Below are tables showing authorized positions for U.S. district judges, U.S. bankruptcy judges, and U.S. magistrate judges. While district and bankruptcy judgeships are authorized by congressional statute, magistrate judgeships are authorized by the Judicial Conference of the United States. For more detail regarding the authorization of these judgeships, see the Legislative History and Succession Chart(s) pages for each district court (see menu at right), Authorized Bankruptcy Judgeships, Authorized Magistrate Judgeships (by location), and Authorized Magistrate Judgeships (by fiscal year).
Authorized District Judgeships |
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|
North Carolina
District |
Edenton, New Bern, and Wilmington Districts |
Albemarle, Cape Fear,
and Pamptico Districts |
Eastern
District |
Middle
District |
Western District |
Total Judgeships |
|
| June 4, 1790 1 Stat. 126 |
1
|
1 | |||||
| June 9, 1794 1 Stat. 395 |
1
|
1 | |||||
| March 3, 1797 1 Stat. 517 |
1
|
1 | |||||
| February 13, 1801 2 Stat. 89 |
1 | 1 | |||||
| June 4, 1872 17 Stat. 215 |
1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| February 25, 1919 (effective ca. October 31, 1919) 40 Stat. 1156 |
1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| March 2, 1927 44 Stat. 1339 |
1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |||
| August 21, 1935 Temporary judgeship expired |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||
| May 19, 1961 75 Stat. 80 |
2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |||
| June 2, 1970 84 Stat. 294 |
3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | |||
| August 2, 1975 Temporary judgeship expired |
2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |||
| October 20, 1978 92 Stat. 1629 |
3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | |||
| July 10, 1984 98 Stat. 333 |
4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | |||
| December 1, 1990 104 Stat. 5089 |
4 | 4 | 3 | 11 | |||
| November 2, 2002 116 Stat. 1758 |
4 | 4 | 5 | 13 | |||
Authorized Bankruptcy Judgeships |
||||
| Eastern District |
Middle District |
Western District |
Total Judgeships |
|
| July 10, 1984 98 Stat. 336 |
2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| October 27, 1986 100 Stat. 3088 |
2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| August 26, 1992 106 Stat. 965 |
2 | 3 (2 + 1 temporary) |
2 | 7 (6 + 1 temporary) |
| April 20, 2005 119 Stat. 196 |
3 (2 + 1 temporary) |
3 (2 + 1 temporary) |
2 | 8 6 + 2 temporary) |
Authorized Magistrate Judgeships (by location) |
|||
| Eastern District | |||
| Location | Full-Time | Part-Time | Combination |
| Elizabeth City | 1 (1971–1981) | ||
| Fayetteville | 1 (1983–1995) | 1 (1971–1982) | |
| Goldsboro | 1 (1971–1975) | ||
| Greenville | 1 (2006–2013) 0 (2014–2022) 1 (2023–present) |
1 (1996–2005) 0 (2006–2013) 1 (2014–2022) |
|
| Jacksonville | 1 (1971–1975) | ||
| New Bern | 1 (1980–1995) | 1 (1971–1979) | |
| Raleigh | 1 (1976–1995) 2 (1996–present) |
1 (1971–1975) | clerk-magistrate 1 (1982–1993) |
| Rocky Mount | 1 (1971–1975) | ||
| Washington or Williamston | 1 (1971–1975) | ||
| Wilmington | 1 (1996–2005) 0 (2006–2013) 1 (2014–present) |
1 (1971–1995) 0 (1996–2005) 1 (2006–2013) |
|
| Total | 0 (1971–1975) 1 (1976–1979) 2 (1980–1982) 3 (1983–2022) 4 (2023–present) |
9 (1971–1975) 4 (1976–1979) 3 (1980–1981) 2 (1982) 1 (1983–2022) 0 (2023–present) |
0 (1971–1981) 1 (1982–1993) 0 (1994–present) |
| Middle District | |||
