Judiciary News
Chief Justice Names Conference Committee Chairs
Published onOctober 14, 2022
Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., has named six new chairs of Judicial Conference committees and extended the term of five current chairs by one year.
9/11, Weather Disasters Spurred Courts to Stay Open in All Crises
Published onOctober 12, 2022
September 11, was the first of several national emergencies that have challenged the Judicial Conference in the last 25 years. Although the immediate result was confusion, the terrorist attack had a profound and lasting impact on how the Judiciary operates today.
Judge Cathy Bissoon Never Let Circumstances Limit Her
Published onOctober 4, 2022
U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon grew up in an impoverished New York City neighborhood in the 1970s, believing in the American Dream. Her parents, immigrants of Hispanic and East Indian descent, instilled in her the value of hard work and perseverance.
Judges Welcome New and Native-Born Citizens to Celebrate the Constitution
Published onSeptember 29, 2022
Federal judges are taking part in a monthlong celebration of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, presiding over special naturalization ceremonies at sports stadiums and local landmarks, leading public readings of the Constitution, and conducting civics education conversations with students.
Hurricane Ian Courthouse Closures
Published onSeptember 27, 2022
Track federal courthouse closures due to the effects of Hurricane Ian.
Judge Sarah S. Vance to Receive 2022 Devitt Award
Published onSeptember 26, 2022
U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance, of the Eastern District of Louisiana, is the 2022 recipient of the Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award.
The Judicial Conference: A Century of Service to the Federal Judiciary
Published onSeptember 23, 2022
While meetings of judges to discuss policy are routine today, that first Judicial Conference was a unique milestone in the Judiciary’s history. Chief Justice William Howard Taft had a vision that federal judges could chart their own path as an efficient and independent branch of government. It would begin with judges working together on issues of common interest.
Fast forward 100 years; what Taft envisioned has evolved into the Judicial Conference of the United States, a body that is central to the modern federal Judiciary.
Judiciary Repeats Call for Improved Security for Judges, Acts on Administrative Issues
Published onSeptember 20, 2022
The federal Judiciary’s national policy-making body today agreed to administer regular workplace surveys to its employees and to extend flexibilities for remote public access to certain proceedings when the national emergency ends.
Judges Engage in Candid Conversations with Students for Constitution Day and Beyond
Published onSeptember 14, 2022
Federal judges are engaging with high school students in courtrooms and classrooms to heighten awareness of the importance of civil discourse and the role of the courts in daily life this Constitution Day.
Supreme Court Fellowship Program Resumes with 4 New Fellows
Published onSeptember 12, 2022
Four new U.S. Supreme Court Fellows are set to begin their 2022-2023 fellowships in September. They are the first to experience the program in-person in nearly two years; the COVID-19 pandemic forced the 2020-2021 class to work virtually and led to a decision to pause the program the following year.
Federal Judges Support Civics Education Through Summer Teachers Institutes
Published onSeptember 8, 2022
At court-sponsored institutes across the country, classroom teachers are hearing first-person experiences on topics ranging from judges’ perspectives on judicial independence in their decision-making, to lawyers’ insights into Constitutional tensions between the First Amendment and national security concerns.
NJ Court Welcomes 7 Judges in Novel Ceremony
Published onAugust 18, 2022
Seven experienced lawyers of diverse backgrounds were formally sworn in to serve on the federal bench in New Jersey, during a recent special group investiture ceremony.
Just the Facts: Consumer Bankruptcy Trends, 2005-2021
Published onAugust 9, 2022
A new installment of the Just the Facts series examines consumer bankruptcy filings from 2005 to 2021, and includes how bankruptcy filings changed during the Great Recession and COVID-19 pandemic.
Bankruptcy Filings Take Sharp Drop
Published onAugust 1, 2022
Personal and business bankruptcy filings took a sharp drop in the twelve-month period ending June 30, 2022, falling 17.7 percent compared with the previous year.
Timeline Highlights Evolution of Judicial Conference
Published onJuly 28, 2022
A new interactive timeline, created by the Federal Judicial Center, depicts the evolution of the roles and responsibilities of the Judicial Conference of the United States over the last century.