See also: Trial Court Caseloads Since 1870 (graphs)
| U.S. Circuit, District, and Territorial Courts, 1870-1911 U.S. District Courts, 1912-2017[1] |
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|
Year (ending)
|
Commenced
|
Terminated [2]
|
Pending
|
|
1870[3]
|
-
|
3,347
|
8,150
|
|
1871[4]
|
-
|
4,565 a
|
7,239
|
|
1872[5]
|
-
|
3,693 a
|
6,715
|
|
1873[6]
|
-
|
3,241 a b
|
7,599
|
|
1874[7]
|
-
|
3,058 a
|
6,854
|
|
1875[8]
|
-
|
3,002 a
|
7,211
|
|
1876
|
-
|
3,203 a
|
6,926
|
|
1877[9]
|
-
|
2,716 a
|
6,764
|
|
1878[10]
|
-
|
2,589 a
|
4,466
|
|
1879[11]
|
-
|
2,515 a
|
4,236
|
|
1880[12]
|
-
|
2,423
|
4,110
|
|
1881[13]
|
-
|
2,482
|
2,929
|
|
1882
|
-
|
1,973
|
2,494
|
|
1883
|
-
|
1,597
|
4,432
|
|
1884
|
-
|
1,548
|
6,152
|
|
1885[14]
|
-
|
1,658
|
2,146
|
|
1886
|
-
|
1,379
|
2,826
|
|
1887
|
-
|
1,777
|
3,054
|
|
1888
|
-
|
2,170
|
3,051
|
|
1889
|
-
|
2,287
|
2,950
|
|
1890
|
-
|
1,768
|
2,927
|
|
1891
|
-
|
1,673
|
3,459
|
|
1892
|
-
|
2,009
|
2,264
|
|
1893
|
-
|
1,628
|
2,119 b
|
|
1894
|
-
|
1,562
|
2,234
|
|
1895
|
-
|
2,751
|
2,608
|
|
1896
|
-
|
2,726
|
8,204
|
|
1897
|
-
|
2,524
|
7,616
|
|
1898
|
-
|
2,369
|
6,851 b
|
|
1899
|
-
|
1,739
|
2,807
|
|
1900
|
-
|
1,602
|
6,130
|
|
1901
|
-
|
1,873
|
4,828
|
|
1902
|
-
|
2,672
|
4,180
|
|
1903
|
-
|
1,793
|
2,940 c
|
|
1904
|
1,803
|
2,171
|
2,778 c
|
|
1905
|
2,010
|
2,158
|
2,801 c
|
|
1906
|
1,687
|
1,953
|
2,684 c
|
|
1907
|
2,633
|
1,900
|
3,581 c
|
|
1908
|
3,202
|
2,483
|
4,338 c
|
|
1909
|
3,142
|
3,071
|
4,342 c
|
|
1910
|
3,170
|
3,464
|
4,056 c
|
|
1911
|
3,814 b
|
2,982
|
4,903 c
|
|
1912
|
4,001
|
3,242
|
5,681 c
|
|
1913
|
3,752
|
4,123
|
23,261[15]
|
|
1914
|
4,142
|
4,781
|
29,888 c
|
|
1915
|
3,578
|
7,026
|
26,362 c
|
|
1916
|
3,500
|
10,739
|
12,167 c
|
|
1917
|
3,534
|
6,507
|
9,098 c
|
|
1918
|
2,877
|
4,592
|
7,410 c
|
|
1919
|
4,975
|
6,280
|
6,110 c
|
|
1920
|
5,726
|
5,526
|
6,298 c
|
|
1921
|
9,722
|
6,301
|
10,288 c
|
|
1922
|
9,646
|
8,170
|
12,126 c
|
|
1923
|
10,999
|
10,037
|
13,082 c
|
|
1924
|
13,753
|
11,121
|
15,777 c
|
|
1925
|
16,319
|
13,968
|
18,187 c
|
|
1926
|
17,504
|
17,236
|
18,506 c
|
|
1927
|
17,888
|
19,953
|
16,433 c
|
|
1928
|
20,695
|
18,589
|
18,611 c
|
|
1929
|
24,307
|
21,733
|
21,185 c
|
|
1930
|
24,934
|
24,722
|
21,320
|
|
1931
|
25,332
|
25,010
|
21,642
|
|
1932
|
34,189
|
29,591
|
26,240
|
|
1933
|
25,797
|
27,744
|
24,293
|
|
1934
|
9,487
|
16,479
|
17,303
|
|
Jul 1 - Dec 31, 1934[16]
|
5,779
|
6,716
|
16,286 c
|
|
Jan 1 - Jun 30, 1935
|
5,900
|
6,081
|
15,383 c
|
|
1936
|
13,057
|
14,395
|
14,048 c
|
|
1937
|
10,202
|
11,625
|
12,625
|
|
1938
|
11,526
|
12,856
|
11,295
|
|
1939
|
12,212
|
13,905
|
9,602
|
|
1940
|
13,644
|
14,003
|
9,238
|
|
1941
|
16,546
|
15,197
|
10,587
|
|
1942
|
17,073
|
15,864
|
11,796
|
|
1943
|
19,072
|
15,920
|
14,948
|
|
1944
|
20,895
|
19,640
|
16,203
|
|
1945
|
43,110
|
35,547
|
23,766
|
|
1946
|
45,694
|
42,562
|
26,898
|
|
1947
|
29,834
|
31,424
|
25,308
|
|
1948
|
16,381
|
22,373
|
19,316
|
|
1949
|
22,035
|
20,237
|
21,114
|
|
1950
|
22,429
|
22,765
|
20,778
|
|
1951
|
19,424
|
20,700
|
19,502
|
|
1952
|
22,880
|
20,540
|
21,842
|
|
1953
|
23,881
|
22,106
|
23,617
|
|
1954
|
19,949
|
20,894
|
22,672
|
|
1955
