Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-73
§178 Retirement of judges of the Court of Federal Claims
Title 28 › Part PART I— - ORGANIZATION OF COURTS › Chapter CHAPTER 7— - UNITED STATES COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS › § 178
Summary
Gives judges of the Court of Federal Claims a lifetime annuity when they retire if they meet certain age and service rules. A judge who reaches one of these combinations gets an annuity equal to the full judge’s salary: age 65 with 15 years; 66 with 14; 67 with 13; 68 with 12; 69 with 11; or 70 with 10. A judge who is not reappointed after at least one full term can also get the full annuity if, between 9 months and 6 months before the term ended, the judge told the President in writing they were willing to be reappointed. A judge who leaves because of mental or physical disability after at least 5 years gets an annuity for life. If the judge served less than 10 years before the disability, the annuity is 50% of the salary; if 10 years or more, it is the full salary. Retired judges under these rules are called “senior judges.” The chief judge may ask them to work for the court, but without their consent they cannot be required to serve more than 90 days in any year, and they are excused when illness prevents work. To get the annuity a judge must file a written election with the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts while still a judge (with a special extra day allowed for judges who were not reappointed). Once made, the election is final unless it is revoked before the annuity starts. Choosing this annuity generally bars other federal retirement or retired-pay benefits for that service. Only time served as a Court of Federal Claims judge or as a commissioner of the old Court of Claims counts (fractions under 6 months do not count). Annuities are paid like regular salary and start the day after pay stops. Court orders about divorce or property can require the court to pay part of the annuity to someone else after the office is told in writing. A retired judge loses annuity rights if they represent someone in a civil claim against the United States, fail required senior-judge duties, or take other federal pay, unless they make a special election that meets the law’s conditions. A Treasury fund called the Court of Federal Claims Judges Retirement Fund pays these annuities and may be invested in U.S. securities.
Full Legal Text
Title 28, §178
Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)A judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims who retires from office after attaining the age and meeting the service requirements, whether continuously or otherwise, of this subsection shall, subject to subsection (f), be entitled to receive, during the remainder of the judge’s lifetime, an annuity equal to the salary payable to Court of Federal Claims judges in regular active service. The age and service requirements for retirement under this subsection are as follows: Attained Age:Years of Service: 6515 6614 6713 6812 6911 7010
(b)A judge of the Court of Federal Claims who is not reappointed following the expiration of the term of office of such judge, and who retires upon the completion of such term shall, subject to subsection (f), be entitled to receive, during the remainder of such judge’s lifetime, an annuity equal to the salary payable to Court of Federal Claims judges in regular active service, if—
(1)such judge has served at least 1 full term as judge of the Court of Federal Claims, and
(2)not earlier than 9 months before the date on which the term of office of such judge expired, and not later than 6 months before such date, such judge advised the President in writing that such judge was willing to accept reappointment as a judge of the Court of Federal Claims.
(c)A judge of the Court of Federal Claims who has served at least 5 years, whether continuously or otherwise, as such a judge, and who retires or is removed from office upon the sole ground of mental or physical disability shall, subject to subsection (f), be entitled to receive, during the remainder of the judge’s lifetime—
(1)an annuity equal to 50 percent of the salary payable to Court of Federal Claims judges in regular active service, if before retirement such judge served less than 10 years, or
(2)an annuity equal to the salary payable to Court of Federal Claims judges in regular active service, if before retirement such judge served at least 10 years.
(d)A judge who retires under subsection (a) or (b) may, at or after such retirement, be called upon by the chief judge of the Court of Federal Claims to perform such judicial duties with the Court of Federal Claims as may be requested of the retired judge for any period or periods specified by the chief judge, except that in the case of any such judge—
(1)the aggregate of such periods in any one calendar year shall not (without his or her consent) exceed 90 calendar days; and
(2)he or she shall be relieved of performing such duties during any period in which illness or disability precludes the performance of such duties.
(e)(1)Any judge who retires under the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) of this section shall be designated “senior judge”.
