See also: Trial Court Caseloads Since 1870 (graphs)
| U.S. Circuit, District, and Territorial Courts, 1873-1911 U.S. District Courts, 1912-2017[1] |
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|
Year (ending)
|
Commenced
|
Terminated
|
Pending
|
|
1873[2]
|
15,141 a
|
7,276
|
-
|
|
1874[3]
|
19,194
|
11,490
|
-
|
|
1875[4]
|
15,316
|
9,517 b
|
-
|
|
1876
|
11,366
|
7,680 b
|
14,397
|
|
1877[5]
|
10,258
|
7,382 b
|
20,570
|
|
1878[6]
|
11,501
|
9,862 b
|
22,005
|
|
1879[7]
|
12,801
|
8,490 ab
|
19,771
|
|
1880
|
11,397
|
8,603 b
|
26,789
|
|
1881[8]
|
9,727
|
7,603 b
|
24,371
|
|
1882[9]
|
10,530
|
7,439 b
|
23,271
|
|
1883
|
12,124
|
8,327
|
27,791
|
|
1884
|
11,700
|
8,738
|
30,372
|
|
1885[10]
|
11,967
|
8,952
|
29,308
|
|
1886
|
12,326
|
10,109
|
31,455
|
|
1887
|
10,769
|
9,339
|
29,479
|
|
1888
|
9,329
|
8,229
|
34,922
|
|
1889
|
9,173
|
8,080
|
38,872
|
|
1890
|
12,247
|
8,500
|
42,584
|
|
1891
|
12,459
|
9,534
|
39,206
|
|
1892
|
13,236
|
11,307
|
44,809
|
|
1893
|
12,438 a
|
10,398 a
|
45,135
|
|
1894
|
13,567
|
11,988
|
46,816
|
|
1895
|
11,958
|
9,982
|
46,797
|
|
1896
|
10,465
|
9,621
|
45,956
|
|
1897
|
10,255
|
9,712
|
46,453
|
|
1898
|
10,274
|
11,005
|
45,715 a
|
|
1899
|
10,035
|
9,169
|
46,153
|
|
1900
|
10,628
|
10,459
|
46,347
|
|
1901
|
11,400
|
11,391
|
39,693
|
|
1902
|
11,514
|
11,094
|
40,158
|
|
1903
|
11,952
|
10,526
|
41,317 c
|
|
1904
|
13,085
|
10,986
|
42,799 c
|
|
1905
|
13,992
|
12,085
|
46,332 c
|
|
1906
|
14,299
|
13,731
|
46,451 c
|
|
1907
|
15,801
|
11,809 b
|
43,878 c
|
|
1908
|
11,703
|
9,128
|
41,658 c
|
|
1909
|
9,985
|
8,811
|
43,387 c
|
|
1910
|
10,618
|
9,445
|
43,831 c
|
|
1911
|
10,191
|
9,543
|
54,911 c
|
|
1912
|
10,992
|
11,633
|
54,210 c
|
|
1913
|
11,183
|
13,781
|
51,322 c
|
|
1914
|
12,146
|
13,344
|
51,537 c
|
|
1915
|
11,690
|
11,786
|
59,546 c
|
|
1916
|
13,852
|
19,159
|
54,211 c
|
|
1917
|
14,017
|
16,419
|
51,099 c
|
|
1918
|
13,879
|
26,370
|
37,889 c
|
|
1919
|
13,825
|
22,057
|
29,706 c
|
|
1920
|
16,383
|
13,357
|
32,654 c
|
|
1921
|
22,453
|
16,886
|
35,991 c
|
|
1922
|
22,099
|
17,996
|
39,733 c
|
|
1923
|
19,717
|
18,879
|
40,193 c
|
|
1924
|
20,458
|
20,332
|
40,355 c
|
|
1925
|
21,716
|
23,536
|
38,638 c
|
|
1926
|
21,217
|
21,487
|
38,173 c
|
|
1927
|
22,968
|
22,554
|
38,242 c
|
|
1928
|
23,750
|
22,641
|
39,223 c
|
|
1929
|
20,980
|
22,657
|
37,503 c
|
|
1930
|
23,391
|
23,743
|
37,151
|
|
1931
|
24,000
|
24,375
|
36,776
|
|
1932
|
26,326
|
26,045
|
37,057
|
|
1933
|
26,656
|
26,074
|
37,614 c
|
|
1934
|
26,472
|
28,035
|
36,051
|
|
Jul 1 - Dec 31, 1934[11]
|
12,376
|
12,172
|
27,782 c
|
|
Jan 1 - Jun 30, 1935
|
10,432
|
10,583
|
31,949 c
|
|
1936
|
26,334
|
20,989
|
31,455 c
|
|
1937
|
22,697
|
26,013
|
28,139
|
|
1938
|
22,065
