June 4, 2012
Steven Aftergood
Secrecy News from FAS.org

President Obama began the fourth year of his presidency with more vacant circuit and district court judgeships than when he took office, a new report from the Congressional Research Service observed.

The growing number of vacancies in the federal judiciary and the factors that increasingly impede the successful nomination and confirmation of new judges were examined by CRS.

"District court vacancies have grown in number over the course of the Obama presidency, from 42 judgeships vacant when President Obama took office to 59 at present," the CRS report said. During that period 150 district court judges were nominated but only 117 of them were confirmed.

"During the Obama presidency thus far,... fewer Obama district court nominees have been confirmed by the Senate than were confirmed during the first terms of the four preceding Presidents," CRS found.

A copy of the new CRS report was obtained by Secrecy News. See Nominations to U.S. Circuit and District Courts by President Obama During the 111th and 112th Congresses, June 1, 2012

Other new and updated CRS reports that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all linked at the source):

What Is Systemic Risk? Does It Apply to Recent JP Morgan Losses?, May 24, 2012

SEC Climate Change Disclosure Guidance: An Overview and Congressional Concerns, May 24, 2012

Cybercrime: Conceptual Issues for Congress and U.S. Law Enforcement, May 23, 2012

Mexico's 2012 Elections, May 23, 2012

Pakistan-U.S. Relations, May 24, 2012

Pakistan: U.S. Foreign Aid Conditions, Restrictions, and Reporting Requirements, June 1, 2012

U.S.-China Diplomacy Over Chinese Legal Advocate Chen Guangcheng, May 29, 2012

Countering Violent Extremism in the United States, May 31, 2012