Status of Magistrate Judge Positions and Appointments — Judicial Business 2020

During this fiscal year, 86 appointments of full-time magistrate judges were made, including 34 new appointments and 52 reappointments. Four part-time magistrate judges were reappointed. In addition, 95 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 50 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, 11 had been assistant United States attorneys, 10 had been in private practice, 2 had been state court judges, 2 had been assistant federal public defenders, 2 had been federal defender program staff attorneys, 2 had been law clerks, 1 had been a clerk of court, 1 had been a federal public defender, 1 had been a court unit executive, 1 had been a state general counsel, and 1 had been a deputy general counsel. 

Through September 2020, the Judicial Conference authorized 555 full-time magistrate judge positions, 27 part-time positions, and 3 combination clerk/magistrate judge positions.

For data on magistrate judge positions, see Table 13.