Boyle to seek senior status, opens up new NC federal judge’s job

US District Judge Terrence Boyle is seeking senior status, a form of semi-retirement that will allow the president to appoint a new federal judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

A list of future judicial vacancies at the United States Courts website confirms that Boyle notified the courts Wednesday of his plan to seek senior status.

Boyle, 80, has served more than half of his life on the federal bench. President Ronald Reagan appointed him to the District Court in 1984. The US Senate confirmed him with a voice vote. He served twice as the Eastern District’s chief judge, from 1997-2004 and again from 2018-2021.

In May 2025, Boyle became the longest-serving federal District Court judge in active service when a Texas judge took senior status.

A federal judge whose job is based on Article III of the US Constitution can take senior status “if they are at least 65 years old and have served at least 15 years on the bench, or any combination of age and years of service thereafter that equals 80,” according to uscourts.gov. “Regardless of age, judges must serve at least 10 years to qualify for senior status.”

A senior judge can choose a reduced caseload, though senior judges handle about 20% of the cases in trial and appellate courts. “By taking senior status, even if maintaining a full caseload, a judge creates a vacancy on the court, to be filled by the nomination and confirmation process for Article III judges,” the federal courts website explained.

No Article III judge is required to take senior status.

With Boyle taking senior status, the Eastern District will have three active judges: Chief Judge Richard Myers in Wilmington, Judge Louise Flanagan in New Bern, and Judge James Dever in Raleigh.

“Boyle to seek senior status, opens up new NC federal judge’s job” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.