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United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts

Legislative History

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.
April 29, 1802
2 Stat. 156
After repealing the Judiciary Act of 1801, 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.

Authorized Judgeships

1789
1
1922
3
1938
4
1954
5
1961
6
1978
10
1984
12
1990
13
1995
14
2001
13

For additional information, see District of Massachusetts' Boston Division History or Federal Judicial Center's History of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.