Judiciary News

Bankruptcy filings rose 16 percent during the 12-month period ending March 31, 2024. That is a similar rate of acceleration as in the Dec. 31, 2023, quarterly report, but new bankruptcy cases remain significantly lower than before the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Hundreds of lawyers and community members joined Minnesota federal judges in a recent courthouse event fostering awareness of disability rights.

Aleta A. Trauger earned a reputation as a tough prosecutor after convicting a former Tennessee governor during her stint at the U.S. attorney’s office. The 1981 case, which dealt with selling liquor licenses to political friends, gave her credibility in a male-dominated space.

Across the country, federal defender offices are struggling with increasingly complex litigation marked by escalating electronic discovery demands. Staffing shortages and the lingering effects of the COVID pandemic have added to their challenges.

The Judicial Conference of the United States has strengthened the policy governing random case assignment, limiting the ability of litigants to effectively choose judges in certain cases by where they file a lawsuit.

The Judiciary today released its Annual Report providing detailed information about mission critical initiatives that advanced over the course of 2023, including efforts to enhance the court system’s physical and information technology security and modernize its IT systems.

Federal judges across the country are partnering with local bar associations, community groups, and schools to bring programs like these to high school students in the communities they serve.

A new video profile explores Judge Raymond J. Lohier, Jr.'s, Haitian and Caribbean heritage and the story of how his family came to America.

Twenty-two high school students in the St. Louis area were the first to participate in a new civics education program teaching them about the federal Judiciary through a landmark Supreme Court case that originated in their hometown and local court.

Total bankruptcy filings rose 16.8 percent, with significant increases in both business and non-business bankruptcies, in the twelve-month period ending Dec. 31, 2023. This accelerates a continuing rebound in filings after more than a decade of sharply dropping totals.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., has issued his 2023 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary.

Court proceedings put a premium on decorum and civil discourse, but the skills and dispositions that set the stage start long before the attorneys and parties enter the courtroom. That is why federal judges and attorneys collaborated with Duke Law School to bring the Judiciary’s Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions program to law students for the first time.

A total of 19 employees have received the 2023 Director’s Awards, which recognize employees who have exemplified the core values, issues, strategies, and goals of the Judiciary.

The Judicial Branch updated its FY 2024 funding request to Congress by nearly $184 million as part of the regular budget process. But it continued to voice concerns about proposed appropriation levels that are too low to preserve federal courts’ ability “to administer justice effectively and efficiently.” 

Florida bankruptcy judges are on a mission to empower military veterans with financial literacy. During a series of events scheduled statewide, the judges have partnered with local legal and veterans service organizations to teach valuable skills for making educated financial decisions and avoiding deceptive credit traps.