News and Announcements

The chair of the Judicial Conference Criminal Law Committee has written in support of Congress’s efforts “to review and ameliorate the deleterious and unwanted consequences spawned by mandatory minimum sentencing provisions.”

At its biannual meeting, the Judicial Conference approved the latest in a series of cost-cutting measures. Conference actions continue the Judiciary's decade-long cost-containment efforts that have become increasingly aggressive as sequestration triggered broad cuts in court staff and programs.

Americans celebrate the U.S. Constitution on September 17 each year. Test your knowledge about our nation’s most historic and influential document.

In a September 10 letter, the Judiciary has appealed to President Obama for the funding necessary in fiscal year 2014 to perform its essential constitutional functions. Without it, the federal courts face additional reductions in staff and services that will severely affect individuals and businesses seeking to resolve disputes.

The chair of the Judicial Conference Committee on Judicial Resources told a Senate subcommittee that the judicial workforce needs to expand if the Judiciary is to continue to serve litigants efficiently and effectively.

The 2013-14 Supreme Court Fellows program begins this fall for four mid-career professionals who will have the opportunity to participate over the next year in the administration of the federal court system at the national level.

The Eastern District of Michigan had a problem. Although studies showed the court's juror selection process did not systematically exclude racial minorities, the court recognized there was insufficient minority representation.

Juror scams have been reported in three federal court districts, where victims are falsely being told they missed jury duty and must pay a fine or face arrest.

When fully implemented, a new standard for archiving and disposing of federal court case files will allow the Judiciary to reduce its storage volume by just under one million boxes—enough to fill 16 football fields—at an annual saving of approximately $3 million.

In an emergency move to preserve Federal Defender staffing in FY 2014, the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States has reduced hourly rates for court-appointed panel attorneys by $15 an hour.