APPENDIX 1 - COURT SUPPORT STAFFING
Appendix 1.1

This appendix discusses court support staffing for probation and 

pretrial services offices, courts of appeals, and district and 

bankruptcy courts. It also includes workload used to help 

determine staffing requirements in the courts, and a program 

statement explaining the purpose of these programs. 

Probation and Pretrial Services

Table A-1.1 Probation and Pretrial Services Workload Indicators1 

2022 Actual 

(% Change 

from Previous 

Yr.) 2

2023 Actual 

(% Change 

from Previous 

Yr.) 2

2024 Projected 

(% Change 

from Previous 

Yr.) 3

175,822 174,813 172,700

-0.3% -0.6% -1.2%

55,471 51,606 48,400

4.8% -7.0% -6.2%

67,701 68,816 66,300

-5.5% 1.6% -3.7%

62,829 63,126 61,800

31.9% 0.5% -2.1%

Convicted Offenders 

Supervised in the 

Community

Charged Defendants 

Supervised in the 

Community

Investigative Reports 

Completed for Bail 

Determinations

Investigative Reports 

Completed for Sentencing 

Determinations

1/For 2023 through 2024, the number of convicted persons and charged defendants 

supervised in the community reflects persons initially received for supervision, under 

supervision for the entire period, or under supervision at the start of the period and 

closed. Persons with cases that fall in more than one of these three categories are 

counted only once. 

2/Actual data for 2022 and 2023 is based on the 12-month period ending June 30.

3/Estimates for 2024 are based on projections for the 12-month period ending June 30.

Probation and Pretrial Service Officers

Probation officers are federal law enforcement officers that 

protect the community. They work with persons under 

supervision “post-conviction,” after they are tried and found guilty 

of a federal crime and after they are released from prison. Using 

techniques grounded in social science research, otherwise known 

as evidence-based practices or research-to-results, probation 

officers work with persons under supervision to assist them in 

becoming contributing members of the community and leading 

crime-free lives. Officers assess each person under supervision’s 

risk of recidivism; identify dynamic risk factors that, when 

addressed, affect the individual’s likelihood to engage in future 

criminal activity; and apply supervision interventions tailored to 

reduce risk. These interventions include helping persons under 

supervision to either reestablish, or secure for the first time, 

appropriate housing, employment, and legitimate community 

relationships. Officers also provide cognitive skills counseling 

and leverage programs offered by other federal agencies and local

social service organizations. Probation officers make sure that 

persons under supervision comply with release conditions set by 

the court and address any issues that affect their ability to comply. 

The officers monitor persons under supervision through phone 

calls and personal contacts and direct them to services that help 

persons under supervision, including substance abuse or mental 

health treatment, medical care, training, and employment 

assistance. Without probation officers, the court would not be 
Appendix 1.2

able to manage the risk that persons under supervision pose to 

individuals or the community by verifying their locations and 

employment, monitoring their associates, restricting their travel, 

and taking actions to make sure they obey the law.

Pretrial services officers work with defendants after they are 

charged with federal crimes and while they are awaiting trial. 

They help ensure that defendants released to the community 

commit no crimes while awaiting trial and return to court as 

required. 

Both probation and pretrial services officers investigate 

defendants and persons under supervision for the court by 

gathering and verifying information about them. Their 

investigations involve interviews with defendants and persons 

under supervision to find out about their backgrounds, including 

family, education, employment, finances, physical and mental 

health, and alcohol or drug abuse. Officers perform criminal 

history record checks and interview other people who can provide 

helpful information, such as family members, employers, and law 

enforcement officials. They also review records, such as court, 

school, military, financial, and employment records. 