|
20,150
|
21,611
|
21,211
|
|
1956
|
21,393
|
24,944
|
17,660
|
|
1957
|
19,914
|
21,109
|
16,465
|
|
1958
|
21,458
|
20,717
|
17,206
|
|
1959
|
20,355
|
21,361
|
16,200
|
|
1960
|
20,840
|
20,994
|
16,046
|
|
1961
|
19,843
|
19,368
|
16,521
|
|
1962
|
20,298
|
19,793
|
17,026
|
|
1963
|
21,385
|
21,553
|
16,858
|
|
1964
|
22,268
|
21,810
|
17,316
|
|
1965
|
21,651
|
21,109
|
17,858
|
|
1966
|
23,181
|
21,884
|
19,155
|
|
1967
|
21,593
|
22,699
|
18,049
|
|
1968
|
19,666
|
19,726
|
17,989
|
|
1969
|
22,295
|
21,017
|
19,267
|
|
1970
|
24,965
|
23,767
|
20,465
|
|
1971
|
25,086
|
24,859
|
20,692
|
|
1972
|
26,729
|
26,116
|
21,305
|
|
1973
|
27,484
|
27,347
|
21,442
|
|
1974
|
27,585
|
26,702
|
22,325
|
|
1975
|
31,779
|
27,949
|
26,155
|
|
1976
|
39,864
|
31,731
|
34,288
|
|
1977
|
40,210
|
34,450
|
40,048
|
|
1978
|
46,811
|
39,399
|
47,460
|
|
1979
|
55,840
|
47,184
|
56,116
|
|
1980
|
63,628
|
61,065
|
58,680 c
|
|
1981
|
61,845
|
66,083
|
54,443 c
|
|
1982
|
75,773
|
72,249
|
57,966 c
|
|
1983
|
95,803
|
83,811
|
69,950 c
|
|
1984
|
111,867
|
100,291
|
81,525 c
|
|
1985
|
117,488
|
121,425
|
77,588
|
|
1986
|
91,830
|
111,554
|
57,860 c
|
|
1987
|
72,022
|
75,661
|
54,263 c
|
|
1988
|
69,076
|
68,495
|
54,745 c
|
|
1989
|
61,906
|
66,633
|
48,788 c
|
|
1990
|
56,300
|
56,637
|
46,948 c
|
|
1991
|
52,654
|
51,562
|
48,040
|
|
1991[17]
|
-
|
-
|
48,921
|
|
1992[18]
|
62,600
|
61,970
|
47,580 c
|
|
1993
|
51,724
|
54,430
|
43,584 c
|
|
1994
|
45,410
|
47,296
|
41,346 c
|
|
1995
|
43,158
|
46,495
|
36,869 c
|
|
1996
|
48,755
|
46,772
|
38,495 c
|
|
1997
|
60,004
|
50,591
|
47,593 c
|
|
1998
|
57,852
|
59,446
|
45,078 c
|
|
1999
|
65,443
|
61,309
|
48,934 c
|
|
2000
|
71,109
|
67,219
|
53,036 c
|
|
2001
|
63,324
|
64,181
|
51,662 c
|
|
2002
|
53,997
|
56,678
|
48,386 c
|
|
2003
|
49,200
|
51,788
|
45,472 c
|
|
2004
|
48,462
|
50,771
|
43,432 c
|
|
2005
|
52,386
|
52,125
|
43,596 c
|
|
2006
|
44,294
|
47,607
|
39,035 c
|
|
2007
|
45,464
|
45,660
|
38,695 c
|
|
2008
|
44,164
|
45,190
|
36,851 c
|
|
2009
|
43,144
|
42,242
|
37,708 c
|
|
2010
|
43,037
|
41,030
|
40,349 c
|
|
2011
|
46,869
|
43,303
|
43,236 c
|
|
2012
|
47,692
|
45,558
|
44,427 c
|
|
2013
|
48,239
|
46,688
|
45,955 c
|
|
2014
|
44,943
|
46,749
|
44,107 c
|
|
2015
|
41,583
|
44,354
|
41,088 c
|
|
2016
|
60,136
|
46,644
|
54,580
|
|
2017
|
44,391
|
51,247
|
47,747
|
|
These charts are designed to give readers historical information about judicial caseloads and will not be updated in the near future. More detailed information on federal court caseloads is available in the Annual Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and the Judicial Business of the United States. The Judicial Business since 1997 is available online at http://www.uscourts.gov/Statistics/JudicialBusiness.aspx. |
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| Notations: a: total of cases reported for customs suits, internal revenue suits, Post-Office suits, proceedings by quo warranto under enforcement act (1871 only), and miscellaneous suits b: discrepancy between exhibit and text of report c: revised total presented in subsequent year's report |
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| Notes :
