A veteran jurist on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has informed President Donald Trump that he plans to take senior status, potentially opening up another seat on the court for the president to fill.

Ninth Circuit Judge Carlos Bea, 85, informed the president via letter that he intends to take senior status “upon the nomination, confirmation and appointment of his successor,” according to a statement from a court spokesperson. Although Bea intends to remain active on the court, the move would open up a spot on the court's 29-seat bench of active judges.

The court now includes six Trump appointees among its 27 current active judges. The nomination of Daniel Bress, a Kirkland & Ellis appellate partner and former clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia, is currently pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee while one other seat remains vacant without a current nominee.