|
25,484
|
24,790 c
|
|
1939
|
21,598
|
23,848
|
22,540
|
|
1940
|
21,090
|
23,364
|
20,240
|
|
1941
|
21,931
|
23,364
|
18,807
|
|
1942
|
21,067
|
22,488
|
17,386
|
|
1943
|
17,717
|
20,124
|
14,979
|
|
1944
|
17,604
|
17,446
|
15,137
|
|
1945
|
17,855
|
16,753
|
16,239
|
|
1946
|
22,141
|
18,438
|
19,942
|
|
1947
|
29,122
|
23,091
|
25,973
|
|
1948
|
30,344
|
26,418
|
29,899
|
|
1949
|
31,386
|
28,159
|
33,126
|
|
1950
|
32,193
|
30,494
|
34,825
|
|
1951
|
32,176
|
31,419
|
35,582
|
|
1952
|
35,548
|
32,610
|
38,520
|
|
1953
|
40,120
|
35,384
|
43,256
|
|
1954
|
39,512
|
37,009
|
45,759
|
|
1955
|
39,225
|
37,363
|
47,621
|
|
1956
|
41,001
|
42,756
|
45,866
|
|
1957
|
42,466
|
42,459
|
45,873
|
|
1958
|
45,657
|
40,568
|
50,962
|
|
1959
|
37,445
|
40,811
|
47,596
|
|
1960
|
38,444
|
40,835
|
45,205
|
|
1961
|
38,450
|
36,048
|
47,607
|
|
1962
|
41,538
|
38,203
|
50,942
|
|
1963
|
42,245
|
40,826
|
52,361
|
|
1964
|
44,662
|
42,144
|
54,879
|
|
1965
|
46,027
|
44,369
|
56,537
|
|
1966
|
47,725
|
44,300
|
59,962
|
|
1967
|
49,368
|
47,473
|
61,857
|
|
1968
|
51,783
|
49,147
|
64,493
|
|
1969
|
54,898
|
52,337
|
67,054
|
|
1970
|
62,356
|
56,668
|
72,742
|
|
1971
|
68,310
|
61,704
|
79,348
|
|
1972
|
69,444
|
69,065
|
79,727
|
|
1973
|
71,076
|
70,912
|
79,891
|
|
1974
|
75,945
|
70,931
|
84,905
|
|
1975
|
85,541
|
76,834
|
93,612
|
|
1976
|
90,733
|
78,444
|
105,901
|
|
1977
|
90,357
|
82,700
|
113,558
|
|
1978
|
91,959
|
86,515
|
119,002
|
|
1979
|
98,826
|
96,139
|
121,689
|
|
1980
|
105,161
|
99,416
|
127,433 c
|
|
1981
|
118,731
|
111,892
|
134,271 c
|
|
1982
|
130,420
|
117,224
|
147,468 c
|
|
1983
|
146,039
|
131,545
|
161,970 c
|
|
1984
|
149,618
|
142,822
|
168,767 c
|
|
1985
|
156,182
|
148,423
|
176,526
|
|
1986
|
162,998
|
155,211
|
184,317 c
|
|
1987
|
166,960
|
162,339
|
189,098 c
|
|
1988
|
170,558
|
170,258
|
189,378 c
|
|
1989
|
171,623
|
168,586
|
189,601 c
|
|
1990
|
161,579
|
157,285
|
197,622 c
|
|
1991
|
155,088
|
160,151
|
192,559
|
|
1991[12]
|
-
|
-
|
177,313
|
|
1992[13]
|
167,909
|
169,334
|
171,244 c
|
|
1993
|
178,126
|
171,735
|
174,457 c
|
|
1994
|
190,981
|
181,065
|
182,413 c
|
|
1995
|
205,177
|
183,325
|
197,139 c
|
|
1996
|
220,377
|
203,615
|
212,439 c
|
|
1997
|
212,023
|
199,050
|
225,009 c
|
|
1998
|
198,935
|
202,855
|
217,495 c
|
|
1999
|
194,828
|
211,217
|
200,447 c
|
|
2000
|
188,408
|
192,418
|
197,166 c
|
|
2001
|
187,583
|
183,993
|
198,960 c
|
|
2002
|
220,844
|
202,859
|
212,732 c
|
|
2003
|
203,762
|
201,227
|
212,004 c
|
|
2004
|
232,876
|
201,990
|
241,264 c
|
|
2005
|
200,887
|
219,628
|
221,888 c
|
|
2006
|
215,247
|
225,586
|
208,218 c
|
|
2007
|
212,043
|
194,018
|
226,748 c
|
|
2008
|
223,093
|
189,381
|
257,271 c
|
|
2009
|
233,253
|
221,461
|
