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Judicial Nominee Tracker

Judicial Nominee Tracker

In an era of unprecedented judicial polarization and political influence, AFJ’s research into federal judicial nominees serves as a crucial line of defense for democracy, the rule of law, and civil rights.

Vacancy Tracker

Vacancy Tracker

Understand the current state of the federal judiciary with this tracker that provides a clear, comprehensive view of where judicial vacancies exist and how long they’ve been open.

Senior Status Tracker

Senior Status Tracker

Our Senior Status Tracker provides a comprehensive breakdown of all active Article III judges who are either currently eligible — or will become eligible — for senior status.

Additional Research & Reporting

Loyalty Litmus: The First Year of Trump 2.0’s Federal Courts

Loyalty Litmus: The First Year of Trump 2.0’s Federal Courts

A new report from Alliance for Justice, Loyalty Litmus: The First Year of Trump 2.0’s Federal Courts, illustrates how Trump’s judicial nominees have been just as lacking in diversity as those from his first term, but their extremism has greatly increased.

Labor & Economic Justice Factsheet

Labor & Economic Justice Factsheet

Trump-appointed judges vote for corporations and against working people.

Why Whitney Hermandorfer Is Unfit to Judge

Why Whitney Hermandorfer Is Unfit to Judge

From her extreme ideological positions to her limited experience, Hermandorfer poses a serious threat to fair and independent decision-making in a a lifetime seat on the Sixth Circuit.

Democracy & Voting Rights Factsheet

Democracy & Voting Rights Factsheet

Trump judges have weakened our democracy by siding with those who seek to undermine democratic representation and limit voting rights.

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See All Judicial Nominees

Phil Axt

Nominated Trump 2.0

Nominated for the United States District Court for North Dakota

AFJ Opposes
Court District Court
Date Nominated August 20, 2026

On August 20, 2026, President Trump nominated Phil Axt to the United States District Court for North Dakota.

Biography

Axt graduated from U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 2009. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2018.

Legal Experience

After law school, Axt clerked for Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jennifer Elrod. He then joined the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher as a litigation associate, where he worked from November 2019 until May 2023. Axt currently serves as Solicitor General for the North Dakota Office of Attorney General, where he has worked since May 2023.