This information is used to produce a pretrial services report and 

presentence report. The pretrial services report recommends 

whether to release or detain the defendant before trial and 

addresses whether the defendant is likely to stay out of trouble and 

return to court as required. The presentence report recommends 

sentencing options under the federal sentencing guidelines,

addresses the offense’s impact on the victim, and determines the 

person under supervision’s ability to pay fines and restitution. It 

also recommends release conditions for the court to impose to 

help structure the person under supervision’s movement and 

behavior in the community. Release conditions are tailored to the 

individual. For example, the court may require that the person 

under supervision get drug testing and treatment, find and keep a 

job, or be placed on location monitoring.

As explained in the courts’ Salaries and Expenses chapter, 

Department of Justice prosecution activity as well as the 

enactment and implementation of the First Step Act (FSA) have 

had a significant impact on the workload of the probation and 

pretrial services program. Leading up to the pandemic, workload 

throughout the probation and pretrial services system was 

increasing due to the government’s prosecutorial practices and the 

early release of inmates as a result of the FSA. Workload 

declined during the peak of the pandemic; however, it is expected 

to rise in 2024 as a result of the recent adoption of the U.S. 

Sentencing Commission (Commission) amendments to the 

compassionate release policy statement and criminal history 

guidelines, both of which took effect on November 1, 2023.
Appendix 1.3 

Table A-1.2 Persons Under Supervision by Type of Supervision 1 

Year Probation Supervised Release Parole BOP Custody Total

ACTUAL2 2013 21,114 109,516 1,473 259 132,362

2014 19,903 111,076 1,373 245 132,597

2015 19,191 112,750 1,245 242 133,428

2016 18,275 118,318 1,140 149 137,882

2017 17,139 117,662 1,003 143 135,947

2018 15,740 114,278 920 98 131,036

2019 15,179 111,943 893 105 128,120

2020 14,063 111,710 837 265 126,875

2021 12,415 110,700 736 398 124,249

2022 12,443 110,811 652 261 124,167

2023 12,149 110,965 535 203 123,852

ESTIMATED3 2024 11,900 111,300 500 200 123,900

1

Includes only those cases that are open for supervision as of June 30 of the corresponding year. 

2

Actual data for 2013 through 2023 as of June 30 of the corresponding year. 

3

Estimates for 2024 are based on projections for June 30, 2024. 
Appendix 1.4 

Table A-1.3 The Changing Supervision Population - Persons Under Supervision on Probation vs. Persons Under Supervision 

Released from Prison1

Year Total

ACTUAL3 2013 21,114 16% 111,248 84% 132,362

2014 19,903 15% 112,694 85% 132,597

2015 19,191 14% 114,237 86% 133,428

2016 18,275 13% 119,607 87% 137,882

2017 17,139 13% 118,808 87% 135,947

2018 15,740 12% 115,296 88% 131,036

2019 15,179 12% 112,941 88% 128,120

2020 14,063 11% 112,812 89% 126,875

2021 12,415 10% 111,834 90% 124,249

2022 12,443 10% 111,724 90% 124,167

2023 12,149 10% 111,703 90% 123,852

ESTIMATED4 2024 11,900 10% 112,000 90% 123,900

Offenders on Probation Offenders Released from Prison2

1

Includes only those cases that are open for supervision as of June 30 of the corresponding year. 

 2Includes terms of supervised release, parole, mandatory release, and military parole.

 3Actual data for 2013 through 2023 is based on the 12-month period ending June 30.

 4Estimates for 2024 are based on projections for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2024. 
Appendix 1.5 

District Courts 

Table A-1.4 Major District Court Workload Indicators1 

Filings 2022 Actual 2023 Estimate 2024 Estimate

55,220 54,366 52,600

-7.2% -1.5% -3.2%

69,466 67,651 65,800

-7.9% -2.6% -2.7%

293,762 295,215 337,900

-21.5% 0.5% 14.5%

Criminal Case 

Filings

Criminal 

Defendants 

Filed

Civil Case 

Filings 2

1

Data for each year is for the 12-month period ending June 30. 

2 The historically large numbers of civil filings projected in the 12-

month periods ending June 30, 2024 are mainly due to a large 

increase in diversity of citizenship and other civil case forecasted 

filings. 

