News and Announcements

The Western District Court of New York is one of the most congested courts in the country, receiving over 3,000 filings annually with individual judges’ caseloads at nearly 800. To reduce a long backlog of unresolved lawsuits, Chief Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr., revived a mediation strategy not used by the court since 1995: a settlement week.

James C. Duff, Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, has established a Federal Judiciary Workplace Conduct Working Group to review the safeguards currently in place within the Judiciary to protect employees from inappropriate conduct in the workplace.   

Lawyers reflect on how the Judiciary’s defender training program gives them the confidence and know-how to provide indigent clients with a solid defense. 

Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., has issued his 2017 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary.

The Federal Judicial Center, which has educated generations of federal judges and provided ground-breaking research on such topics as court technology and less costly ways to resolve disputes, celebrates its 50th anniversary on Dec. 20, 2017.

Individuals filing for bankruptcy under Chapter 13 must use a new form that presents their payment plan in a more uniform and transparent manner, and creditors will have less time to submit a proof of claim, under new bankruptcy rules and form amendments that took effect Dec. 1.

Louisiana native Beth Cenac never thought she would be the target of a jury scam. She is a professional with a master’s degree who worked as a public librarian for 30 years and previously served on a jury.

Prominent judges, lawyers, and other associates share their recollections of the legal mastermind behind the Agent Orange class action settlement — U.S. Senior Judge Jack B. Weinstein, of the Eastern District of New York.

In 2016, the state of Indiana celebrated its bicentennial with major statewide events, commemorative memorabilia, and appearances from famed celebrities who hail from the Hoosier state. Doria Lynch, court historian and special projects manager for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, began planning a second celebration, of the federal court’s own bicentennial in 2017.  

Surveys show that only 26 percent of U.S. adults can name all three branches of federal government, and 31 percent can’t name even one. Judiciary leaders in Colorado and elsewhere are working to improve those numbers.