(2)Any judge who retires under this section shall not be counted as a judge of the Court of Federal Claims for purposes of the number of judgeships authorized by section 171 of this title.
(f)(1)A judge shall be entitled to an annuity under this section if the judge elects an annuity under this section by notifying the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts in writing. Such an election—
(A)may be made only while an individual is a judge of the Court of Federal Claims (except that in the case of an individual who fails to be reappointed as judge at the expiration of a term of office, such election may be made at any time before the day after the day on which his or her successor takes office); and
(B)once made, shall, subject to subsection (k), be irrevocable.
(2)A judge who elects to receive an annuity under this section shall not be entitled to receive—
(A)any annuity to which such judge would otherwise have been entitled under subchapter III of chapter 83, or under chapter 84 (except for subchapters III and VII), of title 5, for service performed as a judge or otherwise;
(B)an annuity or salary in senior status or retirement under section 371 or 372 of this title;
(C)retired pay under section 7447 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; or
(D)retired pay under section 7296 of title 38.
(g)For purposes of calculating the years of service of an individual under subsections (a) and (c), only those years of service as a judge of the Court of Federal Claims or a commissioner of the United States Court of Claims shall be credited, and that portion of the aggregate number of years of such service that is a fractional part of 1 year shall not be credited if it is less than 6 months, and shall be credited if it is 6 months or more.
(h)An annuity under this section shall be payable at the times and in the same manner as the salary of a Court of Federal Claims judge in regular active service. Such annuity shall begin to accrue on the day following the day on which the annuitant’s salary as a judge in regular active service ceases to accrue.
(i)(1)Payments under this section which would otherwise be made to a judge of the Court of Federal Claims based upon his or her service shall be paid (in whole or in part) by the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to another person if and to the extent expressly provided for in the terms of any court decree of divorce, annulment, or legal separation, or the terms of any court order or court-approved property settlement agreement incident to any court decree of divorce, annulment, or legal separation. Any payment under this paragraph to a person bars recovery by any other person.
(2)Paragraph (1) shall apply only to payments made by the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts after the date of receipt by the Director of written notice of such decree, order, or agreement, and such additional information as the Director may prescribe.
(3)As used in this subsection, the term “court” means any court of any State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands, and any Indian tribal court or court of Indian offense.
(j)(1)Subject to paragraph (4), any judge of the Court of Federal Claims who retires under this section and who thereafter in the practice of law represents (or supervises or directs the representation of) a client in making any civil claim against the United States or any agency thereof shall forfeit all rights to an annuity under this section for all periods beginning on or after the first day on which he engages in any such activity.
(2)Subject to paragraph (4), if a judge of the Court of Federal Claims who retires under this section fails during any calendar year to perform judicial duties required of such judge by subsection (d), such judge shall forfeit all rights to an annuity under this section for the 1-year period which begins on the first day on which he or she so fails to perform such duties.
(3)If a judge of the Court of Federal Claims who retires under this section accepts compensation for civil office or employment under the Government of the United States (other than for the performance of judicial duties under subsection (d)), such judge shall forfeit all rights to an annuity under this section for the period for which such compensation is received.
(4)(A)If a judge makes an election under this paragraph—
(i)paragraphs (1) and (2) (and subsection (d)) shall not apply to such judge beginning on the date such election takes effect, and
(ii)the annuity payable under this section to such judge, for periods beginning on or after the date such election takes effect, shall be equal to the annuity to which such judge is entitled on the day before such effective date.
(B)An election under subparagraph (A)—
(i)may be made by a judge only if such judge meets the age and service requirements for retirement under subsection (a),
(ii)may be made only during the period during which such judge may make an election to receive an annuity under this section or while the judge is receiving an annuity under this section, and
(iii)shall be filed with the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.
(C)Any election under this paragraph shall take effect on the first day of the first month following the month in which the election is made.