 

District Clerks

The clerks’ offices are the public business offices for the 

district courts and provide specific centralized management in 

case-related and logistical areas. Employees in clerks’ offices 

perform essential functions necessary for the operation of the 

courts, such as: 

• attorney admissions to practice in the district; 

• case intake, docketing of pleadings and motions; 

• service of process, events scheduling, receipting and 

accounting for fees and fines collected; 

• case tracking, provision of court reporting, and court 

interpreting services; 

• alternative dispute resolution programs; 

• statistical reporting; 

• training attorneys on the case management system 

(CM/ECF), and

• jury management. 

All these functions are essential elements in processing 

criminal cases and resolving civil cases. Public and private 

sector entities rely on effective case processing by the clerks’ 

offices. 

The proper functioning of the district court clerks’ offices 

enhances the efficiency of the offices of the U.S. Attorney, U.S. 

Marshals Service, Federal Public Defender, and Probation and 

Pretrial Services. Other participants, including litigants, 

attorneys, witnesses, court reporters, court interpreters, expert 

witnesses, the media, and jurors are also impacted by the 

effective operations of the clerks’ offices. To enable these 

court participants to work together effectively, the clerk’s office 

manages courtroom space, information technology services, 

audio and video systems, budget decentralization, personnel 

administration, and other administrative functions, as well as 

the support required in the courtroom for the proper functioning 

of proceedings. The judicial system benefits from the 
Appendix 1.6 

professional management services provided by the clerks’ 

offices.

As explained in the courts’ Salaries and Expenses chapter,

criminal case filings are, in part, influenced by the number of 

U.S. Attorneys and the emphasis placed on prosecution of 

offenses, such as illegal immigration, drug crimes, and 

violations of firearms laws. Comparing year-to-year criminal 

filings during the 12-months ending June 30, aggregate 

criminal filings declined from 2020 thru 2023 and are 

projected to decrease 3.2 percent in 2024. Despite these 

national trends, significant spikes in caseload are possible in 

particular districts due to more localized factors. For example, 

on July 9, 2020, the Supreme Court held in McGirt v. 

Oklahoma, 591 U.S. __ (2020), that land in northeastern 

Oklahoma reserved for the Creek Nation pursuant to the 1832 

Treaty with the Creeks remains “Indian country” for purposes 

of the Major Crimes Act (MCA) because Congress has never 

expressly disestablished the reservation. District courts in 

Oklahoma are continuing to experience significant increases in 

federal prosecutions stemming the Supreme Court’s McGirt v 

Oklahoma decision and further decisions have continued to 

define the parameters of McGirt. As of September 2023, postMcGirt annual criminal case filings have increased by 50.9 

percent in the Northern District of Oklahoma and by 99.0 

percent in the Eastern District of Oklahoma compared to 

September 2020. The number of defendants increased by 61.8 

1 A district court has subject matter jurisdiction based on diversity of 

citizenship when the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000, exclusive of 

interest and costs, and is between parties not from the same state or country. 

percent in the Northern District of Oklahoma and by 65.7 

percent in the Eastern District of Oklahoma over the same 

period. 

Civil case filings are driven by prisoner petitions, social 

security cases, U.S. plaintiff recovery cases, large-volume 

multi-district litigation cases, and diversity of citizenship 

cases1. Also, civil case filings decreased significantly from the 

previous year, in large part to the continued decrease in tort 

actions filed in product liability and personal injury cases as 

part of the multidistrict litigation (MDL) Case No. 2885 (In Re: 

3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation) in the 

Northern District of Florida. Court Interpreters

The district courts use both staff and contract court interpreters. 

Staff court interpreters serve in district courts with a substantial 

daily need for interpreting services. This is particularly true in 

courts along the border with Mexico and courts located in large 

metropolitan areas, where locating, scheduling, and contracting 

with court interpreters is not practical due to their frequent need 

for interpreting services. 

