- Disclaimers -

CJR’s evaluations of judicial nominees are tailored to the responsibilities and influence associated with each level of the federal judiciary. The standard applied to nominees for United States District Courts, United States Courts of Appeals, and the Supreme Court differs accordingly.

Because each court carries a distinct scope of authority and long-term impact, a nominee ranked by CJR when considered at one level may receive a different evaluation if later considered for a higher court. For example, an individual who receives a “Confirm” ranking when nominated to a District Court may not receive the same ranking if subsequently nominated to a Circuit Court or the Supreme Court.

Judicial research may be limited in scope and detail due to recent changes in the policy governing the public disclosure of federal judicial nominees. As reported by Bloomberg Law on November 10, 2025, the interval between the public release of nominees and their confirmation hearings has been substantially shortened—at times to as little as two days— compared to the approximately 28-day period previously observed. As a result of this compressed timeline, there is significantly less opportunity to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of federal judicial nominees.