A new interactive launched by Reuters today examines the composition of the federal appellate bench and U.S. President Donald Trump's impact on the judiciary. 'Courting Change' is a deep dive into how Trump's vow to transform the judiciary is shaping up, and the graphic will evolve over time as new vacancies and appointments come about. Federal appeals courts are the first stop to challenge decisions from the lower U.S. district courts, and they usually have the last word because the U.S. Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, hears fewer than 100 cases a year. Trump has made transforming the federal judiciary one of his top priorities. So far, he has appointed 26 judges to the 13 U.S. appeals courts -- a record pace. The number of Republican and Democratic appointees is generally an indicator of a circuit's conservative-liberal balance. 'Courting Change' provides detailed data on each of the 179 active appeals court judges, drills down on Trump's picks and looks at how the balance of power may begin to shift in some circuits as Trump appoints more judges. It also provides a breakdown of the appeals court judges by gender, age and ethnicity. Visit 'Courting Change' and read more about Trump's influence on the judiciary. [Reuters Press Blog] Media Contact: Heather.Carpenter @ tr.com
