Justice Appointment Schedule¶

Interactive Visualization¶

Published February 2026¶

Based on Rev 2.3 of the Federal Judicial Balance and Accountability Act

The FJBAA replaces the current system -- where appointment timing depends on death, retirement, and actuarial chance -- with a structured schedule that distributes opportunities predictably across presidential terms. This visualization tracks all fifteen Court seats across forty Act Years, showing the full arc from expansion through the transition into steady-state equilibrium.

The schedule proceeds in three phases. During the expansion phase (Act Years 1-11), one seat is added each odd-numbered year, gradually growing the Court from nine to fifteen. A transitional period (Act Years 13-19) follows as the first expansion-appointed justices complete their twelve-year active terms and transition to Senior Justice status, producing four appointments per presidential term. Beginning in Act Year 21, the appointment equalization mechanism ensures exactly five appointments per presidential term -- distributed evenly and predictably regardless of which party controls the White House.

Each justice's twelve-year active term follows three career phases: ten years as Associate Justice, two years as Co-Chief Justice sharing administrative leadership, then transition to Senior Justice with full Article III protections and life tenure. The growing Senior Justice Pool serves as an institutional shock absorber -- providing vacancy coverage, Ethics Review Panel membership, and circuit sitting capacity.

Scroll horizontally to follow the schedule from initial expansion through two full steady-state cycles. Hover over any cell for detail on the seat, career phase, and presidential term.

Prepared by Albert Ramos for The American Policy Architecture Institute