One essential duty that the Constitution specifically assigns the president and the Senate is the nomination and confirmation of appellate court and district court judges. How well President Joe Biden and the upper chamber satisfied this profound responsibility came sharply into focus as the 118th Congress adjourned.

In October 2020, candidate Biden astutely observed that President Donald Trump’s selection process had rendered the federal bench “out of whack.” Thus, he vowed to dutifully remedy effects imposed by Trump’s 54 highly conservative appeals court jurists and 174 comparatively similar district appointees. (However, the latter nominees captured appointment more for competence, particularly in expeditiously, inexpensively, and fairly resolving cases.)