Spending · subcategory

Federal litigative and judicial activities

Part of Justice & law enforcement. FY2025 net outlays: $19.9B, 24% of the category and 0.28% of all federal spending. The largest program is Salaries and Expenses ($6.54B).

$19.9B

FY2025 net outlays

24%

of Justice & law enforcement

−0.3%

change from FY2024 ($20.0B)

programs (accounts) with FY2025 spending

Every program

26 accounts with FY2025 spending in Federal litigative and judicial activities, largest first. Hover or tap a bar for details.

Mandatory (set by standing law)Discretionary (set by yearly appropriations)

Salaries and ExpensesCourts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services

$6.54B

Salaries and Expenses, United States AttorneysLegal Activities and U.S. Marshals

$2.52B

Federal Prisoner DetentionLegal Activities and U.S. Marshals

$2.17B

Salaries and Expenses, United States Marshals ServiceLegal Activities and U.S. Marshals

$1.78B

Assets Forfeiture FundLegal Activities and U.S. Marshals

$1.70B

Defender ServicesCourts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services

$1.49B

Salaries and Expenses, General Legal ActivitiesLegal Activities and U.S. Marshals

$1.02B

Judiciary Information Technology FundCourts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services

$846M

Court SecurityCourts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services

$804M

Payment to the Legal Services CorporationLegal Services Corporation

$560M

Fees and Expenses of WitnessesLegal Activities and U.S. Marshals

$310M

United States Trustee System FundLegal Activities and U.S. Marshals

$250M

Salaries and ExpensesSupreme Court of the United States

$135M

Judiciary Filing FeesCourts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services

$113M

Salaries and ExpensesAdministrative Office of the United States Courts

$104M

Salaries and ExpensesUnited States Tax Court

$70M

Fees of Jurors and CommissionersCourts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services

$45M

Salaries and ExpensesUnited States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

$41M

Salaries and ExpensesFederal Judicial Center

$35M

Salaries and ExpensesUnited States Court of International Trade

$23M

Show 6 smaller programs

Care of the Building and GroundsSupreme Court of the United States

$22M

Salaries and ExpensesUnited States Sentencing Commission

$21M

Salaries and Expenses, Community Relations ServiceLegal Activities and U.S. Marshals

$20M

Salaries and ExpensesState Justice Institute

$8M

Independent CounselLegal Activities and U.S. Marshals

$7M

Registry AdministrationCourts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services

$1M

How the total adds up

Programs (the 26 accounts above)	$20.6B
Offsets: premiums, fees, loan repayments, and other collections (6 accounts)	−$1.01B
Payments between government accounts, net (e.g. general-fund transfers into trust funds, less the matching receipts)	$274M
Net outlays, matching OMB Historical Table 3.2	$19.9B

The largest offsets

Advances and Reimbursements, Judiciary Information Technology Fund Judicial Branch	−$518M
Fees for Bankruptcy Oversight, U.S. Trustees System Department of Justice	−$263M
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Judiciary Information Technology Fund Judicial Branch	−$154M
Reimbursement from Federal Agencies for Payments Made As a Result of Discriminatory Conduct Department of the Treasury	−$37M
Salaries and Expenses, Antitrust Division Legal Activities and U.S. Marshals	−$21M
Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System Fund, U.S. Marshals Legal Activities and U.S. Marshals	−$13M

All programs, sortable

Sparklines show each program in 2025 dollars, FY2000–2025.

Program	Type	FY2024	FY2025	Change
Salaries and Expenses Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services	Discretionary	$6.51B	$6.54B	+0.4%
Salaries and Expenses, United States Attorneys Legal Activities and U.S. Marshals	Discretionary	$2.67B	$2.52B	−5.5%
Federal Prisoner Detention Legal Activities and U.S. Marshals	Discretionary	$2.12B	$2.17B	+2.3%
Salaries and Expenses, United States Marshals Service Legal Activities and U.S. Marshals	Discretionary	$1.81B	$1.78B	−1.7%
Assets Forfeiture Fund Legal Activities and U.S. Marshals	Mandatory	$1.66B	$1.70B	+2.5%
Defender Services Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services	Discretionary	$1.47B	$1.49B	+1.8%
Salaries and Expenses, General Legal Activities Legal Activities and U.S. Marshals	Discretionary	$1.19B	$1.02B	−14%
Judiciary Information Technology Fund Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services	Mandatory	$709M	$846M	+19%
Court Security Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services	Discretionary	$811M	$804M	−0.9%
Payment to the Legal Services Corporation Legal Services Corporation	Discretionary	$560M	$560M	+0.0%
Fees and Expenses of Witnesses Legal Activities and U.S. Marshals	Mandatory	$306M	$310M	+1.3%
United States Trustee System Fund Legal Activities and U.S. Marshals	Discretionary	$263M	$250M	−4.9%
Salaries and Expenses Supreme Court of the United States	Discretionary	$126M	$135M	+7.1%
Judiciary Filing Fees Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services	Mandatory	$122M	$113M	−7.4%
Salaries and Expenses Administrative Office of the United States Courts	Discretionary	$103M	$104M	+1.0%
Salaries and Expenses United States Tax Court	Discretionary	$61M	$70M	+15%
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services	Discretionary	$47M	$45M	−4.3%
Salaries and Expenses United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit	Discretionary	$40M	$41M	+2.5%
Salaries and Expenses Federal Judicial Center	Discretionary	$34M	$35M	+2.9%
Salaries and Expenses United States Court of International Trade	Discretionary	$23M	$23M	+0.0%
Care of the Building and Grounds Supreme Court of the United States	Discretionary	$26M	$22M	−15%
Salaries and Expenses United States Sentencing Commission	Discretionary	$22M	$21M	−4.5%
Salaries and Expenses, Community Relations Service Legal Activities and U.S. Marshals	Discretionary	$22M	$20M	−9.1%
Salaries and Expenses State Justice Institute	Discretionary	$7M	$8M	+14%
Independent Counsel Legal Activities and U.S. Marshals	Mandatory	$24M	$7M	−71%
Registry Administration Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services	Mandatory	$2M	$1M	−50%

Federal litigative and judicial activities since 1993

Net outlays in 2025 dollars, fiscal years 1993–2025.

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