LawyersUSA

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a pay raise for federal judges, approving a 29 percent boost in what would be the judiciary's first substantial raise since 1991.

The vote by the committee late last month comes after Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., pressed the need to increase salaries in order to attract more qualified judges to federal benches in his annual report.

The panel voted 10-7 for the salary increases, which would bring U.S. District Court judges' pay from $169,300 to about $218,000. Federal circuit judges would get an annual salary boost from $179,500 to about $231,100.

The eight associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court would have their salaries raised from $208,100 to about $267,900, while Roberts' salary would increase from $217,400 to about $279,900.

Congress has approved cost-of-living pay raises during some, but not all, of the years since the last substantial raise 16 years ago.

Roberts also devoted his entire annual report in 2006 to arguing for higher salaries for judges. This year, he renewed his call for pay raises, noting that federal trial judges were making about the same as first-year lawyers at firms in major cities.