Title
Title
Report to the Legislature | 2026 Update of the Judicial Needs Assessment (Action Required)
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Summary
Summary
The Need for New Judgeships in the Superior Courts: 2026 Update of the Judicial Needs Assessment, a report to the Legislature required by Government Code section 69614(c)(1), shows that 231 new judgeships are needed across 22 courts to meet workload demand. This represents a significant increase from the 2022 assessment, which identified a need for 98 judgeships across 17 courts. The increase is driven by updated model parameters from the 2026 Judicial Workload Study--based on data collected through a time study conducted in 2025--and post-pandemic filings data from fiscal year 2022-23 through fiscal year 2024-25. The mandated report also includes information about the conversion of additional subordinate judicial officer positions, as required by Government Code section 69614(c)(3).
As in previous years, the Judicial Council does not need to take action on submission of the report to the Legislature and Governor. However, this year the council is asked to consider a recommendation to establish the 2026 judicial needs assessment as the basis for allocating judgeships that were funded in the Budget Act of 2026 (Stats. 2026, ch. 19) over the next five years to provide courts and the branch with the stability needed for effective long-term planning while ensuring that allocations continue to be grounded in a rigorous, workload-based methodology.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
The Need for New Judgeships in the Superior Courts: 2026 Update of the Judicial Needs Assessment (Attachment A) is submitted to the Judicial Council as an informational item and will be transmitted to the Legislature and the Governor on or before November 1, as required by Government Code section 69614(c)(1) and (3). However, the Data Analytics Advisory Committee (DAAC) recommends that the Judicial Council, effective upon approval of the Judicial Workload Study Update, allocate the 13 judgeships funded over the next five years by the Budget Act of 2026, as shown in Table A2 of Attachment A, which will be filled over the next five years contingent on court readiness and availability of funding and facilities.
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Speakers
Speakers
Mr. Jake Chatters, Chair, Data Analytics Advisory Committee
Hon. Thomas E. Kuhnle (Ret.), Vice-Chair, Data Analytics Advisory Committee
Ms. Kristin Greenaway, Research, Analytics, and Data
Mr. Mustafa Sagir, Research, Analytics, and Data