273,645 c
|
|
2010
|
239,858
|
268,729
|
244,252 c
|
|
2011
|
242,383
|
259,855
|
224,259 c
|
|
2012
|
230,750
|
226,014
|
226,714 c
|
|
2013
|
236,365
|
208,572
|
254,514 c
|
|
2014
|
250,367
|
211,728
|
293,297 c
|
|
2015
|
237,453
|
230,273
|
300,276 c
|
|
2016
|
231,715
|
225,005
|
306,986
|
|
2017
|
223,378
|
238,654
|
291,384
|
|
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: discrepancy between exhibit and text of report b: totaled from cases reported as admiralty, bankruptcy (1875 only), and other suits c: revised total presented in the subsequent year's report |
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| Notes :
[1] Beginning in 1881, includes the District of Columbia and district courts in U.S. territories and possessions.
[2] 1873-1875 includes bankruptcy cases.
[3] No data submitted by the following districts: Eastern Arkansas, Northern Florida, Western Missouri, Western Texas, Arizona, District of Columbia.
[4] No report submitted by the following districts: Eastern Missouri, Northern Ohio, Western Virginia, Eastern Wisconsin, District of Columbia, and Washington.
[5] No report submitted by the Northern District of Ohio.
[6] No data submitted by the Northern District of Mississippi.
[7] No data submitted by the following districts: Southern Florida, Kentucky, and Western Texas. No data on circuit court business was submitted by the Northern District of New York.
[8] No reports submitted by Southern District of Georgia.
[9] No report received by the following districts and territories: Northern Florida, Southern Georgia, New Hampshire, Northern New York, Arizona, Dakota, District of Columbia, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Washington, Wyoming.
[10] No report submitted by the territory of New Mexico.
[11] 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 year.
[12] In 1992, the statistical year was changed to coincide with the fiscal year, which ended on September 30. The 1992 report included statistics for the 12-month period ending September 30, 1991, which is included here.
[13] Statistical year changed to ending September 30.
|
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| Sources: 1873-1880: Annual Report of the Attorney General , Exhibit C. 1881-1902: Annual Report of the Attorney General , Exhibit D. 1903-1904: Annual Report of the Attorney General , Exhibit 14. 1905-1907: Annual Report of the Attorney General , Exhibit 9. 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: Annual Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts , Table 4. 1941: Annual Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts , Table 3. 1942-44: 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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