News and Announcements

Judge Sylvia H. Rambo, known by peers for her modesty and work ethic, received the rarest of professional accolades last week, when she became just one of a very few women to have a federal courthouse named in her honor.

A judge’s 19-year effort to secure funding to build a safer and more welcoming space for those resolving disputes in the Western District of Texas came to a satisfying conclusion with a dedication ceremony at the new San Antonio courthouse.

Bankruptcy courts will begin processing an additional $60 per case payment to eligible chapter 7 bankruptcy trustees for applicable cases filed or converted in fiscal year 2021. Applicable cases are chapter 7 cases filed on or after Jan. 12, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2021, or chapter 11, 12, or 13 cases filed on or after Jan. 12, 2021, that are subsequently converted to chapter 7, on or before Sept. 30, 2021.

About five percent of federal supervision cases closed in 2021 resulted in people being sent back to federal prison because of revocations resulting solely from technical violations.

Judge Judith E. Levy considers the Stonewall rebellion in 1969 as the tipping point in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community’s quest for equality and inclusion. In recognition of LGBTQ Pride Month, a new video profile explores Levy’s experience coming out, her pursuit of a career in law, and the social change advocates who inspired her.

Bankruptcy filings continued a steep two-year-long fall that coincided with the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Filings fell 16.5 percent for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2022.

Two federal judges testified that a Judiciary budget of $8.6 billion is needed to keep pace with inflation and to pay for important new investments in courthouse security, IT modernization, and cybersecurity. They also requested staffing to address workload increases caused by issues outside the Judiciary’s control.

The Judiciary’s observance of Law Day this year focuses on four students who brought historic cases to the federal courts that led to desegregation of public schools and shaped students’ First Amendment rights. 

After a two-year hiatus from in-person outreach programs due to COVID-19, bankruptcy judges are returning to classrooms to teach students how to manage personal finances with informed planning and decision-making.  

The federal Judiciary has opened the application period for membership in its public user group that provides advice and feedback on ways to improve electronic public access (EPA) services.