Spanish is the most frequently needed language for interpreting 

events in the courts, comprising about 95 percent of all reported 

interpreted events in FY 2023. In FY 2023, there were 148,379 

court events that required the services of an interpreter, with 

141,088 of those in Spanish. 
Appendix 1.7 

Pro Se Law Clerks

The objective of the pro se law clerk program is to receive, 

prepare, and process civil complaints filed against the 

government by prisoners and other individuals without attorney 

representation. Pro se law clerks review complaints for 

procedural adequacy to permit judges to proceed with the 

disposition of the cases. This conserves judicial resources — 

without pro se law clerks, district judges and magistrate judges 

would have to perform this work. The number of pro se law 

clerks is determined by a formula driven by prisoner etition 

filings. For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2023, there 

were 49,995 such petitions filed. This represents a 9.2 percent 

increase from the 45.778 filings in statistical year 2022. 

Death Penalty Law Clerks

Death penalty law clerks serve both as substantive legal 

resources to judges in death penalty habeas corpus matters, and 

as case management monitors, since capital cases are generally 

lengthy and involve numerous issues. The staffing formula for 

these positions provides credit for death penalty cases pending 

in federal court that are not stayed. Courts must have three 

pending death penalty cases to be eligible for a half-time 

position, and nine cases for a full-time position. For the 12-

month period ending June 30, 2023, there were 451 pending, 

unstayed death penalty cases in the district courts. 

Appendix 1.9 

Courts of Appeals and Circuit Units

Table A-1.7 Appellate Court Workload1 

2022 

Actual

2023 

Estimate

2024 

Estimate

-8.1% -3.3% 2.2%

Appeals Filings 42,094 40,713 41,600

1

For the 12-month periods ending June 30. 

Circuit Executives

The principal responsibility of the circuit executive’s office is 

to act as the secretariat for the circuit’s judicial council and its 

committees, and in some circuits, for the court of appeals and 

its committees. In this capacity, the circuit executives’ offices 

participate in policy oversight and assist in many areas of 

circuit-wide importance. These include planning for the 

effective and efficient use of space and facilities, information 

technology, budget decentralization, and planning and 

organizing the circuit’s judicial conference. The circuit 

executives’ offices also provide vital administrative and 

logistical support to the courts of appeals, including 

information technology, procurement, budget management, and 

personnel administration. 

Appellate Clerks

The clerks’ offices are the public business offices for the 

appellate courts and provide specific centralized management in 

case-related and logistical areas. Employees in clerks’ offices 

perform essential functions necessary for the operation of the 

courts, such as: 

• recording and maintaining all case filings, including 

public records and information needs; 

• providing guidance to lawyers, litigants, and the public; 

• distributing case materials to judges for decisionmaking; and 

• providing vital logistical support. 

The case-related workload of the clerks’ offices can fluctuate 

with changes in case filings. 

Case decisions in appellate courts are made either by panels of 

three judges or, in some instances, by an en banc court, where 

all the judges on the court review the case. Appellate judges 

reside in locations throughout the geographic area of a circuit. 

Appellate clerks’ offices are situated at the headquarters of the 

circuit, providing a central public business office for the judges, 

lawyers, litigants, and the public. Clerks’ offices receive case 

materials for filing, maintain the central files, and arrange for 

judges to convene in panels as necessary for case decisions. 

Inquiries about cases, procedures, and related matters are 

directed to the clerks’ offices. Materials are assembled, as 

appropriate, and dispatched to judges. Lawyers are advised of 

the schedule for decision-making. Decisions are made after 
Appendix 1.10

oral argument hearings or submissions on briefs that are 

scheduled by the clerks’ offices. Decisions are filed in the 

clerks’ offices, which are then responsible for distribution of 

the decisions to the parties and the public, including posting on 

court websites. 

