Diversity in the Judiciary Resources

ABOUT THE DIVERSITY COMMITTEE 

We are a diverse country that requires a diverse judiciary. As an independent association supporting United States Magistrate Judges, the FMJA created the Diversity Committee to promote diversity through activities including outreach and educational programs, providing internship and clerkship opportunities, and mentoring lawyers who aspire to become judges. The FMJA believes a diverse Magistrate Judge bench promotes public confidence in the courts, ensures the judiciary reaps the benefits of judges with wide experience and perspective, and demonstrates the judiciary’s commitment to equal access and justice for all. The FMJA’s belief is neither new nor novel. As Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said, “the life of the law is not just logic and reason. It is also experience.” This is a view embraced by the Judicial Conference of the United States Committee on the Administration of the Magistrate Judges System, and the Committee on Judicial Resources which both recognize the need for diversity in magistrate judge appointments. 

As of fiscal year 2021 (October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021), there were 617 full-time United States Magistrate Judges.  Of those reporting, approximately, 109 were of diverse backgrounds, with 46 identifying as African American, 35 Hispanic, 20 Asian American, 4 two or more races, 3 some other race, and 1 Pacific Islander.[1]  

[1] The Judiciary Fair Employment Practices Annual Report (2021).