On Topic Interview Series
“On Topic” is an interview series in which experts talk about the programs, issues and ideas shaping the federal courts.
Federal Judicial Center Marks 50th Anniversary
Published onDecember 20, 2017
The Federal Judicial Center, which has educated generations of federal judges and provided ground-breaking research on such topics as court technology and less costly ways to resolve disputes, celebrates its 50th anniversary on Dec. 20, 2017.
New Federal Bar Chief Embraces Courts’ Civics Education
Published onAugust 4, 2016
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Newman, of the Southern District of Ohio, takes over in September as the new president of the Federal Bar Association, comprised of federal legal practitioners and judges.
LGBT Pride Month: Judge Shares Coming Out Experience and Reflections on Diversity
Published onJune 23, 2016
June is LGBT Pride Month, which commemorates the accomplishments of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and the civil rights gains the community has made since 1969, the year that the Stonewall riots in New York City proved to be a tipping point for the LGBT movement in the United States.
Ten Years of Online Clerkship Hiring
Published onJuly 8, 2015
Ten years and approximately 9,000 clerkship position postings ago, the federal Judiciary launched the Online System for Clerkship Applications and Review, or OSCAR. The information and application system created a transparent online law clerk hiring process for applicants and law schools, while giving federal judges a way to communicate their hiring practices and timelines.
Redesign Saves Millions, Gets Courthouse Out of a Jam
Published onMay 28, 2015
For nearly 20 years, the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland, has been overcrowded. In 1996, court officials requested an expansion, and Congress eventually authorized $10 million to design a large annex building.
Judge Recalls 1985 Case That Still Shapes Students’ Rights
Published onMay 14, 2015
More than three decades after the Supreme Court’s landmark Fourth Amendment decision in New Jersey v. T.L.O., the public defender who represented the teen in the case explains how it still applies to students and school officials today.
On Topic: Judge Burns Recalls Pioneering Career
Published onMay 7, 2015
U.S. District Judge Ellen Bree Burns, the longest-serving woman judge on the federal bench until she recently retired after 37 years, discusses her career in a newly released installment of “On Topic,” a U.S. Courts interview program
On Topic: Judicial Engagement with Congress and the Public
Published onDecember 17, 2014
In this episode of “On Topic” we talk about relationships, specifically the relationship between the federal courts and Congress. We’ll also look at civic engagement — how the courts reach, and teach the media and the public.
On Topic: Courts Struggle To Supervise Offenders
Published onAugust 14, 2014
In the latest On Topic interview, U.S. Judge Irene M. Keeley discusses the federal supervision system.
On Topic: Judge Gelpi Discusses Federal Bar Association
Published onJuly 8, 2014
U.S. District Judge Gustavo Gelpi, Jr., is the first Article III federal judge to serve as president of the Federal Bar Association. In a new “On Topic” audio interview, he explains the association’s role in defending federal courts.
On Topic: Fergus Falls Courthouse Named in Honor of Judge Devitt
Published onJune 19, 2014
The Fergus Falls Courthouse in Minnesota recently was renamed to honor one of the most distinguished federal jurists – Judge Edward J. Devitt.
On Topic: Computers to the Cloud, IT in the Federal Courts
Published onJune 4, 2014
In a new "On Topic", we'll talk about computers, videoconferencing, the cloud —in short, Information Technology. Judge Thomas Hardiman, chair of the Judicial Conference Committee on Information Technology, is our guest.