D.I.W.C. / D.I.W.W.
Federal civil · Social Security · 268,353 cases filed and closed (1988–present).
268,353
Cases filed
80.4%
Ended before a merits judgment
215,863 of 268,353 cases
19.5%
Plaintiff win
of 52,490 merits judgments
75.2%
Defendant win
of merits judgments
How they closed
- Remanded31.2%
- Dismissed19.3%
- Defendant win14.7%
- Affirmed12.7%
- Denied9%
- Other5.4%
- Plaintiff win3.8%
- Transferred1.8%
- Settled1.1%
- Decided — other0.8%
- Mixed0.2%
Where you file matters
The same claim resolves differently across districts. Plaintiff-win rate among merits judgments, busiest courts first.
- District Court, C.D. California11,017 cases · 852 decided12.7%
- District Court, E.D. New York8,589 cases · 1,130 decided28.7%
- District Court, W.D. Missouri8,543 cases · 2,328 decided19.2%
- District Court, W.D. New York8,541 cases · 2,605 decided21.4%
- District Court, M.D. Florida8,334 cases · 180 decided25%
- District Court, E.D. Michigan7,944 cases · 4,685 decided15.7%
- District Court, N.D. Ohio7,632 cases · 1,358 decided12.1%
- District Court, D. South Carolina7,049 cases · 453 decided48.8%
- District Court, S.D. New York6,879 cases · 1,134 decided11.2%
- District Court, S.D. Ohio6,735 cases · 1,179 decided15%
- District Court, D. New Jersey6,295 cases · 603 decided23.1%
- District Court, D. Oregon6,159 cases · 371 decided17.5%
- District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania5,941 cases · 2,938 decided17.9%
- District Court, N.D. Alabama5,938 cases · 21 decided—
- District Court, E.D. Kentucky5,772 cases · 1,566 decided7.9%
- District Court, D. Maryland5,586 cases · 563 decided17.6%
- District Court, W.D. Virginia5,222 cases · 1,242 decided11.1%
- District Court, N.D. Georgia4,885 cases · 690 decided40%
- District Court, E.D. Arkansas4,729 cases · 830 decided12.2%
- District Court, W.D. Washington4,351 cases · 397 decided36.5%
- District Court, E.D. Missouri4,342 cases · 426 decided6.8%
- District Court, E.D. Tennessee4,194 cases · 1,501 decided6%
- District Court, D. Puerto Rico4,161 cases · 687 decided13.2%
- District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania4,119 cases · 512 decided12.7%
- District Court, N.D. Illinois4,061 cases · 993 decided22.2%
- District Court, E.D. Washington3,578 cases · 1,704 decided54.5%
- District Court, D. Arizona3,578 cases · 554 decided25.3%
- District Court, N.D. New York3,488 cases · 256 decided23.4%
- District Court, E.D. California3,441 cases · 910 decided26.8%
- District Court, W.D. Arkansas3,353 cases · 396 decided26.3%
Source: FJC Integrated Database (public domain), via CourtListener — federal civil cases filed and terminated, 1988–present. Figures are descriptive statistics about how cases of a given type have closed in a given court. They describe the historical record — not a prediction or assessment of any specific case. Not legal advice.