---
title: America’s Graying Judiciary
date: 2024-10-25T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/americas-graying-judiciary"
section: Articles
---
# America’s Graying Judiciary

*October 25, 2024* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih)


> Professor’s New Book Delves Into Consequences of Letting Federal Judges Serve for Life

*Elderly judges 1920x1080 — Federal judges are older than ever, with the median age hitting 70 for the first time last year amid discussion spurred by the presidential election about how age can impact fitness for public office.*

Back when leeches and dentures were considered top-notch medical care for first President George Washington and the average American lifespan was around 35 years, giving federal judges lifetime tenure seemed like a reasonable idea.

Cemented in the U.S. Constitution by the Founding Fathers in 1787, the rule was meant to ensure judicial impartiality, shielding judges from changing political tides. But a University of Maryland political science scholar says those intentions are increasingly butting up against reality.

In 2023, the median age of a federal judge hit 70 for the first time. In fact, 10% of federal judges are 85 years or older, and at least one 100-year-old judge has remained on the bench in 21 of the last 28 years.

“People are living longer, justices and judges are serving longer, and we know a lot more about how the brain functions and declines,” said [government and politics](https://gvpt.umd.edu/) Professor Patrick Wohlfarth. Neuroscience shows that as people get older, they process information more slowly, have memory and reasoning lapses, and rely more on shortcuts, leading to the question: “What are the consequences of having an aging judiciary?”


*Cover of book "Cognitive Aging and the Federal Circuit Courts: How Senescence Influences the Law and Judges"*




**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [Books](https://today.umd.edu/topic/books), [Government and Politics](https://today.umd.edu/topic/government-and-politics), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research)


**Units:** [College of Behavioral and Social Sciences](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-behavioral-and-social-sciences)