In a milestone for his presidency, Joe Biden has officially surpassed Donald Trump’s first-term record for judicial appointments, securing his 235th federal judge confirmation. With this achievement, Biden edges ahead by just one appointment, marking a historic moment for his administration.
This new record comes after a Senate vote on December 20 that confirmed two of Biden’s nominees to serve as life-tenured federal trial court judges in California. Their confirmation concludes a strategic four-year push by the White House to reshape the federal judiciary, which had tilted rightward under Trump.
Biden’s latest appointments also stand out for their emphasis on diversity—approximately two-thirds of his appointees are women, and a similar proportion come from Black, Hispanic, or other minority backgrounds. This fulfills a key campaign promise to diversify the judiciary, which has long been criticized for being predominantly white and male.
“I promised to build a bench that looks like America and reflects the promise of our nation,” Biden said, taking pride in his commitment to enhancing public confidence in judicial outcomes. As part of his push for diversity, Biden has appointed over 45 public defenders and more than 25 civil rights lawyers to the bench.
One of the latest appointees, Serena Murillo, a state court judge in Los Angeles, became the 150th woman confirmed to a judicial post under Biden, setting a new benchmark. Prior to this, President Barack Obama held the record for women appointments, with 138 over his eight years in office.
Alongside Murillo, San Diego-based U.S. Magistrate Judge Benjamin Cheeks was confirmed to a district court position in Southern California, further solidifying Biden’s commitment to increasing diversity within the federal judiciary. With Cheeks’ confirmation, Biden has now appointed 63 Black federal judges, the most ever by a U.S. president.
Though Biden’s success in appointing district court judges is notable, his number of appellate court appointments lags behind Trump’s, with Biden confirming 45 compared to Trump’s 54. Despite this, Biden’s strategy of focusing on district courts and diversifying the professional backgrounds of nominees has reshaped the judiciary significantly during his term.
