DC Judicial Nominations Reform Act: President Gains Direct Control Over All DC Judge Appointments

The “District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act of 2025” is a short bill with a massive impact on how judges are chosen in the nation’s capital. Put simply, this legislation completely eliminates the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission (JNC) and hands the power to appoint all D.C. judges—including the Chief Judge—directly to the President of the United States. This change applies immediately to all judicial appointments made after the bill becomes law (Sec. 2).

The End of the Middleman

Previously, the D.C. court system used a hybrid appointment method. When a judicial vacancy occurred, the JNC—a local, independent body—would vet candidates and send a list of highly qualified names to the President. The President then had to select a nominee from that list. This bill strikes out Section 434 of the D.C. Home Rule Act, which established the JNC, effectively removing that required vetting middleman. For regular judge appointments, the President now nominates candidates directly, without needing a pre-approved list. The same goes for the Chief Judge designation; where the President previously had to base the selection on recommendations, they can now pick the Chief Judge outright (Sec. 2).

What This Means for Local Control

If you live or work in D.C., this shift matters because it centralizes power and removes a key local check on the judicial branch. The JNC was designed to ensure that judicial candidates had local ties and experience relevant to the District’s unique legal landscape. By removing the JNC, the process becomes entirely federalized, meaning the President can nominate anyone who meets the basic qualifications, regardless of local input or vetting. This is a significant structural change that reduces the District’s already limited control over its own government, pushing judicial appointments further away from local accountability and expertise.

The Real-World Impact on Courts

For the average person dealing with the D.C. court system—whether it’s a landlord-tenant dispute, a small business contract issue, or a family law case—the quality and temperament of the judges matter immensely. The JNC acted as a filter, ensuring candidates were not only legally sharp but also understood the community they served. While the new process might be faster and more streamlined by cutting out a step, it opens the door for appointments based purely on political alignment or partisan loyalty, potentially at the expense of local judicial experience. The bill also cleans up the judicial qualification requirements by removing a clause that tied specific qualifications to JNC approval, further simplifying the path for presidential nominees (Sec. 2).