, which impacts the administration of justice. Yet, the last significant expansion of federal judgeships in the nation was in 1990, more than three decades ago. Since that time, population and new case filings have substantially increased without a corresponding number of new judgeships.  Without enough judges to preside over federal cases, the cases suffer from delays, with litigants often waiting years for resolution. Justice delayed is often justice denied. Put simply, we need more federal judgeships to alleviate the overburdened courts and ensure timely access to justice.

The JUDGES Act responds to the need to increase federal judgeships across the nation and prevent delays to justice. Based on the nonpartisan United States Judicial Conference’s recommendations last year, the JUDGES Act would gradually create 66 new federal judgeships across the nation, every two years over a 10-year period of time, ensuring that our federal courts have adequate resources to manage their increased caseloads.

California, in particular, would see meaningful relief with the enactment of the JUDGES Act.

The United States District Court for the Central District of California, one of the largest[1] and busiest district courts in our nation, would gradually receive a total of nine new and permanent judgeships over a period of ten years. The new judgeships would help to address the challenge of growing caseloads in the Central District, which rank far above the national average. We are informed that, for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2024, the Central District’s weighted filings per authorized judgeship stood at 666, which is the 14th highest in the United States, the third highest in the Ninth Circuit, and 20% higher than the national average of 554.

The Eastern District of California, which has long expressed the need for more than the six Article III judgeships allocated to the district to address the increased number of cases filed in that district,[2] would gain a total of four new positions over time. The district courts for the Northern District of California and Southern District of California would also benefit from additional federal judgeships, with a total of six and two new positions, respectively.

Now that the JUDGES Act has been considered and unanimously passed the U.S. Senate, we urge our representatives to take prompt action on the companion bill pending in the U.S. House of Representatives so the legislation can be signed into law. Our federal judiciary, the third and co-equal branch of government, must have the judgeships and resources needed to carry out its constitutional duty in the administration of justice. This is a pivotal moment for our federal justice system. We must not allow this legislation to languish in the House.

Please contact your representatives to ask them to support the JUDGES Act of 2024 and push for a vote this month. Prompt action is necessary to ensure our federal courts are able to deliver timely justice to all.

Identify and contact your local representative.