[1] Statistical year from January 1-December 31. All years include the District of Columbia and district courts in U.S. territories and possessions.
[2] Includes cases that reached judgment in the trial court and were appealed.
[3] No data submitted from 22 districts: Delaware, Northern Florida, Southern Florida, Maine, Minnesota, Northern Mississippi, Western Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Eastern Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Eastern Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Eastern Wisconsin, District of Columbia, Colorado, Idaho, and Utah.
[4] No data submitted by Western Arkansas, Nevada, Oregon.
[5] No data submitted by the following districts: Northern Florida, Southern Florida, Nevada, Western District of Virginia, Arizona Territory, Colorado Territory, and New Mexico Territory.
[6] Statistical year changed to July 1-June 30. No data submitted by the following districts: Minnesota, Nevada, Western Texas, Idaho, New Mexico, Washington.
[7] No data submitted by the following districts: Nevada, Arizona, District of Columbia.
[8] No data submitted by the districts of Nevada and Washington.
[9] No data submitted by the territories of Dakota and Montana.
[10] No data submitted by the Northern District of Mississippi.
[11] No data submitted by the districts of Idaho and Wyoming.
[12] No data submitted by the District of Idaho.
[13] No data submitted by the territories of Montana and New Mexico.
[14] No report submitted by Territory of New Mexico.
[15] Dramatic jump from previous year because of 18,077 land cases in eastern Oklahoma not reported the previous year.
[16] Department of Justice adopted new procedures for compiling statistics during the year and published its data based on the old system as separate tables for the first half of the statistical year.
[17] In 1992, the statistical year was changed to coincide with the fiscal year, which ended on September 30. The 1992 report included statistics for cases pending the 12-month period ending September 30, 1991.
[18] Statistical year changed to October 1-September 30.
|
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| Sources: 1870: Annual Report of the Attorney General , p. 4. 1871: Annual Report of the Attorney General (1872), Exhibit A. 1872: Annual Report of the Attorney General , Exhibit C. 1873-1902: Annual Report of the Attorney General , Exhibit A; 1873-1875 includes bankruptcy cases. 1903-1904: Annual Report of the Attorney General , Exhibit 11. 1905-1907: Annual Report of the Attorney General , Exhibit 6. 1908: Annual Report of the Attorney General , Exhibit 7. 1909: Annual Report of the Attorney General , Exhibit 9. 1910-1912: Annual Report of the Attorney General , Appendix 1. 1913: Annual Report of the Attorney General , Appendix 2. 1914-1934: Annual Report of the Attorney General , Exhibit 2. 1935-1939: Annual Report of the Attorney General , Exhibit 2, Table 2A. 1940-1941: Annual Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts , Table 3. 1942-1944: Annual Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts , Table 5. 1945-2017: Annual Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts , Table C-1. |
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