Status of Magistrate Judge Positions and Appointments — Judicial Business 2022

During this fiscal year, 85 appointments of full-time magistrate judges were made, including 50 new appointments and 35 reappointments. Seven individuals were appointed to part-time magistrate judge positions, including one new appointment and six reappointments. In addition, 96 retired magistrate judges were recalled to service under 28 U.S.C. § 636(h).

The following information is provided pursuant to the reporting requirement of 28 U.S.C. § 604(d)(3). The average age of new appointees to full-time magistrate judge positions was 49 years. New full-time appointees had been members of the bar for an average of 22 years at the time of appointment. Of the new full-time magistrate judges, at the time of their appointments, 23 had been in private practice, 10 had been assistant United States attorneys, 4 had been general or senior counsel, 3 had been assistant federal public defenders, 2 had been administrative law judges, 2 had been state deputy attorneys general, 2 had been state assistant or district attorneys, 1 had been a part-time United States magistrate judge, 1 had been a state court judge, 1 had been an associate professor of law, and 1 had been a regional director for an executive branch agency.

Through September 2022, the Judicial Conference authorized 562 full-time magistrate judge positions, 25 part-time positions, and 2 combination clerk/magistrate judge positions.

For data on magistrate judge positions, see Table 12.