Staff Attorneys

Staff attorneys are central legal staff who assist the court in the 

disposition of appeals. Cases handled may include direct 

criminal appeals involving sentencing guidelines issues; all pro 

se appeals, including collateral attacks on criminal convictions 

by state and federal prisoners, and civil rights suits under 42 

U.S.C. § 1983; employment discrimination cases; immigration 

cases; social security appeals; emergency matters; original 

proceedings; counseled motions; and death penalty cases. 

Staff attorney offices currently assist their courts by handling an 

estimated 45 – 60 percent of the case related work. The work 

has increased in complexity, largely due to major legislative 

changes affecting prisoner and habeas law. Staff attorneys may 

also assist with attorney discipline matters, support CJA 

matters, and produce orientation programs for judges and law 

clerks. Staff attorney legal review of pro se and counseled 

cases materially assists the judges and contributes to timely 

dispositions.

Pro se cases represented 46.3 percent of national appellate 

filings in FY 2023. Staffing resources are provided through a 

formula derived from work measurement studies. The current 

formula is driven primarily by case filings and is refreshed 

periodically.

Circuit Mediators

Circuit mediators facilitate the disposition of cases on appeal 

through negotiated settlements, without appellate judicial 

involvement. Circuit mediators are skilled, seasoned lawyers 

who perform sensitive, confidential settlement work. The 

attorneys often can streamline or dispose of issues in cases not 

easily settled. Distinct from staff attorneys, circuit mediators 

promote the voluntary settlement or withdrawal of appeals 

without court action. The program conserves judicial resources 

and improves appellate case management.

Librarians

The national court library program is a network of 12 circuit 

headquarters libraries and 83 smaller satellite libraries, typically 

located in district courthouses. Although the library program 

falls administratively under the courts of appeals, court 

librarians serve and support the information and research needs 

of all federal courts and judges: appellate, district, magistrate, 

and bankruptcy. In addition to federal judges, library services 

are provided to tens of thousands of judiciary researchers, 

including law clerks and chambers staff, staff attorneys, 

mediators, clerks of court, probation and pretrial services 

personnel, and public defenders. Many court libraries also 

serve the public, including pro se litigants and bar association 

members.

Librarians deliver comprehensive research, reference, and 

instruction services, and procure and facilitate access to the 

most reliable, authoritative, accurate, and up-to-date research 
Appendix 1.11

resources. Library staff members also manage the acquisition 

and development of chambers’ legal resource collections.

To support the information needs of on-site personnel as well as 

remote users within their broad and geographically dispersed 

areas, court libraries implement digital communication 

technologies, deliver web-based training services, and provide 

comprehensive online access to research collections. Librarians 

design website and internet resources, develop online research 

guides, create current event awareness services that push 

content directly to their users, and support the design and 

publication of court materials. Subject specialization and deep 

legal and jurisdictional expertise are required of court 

librarians, as well as the ability to support multidisciplinary 

research in economics, science, medicine, social sciences, 

engineering, technology, and other business- and industryspecific fields.

Bankruptcy Appellate Panel Clerks

The Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1994 requires that each circuit 

establish a Bankruptcy Appellate Panel (BAP) unless the 

judicial council of the circuit finds that either there are 

insufficient judicial resources in the circuit, or the establishment 

of a BAP would result in undue delay or increased cost to 

parties in bankruptcy cases. There are currently five BAPs 

nationally. A BAP is composed of bankruptcy judges within a 

circuit who are appointed by the circuit’s judicial council to 

decide, with the consent of all parties, appeals from bankruptcy 

court decisions. Even where a BAP exists, bankruptcy appeals 

may be heard by the district court, if a party so chooses. 

A BAP requires a minimum of four bankruptcy judges, each 

from a different district, because the legislation prohibits a 

bankruptcy judge from hearing an appeal that originated in the 

district for which he or she was appointed. The BAP clerks’ 

offices have support functions and responsibilities similar to the 

appellate clerks’ offices.