(k)(1)Notwithstanding subsection (f)(1)(B), an individual who has filed an election under subsection (f) to receive an annuity may revoke such election at any time before the first day on which such annuity would (but for such revocation) begin to accrue with respect to such individual.
(2)Any revocation under this subsection shall be made by filing a notice thereof in writing with the Director of 11 So in original. Probably should be “of the”. Administrative Office of the United States Courts.
(3)In the case of any revocation under this subsection—
(A)for purposes of this section, the individual shall be treated as not having filed an election under subsection (f) to receive an annuity,
(B)for purposes of section 376 of this title—
(i)the individual shall be treated as not having filed an election under section 376(a)(1), and
(ii)section 376(g) shall not apply, and the amount credited to such individual’s account (together with interest at 3 percent per annum, compounded on December 31 of each year to the date on which the revocation is filed) shall be returned to such individual,
(C)no credit shall be allowed for any service as a judge of the Court of Federal Claims or as a commissioner of the United States Court of Claims unless with respect to such service either there has been deducted and withheld the amount required by chapter 83 or 84 (as the case may be) of title 5 or there has been deposited in the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund an amount equal to the amount so required, with interest,
(D)the Court of Federal Claims shall deposit in the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund an amount equal to the additional amount it would have contributed to such Fund but for the election under subsection (f), and
(E)if subparagraph (D) is complied with, service on the Court of Federal Claims or as a commissioner of the United States Court of Claims shall be treated as service with respect to which deductions and contributions had been made during the period of service.
(l)(1)There is established in the Treasury a fund which shall be known as the “Court of Federal Claims Judges Retirement Fund”. The Fund is appropriated for the payment of annuities and other payments under this section.
(2)The Secretary of the Treasury shall invest, in interest bearing securities of the United States, such currently available portions of the Court of Federal Claims Judges Retirement Fund as are not immediately required for payments from the Fund. The income derived from these investments constitutes a part of the Fund.
(3)(A)There are authorized to be appropriated to the Court of Federal Claims Judges Retirement Fund amounts required to reduce to zero the unfunded liability of the Fund.
(B)For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term “unfunded liability” means the estimated excess, determined on an annual basis in accordance with the provisions of section 9503 of title 31, of the present value of all benefits payable from the Court of Federal Claims Judges Retirement Fund, over the balance in the Fund as of the date the unfunded liability is determined. In making any determination under this subparagraph, the Comptroller General shall use the applicable information contained in the reports filed pursuant to section 9503 of title 31, with respect to the retirement annuities provided for in this section.
(C)There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this paragraph.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
section 7447 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, referred to in subsec. (f)(2)(C), is classified to section 7447 of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code.
Amendments
1992—Pub. L. 102–572 substituted “United States Court of Federal Claims” for “United States Claims Court” in subsec. (a) and “Court of Federal Claims” for “Claims Court” in section catchline and wherever appearing in text. 1991—Subsec. (f)(2)(A). Pub. L. 102–198, § 7(a)(1), inserted “(except for subchapters III and VII)” after “chapter 84”. Subsec. (f)(2)(D). Pub. L. 102–40 substituted “section 7296 of title 38” for “section 4096 of title 38”. Subsec. (j)(1). Pub. L. 102–198, § 7(a)(2)(A), substituted “paragraph (4)” for “paragraph (2)” and “engages in any such activity” for “so practices law”. Subsec. (j)(2). Pub. L. 102–198, § 7(a)(2)(B), substituted “Subject to paragraph (4), if” for “If”. Subsec. (j)(3). Pub. L. 102–198, § 7(a)(2)(C), inserted “for” after “(other than”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1992 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 102–572 effective Oct. 29, 1992, see section 911 of Pub. L. 102–572, set out as a note under section 171 of this title.
Effective Date
Section applicable to judges of, and senior judges in active service with, the United States Court of Federal Claims on or after Dec. 1, 1990, see section 306(f) of Pub. L. 101–650, as amended, set out as an
Effective Date
of 1990 Amendment note under section 8331 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
28 U.S.C. § 178
Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73