Judiciary News

As a Japanese American, Judge Susan Oki Mollway never considered herself disadvantaged while growing up in the multicultural environment of Hawaii. So, she was surprised, when she was nominated to the federal bench in 1998, to learn she was the first Asian woman to serve as an Article III federal judge. In recognition of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, a new video profile explores Mollway’s heritage.

The COVID-19 emergency is no longer affecting the functioning of the federal courts, the Judicial Conference’s Executive Committee has found, setting in motion a 120-day grace period in which federal courts may continue to provide the same remote public audio access to civil and bankruptcy proceedings as they did during the emergency.

Bankruptcy filings rose slightly for the 12-month period ending March 31, 2023, but new bankruptcy cases remain sharply lower than before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Individuals can now pay tickets for minor federal violations more easily, using a redesigned website for the Judiciary’s Central Violations Bureau. The website, officially launching in early May, leverages new technologies and best design practices to improve usability and accessibility across devices, including smart phones.

In celebration of Law Day, federal judges are hosting programs in May and throughout the year to give students real-life experience with civil discourse and solid decision-making skills.

The public opening of the Sylvia H. Rambo U.S. Courthouse marked the conclusion of a decades-long effort to work with the General Services Administration (GSA) to secure funding to build a safer space for those visiting the federal court in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

About 2,000 attorneys and law students spoke with federal judges during a recent symposium, which was simultaneously broadcast in 38 cities, about the many paths to becoming a bankruptcy or magistrate judge.

As summer approaches, middle and high school students can choose from catalogues of camps that promise to improve everything from language skills to layup shots. Federal court camps prepare participants to be informed and engaged citizens in every walk of life, and at no cost.

Clarence Earl Gideon, a Florida drifter who spent time in and out of prisons for nonviolent crimes, was an unlikely individual to help redefine a criminal defendant’s right to counsel 60 years ago in the Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright. Public Defense Week and National Public Defender Day, which occur March 18, commemorate the landmark case and the vital work of public defense lawyers.

The Judicial Conference of the United States today agreed to recommend to Congress the creation of new district and court of appeals judgeships to meet workload demands in certain courts.

The Judiciary today reported on the progress made in 2022 in a number of critical areas of court operations, including improved safety and security of judges and staff, the courthouses where they work, and the IT systems relied on by the courts for day-to-day operations.

The federal Judiciary is seeking $9.1 billion in discretionary funding from Congress for fiscal year (FY) 2024, an increase of 8.0 percent over the FY 2023 appropriation, according to the Judiciary’s FY 2024 budget request, which was released to the public on March 9.

Constance Baker Motley was the first African American woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court, and the first to serve as a federal judge. For all her achievements, Motley’s most-lasting legacy may be the generations of women she inspired to pursue careers in the law. In celebration of Women’s History Month, judges reflected on the life and career of the revered trailblazer and civil rights hero.

Law students watched the wheels of justice in motion as Ninth Circuit judges and attorneys gathered for oral arguments at the University of San Diego School of Law.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has advised the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts that it has insufficient funds available to transfer to the Judiciary to make additional payments to eligible chapter 7 bankruptcy trustees for fiscal year 2022.