Human Resources – Annual Report 2024

Recruiting a Talented Workforce

In 2024, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) conducted strategic workforce planning to recruit and retain employees with the skills needed to meet the goals in the Strategic Plan for the Federal Judiciary. The initial priority was the courts’ IT workforce. The AO identified the skills needed to meet the Judiciary IT Modernization and Cybersecurity Strategy by conducting a comprehensive IT workforce analysis and identifying gaps in skills and abilities. As gaps were identified, the AO developed strategies to address them with enhanced talent acquisition resources and tools.

Workforce Succession Planning and Development

The AO in 2024 emphasized the importance of succession planning to avoid gaps in services that would potentially put court operations at risk. The individual development plan (IDP) was highlighted as a key tool in talent development. Judiciary employees received training on using IDPs to define goals for an individual’s career and to create a roadmap to achieve them. 

A large hybrid conference was held for the Judiciary’s HR professionals to share resources about developing and retaining a highly skilled workforce. Sessions included HR basics, strategic talent management, employment suitability, HR policies and benefits, career development, and fostering a safe workplace. There was also a briefing on the enhanced mentoring program, which will allow for a simplified application process and the ability for mentors and mentees to select each other interactively. More than 430 employees and 30 speakers participated in the event, either online or in person.

The AO’s Office of Fair Employment Practices provided a series of courses focused on developing current and future leaders and maintaining a work environment where employees are treated with respect and can thrive. The courses included Civility in the Workplace, Leading for Respect, and Reasonable Accommodation.

In 2024, the Model Intern Program had 10 interns in participating courts as part of the Judiciary’s efforts to connect talented undergraduate students with federal courts and prepare them for permanent Judiciary employment. Interns received training in resume writing and interviewing, and had the opportunity to interact with judges, clerks of court, librarians, chief probation and pretrial services officers, case managers, and other Judiciary professionals. Since its inception in 2018, the program has placed 50 students in yearlong paid internships with courts nationwide. The program is aimed at nurturing interest in professional careers in the Judiciary and providing students the opportunity to work directly with federal judges and court executives.

Director’s Leadership Program

Each year, candidates are chosen for the Director’s Leadership Program, a yearlong residency that offers well-qualified court and federal defender office employees the opportunity to work on national projects while learning about national issues and policies.

The Director’s Leadership Program resident for 2024–2025 is Dawn Du Verney, the chief deputy clerk for the Bankruptcy Court in the Western District of Tennessee. She is working with the AO’s Office of Fair Employment Practices to expand best practices to address Judiciary disability resources and employee retention and development initiatives.

2024 Director’s Awards

The AO director presents the Director’s Awards to recognize outstanding performance in the federal courts over the course of the year. They are given for outstanding leadership, innovation and efficiency, and commitment to delivering the best possible service to the public. The recipients are nominated by colleagues based on career achievements and contributions to specific projects that have benefited their home courts and the federal Judiciary as a whole.

Awards were made in 2024 in three areas: Outstanding Leadership, Community Outreach, and Excellence in Judiciary Services. The latter award went to multiple recipients. 

Outstanding Leadership Award

Heather A. Restifo, director of information technology for the District of Rhode Island, has been a longtime national IT leader and mentor, helping the Judiciary meet a wide range of challenges. Restifo has displayed exceptional communication and leadership skills, fostering collegiality in her court and in national IT working groups, her nominating letter said. She has been an integral part of modernizing various technologies that lent themselves to economies of scale and efficiencies.

“For over 35 years, Heather’s visionary guidance and steadfast commitment to excellence have been instrumental in advancing the core values and strategic goals of the Judiciary,” wrote Hanorah Tyer-Witek, clerk of court for the District of Rhode Island. “Her ability to lead with empathy, clarity, and purpose has earned her the respect and admiration of her colleagues. She exemplifies the highest standards of leadership, consistently demonstrating integrity, accountability, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.” 

Excellence in Judiciary Services – Multiple Winners

Three employees of the Western District of Oklahoma Bankruptcy Court helped 50 bankruptcy courts and 29 district courts improve their case management operations by creating and modernizing a program known as Case Management Assist. 

The employees — Scott Bellingham, IT manager; Sue Frisch, operations supervisor; and Aimee Stafford, special programs analyst — each played distinct but interrelated roles in maintaining and growing the system.

The program automatically provides and organizes case information, so that court staff can more efficiently assign and perform quality control and monitoring of federal docket entries, claims, and deadlines. It also enables staff to easily access documents without having to run multiple reports in the Judiciary’s massive Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system.

Three employees of the Northern District of New York aided detainees by creating secure video kiosks in which they can speak confidentially with lawyers or probation officers, and transmit signed documents, without delays required for travel or mailing. 

