Delaware’s federal district court has announced it will be funneling some of its caseload to visiting and magistrate judges between Judge Leonard Stark’s departure for the Federal Circuit and the appointment of his yet-to-be-nominated replacement.

With Stark having in recent years handled one of the largest caseloads of any district court judge in the country, the gap on the bench is expected to inevitably lead to some slowdowns, though the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware has utilized similar procedures while waiting for past judicial vacancies to be filled.