As explained in the courts’ Salaries and Expenses chapter, the 

judiciary currently projects that appellate case filings will 

increase in 2024 mainly due to projected small decreases in 

criminal appeals offset by significant increases in other appeals, 

which include bankruptcy appeals and administrative agency 

appeals. Administration initiatives, legislative initiatives, and 

court decisions can have significant effects on some annual 

totals. 
Appendix 1.12

Bankruptcy Courts 

Table A-1.8 Bankruptcy Court Workload1 

2022 2023

Actual Actual

380,634 418,724 473,300

-17.7% 10.0% 13.0%

2024 

Estimate

Bankruptcy 

Filings

1

For the 12-month periods ending June 30.

Bankruptcy Clerks

The clerk’s office is responsible for administrative activities 

pertaining to processing bankruptcy case filings. Employees in 

clerks’ offices perform essential functions necessary for the 

operation of the courts, such as: 

• case tracking and scheduling, including the use of the 

case management system (CM/ECF); 

• statistical reporting; and 

• receipting and accounting for fees and fines collected. 

All these functions are essential elements in processing 

bankruptcy cases. Public and private sector entities rely on 

effective bankruptcy case processing by the clerks’ offices. 

The bankruptcy court clerks’ offices facilitate processing cases, 

which helps individuals, attorneys, and businesses filing and 

participating in cases nationwide. To enable court participants 

to work together effectively, the clerks’ offices manage 

courtroom space, information technology services, audio and 

video systems, decentralized court budgets, personnel 

administration, and other administrative functions, as well as 

the support required in the courtroom for proceedings. 

The judicial system, and community, benefit from the 

professional management services provided by the bankruptcy 

clerks’ offices.

Bankruptcy Administrators 

Nearly all bankruptcy cases are administered by an impartial 

case trustee. In most bankruptcy courts, case trustees are 

overseen by the United States Trustee Program, which is a 

component of the Department of Justice. The United States 

Trustee assigns trustees to cases, maintains and appoints the 

panel of trustees, monitors the conduct of parties in cases, 

oversees related administrative functions, and acts to ensure 

compliance with applicable laws and procedures. 

However, two states—Alabama and North Carolina—operate 

under a different structure. In each of the six judicial districts 

within those two states, a bankruptcy administrator oversees 

case administration and performs the bulk of the duties required 

of United States Trustees. Bankruptcy administrators are 

employed and overseen by the judiciary but have virtually the 

same authority as a United States Trustee. 

Bankruptcy Filings 

As explained in the courts’ Salaries and Expenses chapter,

bankruptcy filings decreased each year from 2010 to 2022, but 

have begun to rebound, increasing 10 percent for the 12 months 
Appendix 1.13

ending June 2023. Further increases in filings are expected 

based on historical trends that suggest bankruptcies trail 

adverse economic conditions. Because filing levels drive 

staffing needs in bankruptcy courts, such increases will result in 

additional workload impacts on bankruptcy courts. A sudden 

spike in filings may result in courts facing challenges in 

processing these filings. 
Appendix 1.14

Table A-1.9 Components of Bankruptcy Filings 

ACTUAL1 2013 778,845 10,139 348,994 1,137,978

2014 669,976 8829 321,278 1,000,083

2015 568,679 7,112 303,945 879,736

2016 509,769 8,532 300,858 819,159

2017 489,011 7,628 299,398 796,037

2018 479,151 7,686 288,741 775,578

2019 475,069 7,876 290,416 773,361

2020 436,919 8,345 237,099 682,363

2021 335,886 7,559 118,864 462,309

2022 239,750 4,715 136,169 380,634

2023 239,215 6,147 173,362 418,724

ESTIMATED2 2024 276,000 8,000 189,300 473,300

Chapter 7 Chapter 13 Total Chapters 9, 11, 

12, & 15 Year 

1

Actual data for 2013 through 2023 is based on the 12-month periods ending June 30. 

2 Estimates for 2024 are based on projections for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2024.