Final answer:
Federal judges are nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, holding their offices for life to ensure judiciary independence and to act as a check in the balance of powers.
Step-by-step explanation:
All federal judges are appointed by the President and must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. This process includes judges at all levels of the federal judiciary, from the district courts to the circuit courts, and all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. When there is a vacancy, the President selects a nominee, often with input from lists maintained by organizations such as the American Bar Association. The nominee is then subject to debate and review, particularly in the Senate Judiciary Committee, before going to a full Senate vote for confirmation.
The Constitution outlines this process in Article II, Section 2, guaranteeing that federal judges are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. This life tenure ensures that judges can act independently, without undue influence from either the executive or legislative branches of government. The role of lifetime appointments also solidifies the judiciary as a check in the system of checks and balances, upholding the Constitution and protecting individual rights against potential overreach by other government entities.