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Status of Bankruptcy Judgeships — Judicial Business 2021

As of September 30, 2021, a total of 345 bankruptcy judgeships were authorized and funded, the same number as one year earlier. Of these judgeships, 310 were filled and 35 were vacant (compared with 307 filled positions and 38 vacant positions on the same date in 2020). In addition to judges in authorized positions, 24 retired bankruptcy judges who had been recalled by various circuit councils were providing service to the Judiciary at the end of September 2021.

For information on the status of bankruptcy judgeships since 2017, see Table 11.

Table 11
Status of Bankruptcy Judgeship Positions
September 30, 2017 - 2021
Year Authorized Judgeships Vacancies Recalled Judges
2017 349 22 26
2018 3501 29 29
2019 3472 31 28
2020 3453 38 27
2021 345 35 24

1 In 2018, Congress authorized four new temporary judgeships: two in the District of Delaware, one in the Middle District of Florida, and one in the Eastern District of Michigan. That year, three temporary judgeships lapsed: two in the Central District of California and one in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

2 In 2019, three temporary judgeships lapsed: one in the Southern District of Mississippi, one in the Eastern District of California, and one in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

3 In 2020, two temporary judgeships lapsed: one in the Western District of Tennessee and one in the Central District of California.