Judiciary News

The federal courts in Minnesota are preparing today’s students to be the leaders of tomorrow through a new courthouse learning center in St. Paul. The Justice and Democracy Center of Minnesota is one of a growing number of civics education centers, museums, and exhibits in federal court buildings across the country.

High school students across the country are envisioning themselves as court professionals, judges, jurors, and lawyers as they participate in a national civics initiative this month, in commemoration of Bill of Rights Day, Dec. 15.

Judge Joel M. Flaum, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, is the 2024 recipient of the Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award. Flaum received the award in a Nov. 13 ceremony presided over by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., at the U.S. Supreme Court.

All federal courts have put in place an effective dispute resolution plan giving employees multiple pathways to report and address workplace concerns, and an increasing number of them are opting to use the new processes.

With a worsening shortage of Article III judges to resolve critical copyright, trademark, patent, and contract disputes, judges across the nation are faced with increasingly complex litigation and growing caseloads. 

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, a new video explores the deep connection that formed between U.S. District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes and Rose Saubel, her former intern, through their shared Native American heritage.

Personal and business bankruptcy filings rose 16.2 percent in the twelve-month period ending Sept. 30, 2024, compared with the previous year. 

Attorneys across the country are being targeted with fake electronic filing notifications, in which emails purporting to come from the federal Judiciary’s Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system lead recipients to a malicious website with computer viruses.

Judges are engaging with students to teach them valuable legal and life skills through the Judiciary’s Candid Conversations program.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., has named five new chairs of Judicial Conference committees and extended the term of five current chairs by one year. The appointments took effect Oct. 1.

Sylvia Mendez was just eight when she became part of a landmark school desegregation case that helped pave the way for the famous Brown v. Board ruling a decade later. The story of Mendez v. Westminster is told in a new Moments in History video.

The Judiciary has strengthened its IT defenses against cyberattacks, a meeting of the Judicial Conference of the United States was told on Tuesday. But the threat is growing in scale and sophistication, requiring even greater vigilance against attacks from individuals and unfriendly nations.

Students participated in candid conversations about the Constitution with federal judges and attorneys, as a part of the Federal Bar Association’s annual Civics Day.

Four new U.S. Supreme Court Fellows are set to begin their 2024-2025 fellowships in September.

For 60 years, the Criminal Justice Act has ensured that defendants who cannot afford to retain an attorney receive professional legal counsel by providing funding for court-appointed counsel in federal cases.