The employees are Dan McAllister, chief deputy clerk of court; Nicole Eallonardo, courtroom deputy; and Ryan Molloy, assistant IT director.

The system won praise from defense lawyers, as well as pretrial services and probation officers, who can meet with clients more frequently and easily. It also enables federal deputy marshals to save resources related to transporting detainees between jails and courthouses. 

“The NDNY’s Correctional Facility Kiosk System is a shining example of how thoughtful innovation can address complex challenges within the correctional environment,” wrote Clerk of Court John M. Domurad in the nominating letter. 

Five employees of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals created the Attorney Toolbox, an online resource that helps lawyers more easily file and vet appellate documents. The system reduces time, stress, and staff costs for both parties and the court. 

The employees are Thomas “Tom” Plunkett, chief deputy clerk; Elroy Eckhardt, systems administrator; Terry “TJ” Thorne, CM/ECF administrator; Kenneth “Ken” Russo, technology division chief; and Lyle Cayce, clerk of court. 

The project grew out of extensive dialogue with appellate lawyers on ways to simplify filing. New functions in the Toolbox include the ability to automatically create a paginated Electronic Record of Appeal; templates that help filers identify needed information under court rules; and a scanning feature that allows litigants to quickly find any errors in their documents. The Fifth Circuit also is working to make the Toolbox available to litigants who do not have an attorney.

Tammi Eller, a statistical analyst for the Western District of Washington Probation Office, played a critical role in two important projects, “The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Offender Release Report” and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Data Exchange pilot project.

The BOP release report, now used by all 94 U.S. probation offices, allows users to display information on individuals scheduled to be released from custody into society. The application enables probation officers to oversee inmate releases and ensure strict adherence to court-ordered terms of supervision. 

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Data Exchange facilitates information sharing between U.S. Probation and ICE, enabling both agencies to verify the deportation, detention, or release status of individuals on federal supervision terms after their release from prison. This collaborative effort allows probation officers to track more than 40,000 individuals who are in ICE custody.

District Executive Edward Friedland, of the Southern District of New York, strengthened judicial security for judges in New York State by working with legislators and the governor to pass the Judicial Security Act, which makes it more difficult to trace personal information about judges through online databases. 

The legislation closes a gap left by the national Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act, passed by Congress in 2022. That law enables federal judges to seek removal of their information from online data brokers, but it does not limit the availability of judges’ information through state and local databases, such as tax records, which the new state law now does. For example, the act allows for redaction of information from websites for the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Board of Elections, and property records.

“For more than a decade, I have worked closely with Ed on court security matters,” wrote Judge Richard Sullivan, chair of the Judicial Conference’s Judicial Security Committee. “Over that span, Ed has demonstrated an unparalleled ability to forge relationships with the Judiciary and its key security partners. … He epitomizes the very best of government service. And we are all safer for it.”

Clerk of Court Dana C. McWay, of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, has been a national leader in helping bankruptcy courts to return unclaimed funds to their rightful owners. Funds distributed in bankruptcy cases can go unclaimed for multiple reasons, including incorrect address for the recipient, uncashed distribution checks, and the death of intended recipients.

Individual claims often can be quite small, and recipients might not be aware that they are entitled to a distribution from a bankruptcy court. A national unclaimed funds locator can help people search for money they might be owed.

McWay “raised the ongoing issues and concerns with unclaimed funds to a national level and brought together various parties-in-interest to review the issues and propose solutions,” said a nominating letter written by Clerk of Court Robert A. Gavin, Jr., of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York.

One challenge for courts is properly vetting applications to prevent fraudulent claims. McWay tackled this issue by providing bankruptcy courts with training materials for spotting fraudulent claim applications. 

This is the third Director’s Award for McWay. In 2016, she and a court colleague were recognized for helping to prepare bankruptcy courts for a planned revision of bankruptcy forms. In 2010, she was recognized for outstanding leadership for her long-standing contributions to the CM/ECF system and the Judicial Code of Conduct training program.

Community Outreach Award

Hanorah “Nora” Tyer-Witek, clerk of court for the District of Rhode Island, was recognized for organizing numerous community and public outreach events that can make the Judiciary more transparent and accessible as an institution. 

A retired 20-year U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, she arranged and participated in veteran legal issue discussions with members of the bar and other community members, highlighting the importance of veteran affairs and their relation to the Judiciary.

She also worked with the Federal Bar Association to enable thousands of students and community members to participate in courthouse tours, mock trials, and interactive workshops. These initiatives have been instrumental in making the Judiciary more relatable and understandable to the general public, wrote Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. in a nominating letter.

“Nora has a remarkable track record of fostering community engagement and public education about the Judiciary,” McConnell wrote. “Her efforts have not only educated the public but also inspired trust and confidence in the legal system.”