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Judiciary News

Mary Murphy Schroeder: She Broke Barriers From the Start

August 21, 2019
Judge Mary Schroeder is sworn in as a U.S. judge.

In 1979, Mary Murphy Schroeder joined a historic class of women judges who transformed the federal Judiciary, but her law career nearly ended before it began. The night before her first final law exam at the University of Chicago, Schroeder collapsed and was hospitalized with a severe kidney infection.

40 Years Later, Pioneering Women Judges Savor Place in History

August 14, 2019
Image: In 1980, President Jimmy Carter met with members of the new National Association of Women Judges, many of whom he had appointed to the federal bench.

In 1979, 23 women were appointed to the federal bench—more than doubling the number of women appointed to life-tenured judgeships in the previous 190 year history of the United States. The doors they opened never swung shut again. Forty years later, women make up one-third of the courts’ full-time, active Article III judges.

Judges Explain Rule of Law, Why It Matters

August 8, 2019

Nine federal judges, in a new Judiciary “Court Shorts” video, explain how fair and consistent adherence to the law protects our rights and well-being in everyday situations like buying a breakfast sandwich, reading mail, and investing in the stock market.

ABA Honors Judge M. Margaret McKeown With Marshall Award

August 8, 2019

Judge M. Margaret McKeown of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is to  receive the American Bar Association’s prestigious John Marshall Award Friday, Aug. 9, during the ABA’s annual meeting in San Francisco. 

Probation Officers Looking for Future Officers in the Classroom

July 25, 2019

Federal probation offices around the country are reaching into local schools, sometimes helped by furry drug-sniffing dogs. Their goal? Raising awareness about the work of pretrial and probation officers and encouraging a diverse group of future officers.

Chief Judge Carl E. Stewart to Receive 2019 Devitt Award

July 23, 2019

Chief Judge Carl E. Stewart of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is the recipient of the 2019 Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award. Stewart will formally receive the award on Oct. 17 in a ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Panels Focus on Merit in Selection of Magistrate Judges

July 18, 2019

Magistrate judges play a critical role in the federal Judiciary, fulfilling a broad range of responsibilities and easing heavy caseloads in district courts. A new video by the U.S courts. explains the merit selection process for these judges.