| Location | Full-Time | Part-Time | |
| Durham | 1 (2013–present) | 1 (1971–1976) | |
| Greensboro | 1 (1971–present) | ||
| Laurinburg | 1 (1972–1975) | ||
| Laurinburg or Rockingham | 1 (1976–1979) | ||
| Rockingham | 1 (1971) | ||
| Salisbury | 1 (1971–1976) | ||
| Wilkesboro | 1 (1971–1976) | ||
| Winston-Salem | 1 (1977–present) | ||
| Total | 1 (1971–1976) 2 (1977–2012) 3 (2013–present) |
4 (1971–1976) 1 (1977–1979) 0 (1980–present) |
|
| Western District | |||
| Location | Full-Time | Part-Time | Combination |
| Asheville | 1 (1973–present) | 1 (1971–1972) | |
| Bryson City | 1 (1971–1983) | ||
| Charlotte | 1 (1986–1992) 2 (1993–present) |
1 (1984–1985) | bankruptcy judge-magistrate 1 (1971–1976) deputy clerk-magistrate 1 (1977–1983) |
| Statesville | 1 (1971–1978) | ||
| Total | 0 (1971–1972) 1 (1973–1985) 2 (1986–1992) 3 (1993–present) |
3 (1971–1972) 2 (1973–1978) 1 (1979–1985) 0 (1986–present) |
1 (1971–1983) 0 (1984–present) |
Authorized Magistrate Judgeships (by fiscal year) |
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| Eastern District | ||||||
| Fiscal Year(s) | Full-Time | Total | Part-Time | Total | Combination | Total |
| 1971–1975 | 0 | Elizabeth City, Fayetteville, Goldsboro, Jacksonville, New Bern, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Washington or Williamston, Wilmington | 9 | 0 | ||
| 1976–1979 | Raleigh | 1 | Elizabeth City, Fayetteville, New Bern, Wilmington | 4 | 0 | |
| 1980–1981 | New Bern, Raleigh | 2 | Elizabeth City, Fayetteville, Wilmington | 3 | 0 | |
| 1982 | New Bern, Raleigh | 2 | Fayetteville, Wilmington | 2 | Raleigh (clerk-magistrate) | 1 |
| 1983–1993 | Fayetteville, New Bern, Raleigh | 3 | Wilmington | 1 | Raleigh (clerk-magistrate) | 1 |
| 1994–1995 | Fayetteville, New Bern, Raleigh | 3 | Wilmington | 1 | 0 | |
| 1996–2005 | Raleigh (2), Wilmington | 3 | Greenville | 1 | 0 | |
| 2006–2013 | Greenville, Raleigh (2) | 3 | Wilmington | 1 | 0 | |
| 2014–2022 | Raleigh (2), Wilmington | 3 | Greenville | 1 | 0 | |
| 2023–present | Greenville, Raleigh (2), Wilmington | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Middle District | ||||||
| Fiscal Year(s) | Full-Time | Total | Part-Time | Total | ||
| 1971 | Greensboro | 1 | Durham, Rockingham, Salisbury, Wilkesboro | 4 | ||
| 1972–1975 | Greensboro | 1 | Durham, Laurinburg, Salisbury, Wilkesboro | 4 | ||
| 1976 | Greensboro | 1 | Durham, Laurinburg or Rockingham, Salisbury, Wilkesboro | 4 | ||
| 1977–1979 | Greensboro, Winston-Salem | 2 | Laurinburg or Rockingham | 1 | ||
| 1980–2012 | Greensboro, Winston-Salem | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2013–present | Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem | 3 | 0 | |||
| Western District | ||||||
| Fiscal Year(s) | Full-Time | Total | Part-Time | Total | Combination | Total |
| 1971–1972 | 0 | Asheville, Bryson City, Statesville | 3 | Charlotte (bankruptcy judge-magistrate) | 1 | |
| 1973–1976 | Asheville | 1 | Bryson City, Statesville | 2 | Charlotte (bankruptcy judge-magistrate) | 1 |
| 1977–1978 | Asheville | 1 | Bryson City, Statesville | 2 | Charlotte (deputy clerk-magistrate) | 1 |
| 1979–1983 | Asheville | 1 | Bryson City | 1 | Charlotte (deputy clerk-magistrate) | 1 |
| 1984–1985 | Asheville | 1 | Charlotte | 1 | 0 | |
| 1986–1992 | Asheville, Charlotte | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1993–present | Asheville, Charlotte (2) | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||