Judiciary News

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.

Over the last 100 years, the Judicial Conference of the United States has grappled with many issues: rising court caseloads and limited resources, natural disasters, public-health crises, and the safety of the Judiciary and the public. This year marks the centennial of the national policy-making body, which has helped ensure efficient administration of justice in the courts since 1922.

Testifying to a House subcommittee about workplace conduct, two federal judges said that “the Judiciary’s process for protecting employees is demonstrating its promise and should be given time to build upon the significant strides made to date.”

Judges M. Margaret McKeown and Julie A. Robinson testified before the House Judiciary Committee’s Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet subcommittee. McKeown, of the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and Robinson, of the District of Kansas, both are members of the Federal Judiciary Workplace Conduct Working Group.

In a wide-ranging report, the Judiciary’s Workplace Conduct Working Group said its program to ensure an exemplary workplace has achieved broad improvements, by adding abusive conduct to longstanding protections against discrimination and harassment, imposing an express prohibition on abusive conduct, and improving processes to make it easier for employees to report and resolve workplace concerns.

In 2021, the Judiciary confronted uniquely trying times: The global pandemic placed serious constraints on the courts for a second straight year, unanticipated spikes in caseloads were driven by the Jan. 6 upheaval at the Capitol and other events, and cybersecurity threats to government technology systems continued unabated.

Taking steps to increase transparency and public access, the federal Judiciary’s policy making body today approved automating the release of judges’ financial disclosure reports, amending its conflict screening policy, and expanding the scope of its audio streaming pilot project.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, a new video profile explores Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, perseverance in pursuing a career in law. She reflects on the challenges her parents faced raising 12 children on Saipan, and credits them with instilling in her a strong work ethic.

Case filings are being processed more efficiently than ever in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, thanks to several procedural improvements made by the Clerk’s Office. The court’s administrative arm effectively cut the case processing time for submitted documents and filings in half, while also increasing the accuracy of how documents are submitted to the court to as high as 95 percent, up 13 percent since the improvements were made.

In recognition of African American History Month, U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan shared her experiences at a program for public defense attorneys and members of the legal community.

Judge Lydia K. Griggsby said it’s the “honor of my career” to sit on the federal bench in Baltimore and serve the community “that raised me and nurtured me as a young girl.” She is the first woman of color to serve as a district judge for the U.S. District Court of Maryland.

Bankruptcy filings fell again for the 12-month period ending Dec. 31, 2021. A steady decline in filings has continued since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

As a teenager, Taisha Sturdivant was a bright kid who loved to read, yet her circumstances conspired to limit her future prospects. With the help of mentors and her own determination, she enrolled in an interactive fellowship with the Massachusetts federal court. Today, she is a successful real estate attorney specializing in affordable housing.