R.S.I.
Federal civil · Social Security · 23,920 cases filed and closed (1988–present).
23,920
Cases filed
81.5%
Ended before a merits judgment
19,504 of 23,920 cases
17.6%
Plaintiff win
of 4,416 merits judgments
76.4%
Defendant win
of merits judgments
How they closed
- Remanded30.8%
- Dismissed20.5%
- Affirmed14.3%
- Defendant win14.1%
- Denied8.6%
- Other4.4%
- Plaintiff win3.2%
- Transferred1.6%
- Settled1.2%
- Decided — other0.9%
- Mixed0.2%
Where you file matters
The same claim resolves differently across districts. Plaintiff-win rate among merits judgments, busiest courts first.
- District Court, N.D. Illinois1,457 cases · 243 decided30%
- District Court, W.D. Arkansas1,301 cases · 78 decided17.9%
- District Court, E.D. Kentucky926 cases · 79 decided2.5%
- District Court, S.D. Indiana844 cases · 59 decided6.8%
- District Court, N.D. Indiana834 cases · 24 decided—
- District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania801 cases · 399 decided7.3%
- District Court, M.D. Florida609 cases · 10 decided—
- District Court, N.D. Ohio586 cases · 53 decided15.1%
- District Court, S.D. New York574 cases · 97 decided3.1%
- District Court, N.D. New York572 cases · 53 decided15.1%
- District Court, D. Oregon525 cases · 21 decided—
- District Court, E.D. New York488 cases · 95 decided29.5%
- District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania452 cases · 77 decided7.8%
- District Court, N.D. California436 cases · 180 decided18.3%
- District Court, W.D. Texas415 cases · 35 decided8.6%
- District Court, E.D. Missouri414 cases · 46 decided4.3%
- District Court, E.D. Texas368 cases · 12 decided—
- District Court, D. Massachusetts334 cases · 62 decided17.7%
- District Court, D. Colorado333 cases · 56 decided37.5%
- District Court, D. Minnesota329 cases · 147 decided12.2%
- District Court, N.D. Texas328 cases · 80 decided7.5%
- District Court, E.D. Michigan326 cases · 176 decided11.9%
- District Court, D. Puerto Rico324 cases · 17 decided—
- District Court, S.D. Texas319 cases · 108 decided11.1%
- District Court, C.D. California314 cases · 40 decided10%
- District Court, N.D. Oklahoma307 cases · 4 decided—
- District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania304 cases · 58 decided13.8%
- District Court, E.D. Washington302 cases · 195 decided39.5%
- District Court, S.D. West Virginia294 cases · 137 decided5.1%
- District Court, S.D. Georgia286 cases · 7 decided—
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.