| September 24, 1789 1 Stat. 73 |
The Judiciary Act of 1789 organized Massachusetts as one judicial district, authorized one judgeship for the U.S. district court, and assigned the district to the Eastern Circuit. |
| February 13, 1801 2 Stat. 89 |
The Judiciary Act of 1801 reorganized the federal courts into six circuits and assigned the district of Massachusetts to the First Circuit. |
| March 8, 1802 2 Stat. 132 |
The repeal of the Judiciary Act of 1801 restored the judicial organization in effect before 1801. |
| April 29, 1802 2 Stat. 156 |
Congress in the Judiciary Act of 1802 again organized the federal courts into six circuits and assigned the district of Massachusetts to the First Circuit. |
| September 14, 1922 42 Stat. 837 |
Two temporary judgeships authorized. |
| August 19, 1935 49 Stat. 659 |
Both temporary judgeships made permanent. |
| May 31, 1938 52 Stat. 584 |
One temporary judgeship authorized. |
| November 21, 1941 55 Stat. 773 |
Temporary judgeship made permanent. |
| February 10, 1954 68 Stat. 8 |
One additional judgeship authorized. |
| May 19, 1961 75 Stat. 80 |
One additional judgeship authorized. |
| October 20, 1978 92 Stat. 1629 |
Four additional judgeships authorized. |
| July 10, 1984 98 Stat. 333 |
One additional permanent judgeship and one temporary judgeship authorized. |
| December 1, 1990 104 Stat. 5089 |
One additional judgeship authorized and the temporary judgeship authorized in 1984 made permanent. Under the terms of the act, a new judge is to be appointed to any court from which an active judge "assumes the duties of a full-time office of Federal judicial administration." If the judge assuming such a position returns as an active judge of the court, the first vacancy occurring thereafter will not be filled. This act thus provided for the appointment of another judge to the district court in 1995, when a sitting judge, Rya Zobel, became director of the Federal Judicial Center. |