Federal district courts in 2025
U.S. Courts reports that civil filings in district courts increased 4 percent to 303,563 in fiscal year 2025. Because civil terminations exceeded filings, pending civil cases fell 19 percent to 432,923. Combined pending civil cases and criminal defendants stood at 541,945.
What the decline means
A falling pending total is meaningful within the series, but it should not be translated into a national all-courts backlog. Federal district courts are only one part of the U.S. judiciary, and multidistrict litigation can materially affect annual civil totals.
AI and federal court work
Potential uses include record search, transcript review, administrative routing and professional drafting support. AI-generated and AI-processed evidence also raises questions of authentication, reliability and foundation, which U.S. Courts highlighted in its 2026 discussion of evidence rules.
A balanced dashboard
- Filings and terminations by case type.
- Pending cases and age distribution.
- Weighted workload where available.
- Vacancies and judicial capacity.
- Time to disposition and trial activity.
- Quality and correction measures for any AI-assisted process.
See AI lawsuits for related U.S. orders and disputes.