Trade Bar Association Call for CIT Judicial Appointments

The two judicial vacancies at The Court of International Trade are unduly burdening the court, The Customs & International Trade Bar Association said in an April 20 letter to White House Counsel Stuart Delery. The letter urged President Joe Biden to quickly nominate judges for the two outstanding vacancies.

As the impact of international trade on the U.S. economy continues to grow, so does the need for "just, impartial, and efficient adjudication of international trade disputes," CITBA said. The longstanding vacancies have compromised the court's ability to provide for “just, speedy, and inexpensive" determinations before it, CITBA said, citing a 10% drop in the share of opinions authored by full-time judges. CIT is the only federal court without a pending nominee to fill a judicial vacancy.

CITBA said it is confident there are strong candidates with international trade and customs law experience to fill the vacancies on the court and offered to assist the Senate Judiciary Committee by providing its views on potential judicial nominees.