Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, revolutionized the federal judiciary during his single term by appointing an unprecedented number of women and people of color to the bench. Carter, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 100, reshaped a judiciary historically dominated by white men, leaving an enduring legacy of…
Two Democratic lawmakers in Congress, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representative Hank Johnson, are pushing for more transparency in the U.S. judiciary’s rules on disclosing travel-related gifts. They have raised concerns about the recently implemented financial disclosure policy, which they believe falls short in addressing past omissions. Lawmakers Question Limited Scope of New Policy In a…
North Carolina Solicitor General Ryan Park announced on Thursday that he has formally withdrawn his candidacy for a seat on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. This decision follows months of stalled progress on his nomination, which President Joe Biden put forward in July. Park’s withdrawal highlights the political complexities surrounding judicial confirmations in…
President Joe Biden directly opposed a bipartisan bill on Tuesday that proposes adding 66 new judges to federal courts across the country. He emphasized that the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives delayed addressing the measure until after the Nov. 5 election, which Republican President-elect Donald Trump won. Biden’s administration firmly stated his intention to veto…
The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday referred a judicial misconduct investigation of a federal judge in Alaska to its internal watchdog. This investigation concerns conflicts prosecutors who appeared before the judge may have faced. The department revealed the referral after Alaska’s top federal public defender, Jamie McGrady, requested that the Justice Department’s inspector general…
The federal judiciary should award monetary damages to employees who suffer workplace misconduct at the hands of judges and increase transparency regarding how courts handle worker complaints internally, according to a congressionally directed study released Wednesday. The study’s 34 recommendations appeared in a 200-page report by the judiciary’s research arm and a congressionally chartered academic…
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s appointment to the Supreme Court represents a historic milestone in American legal history, marking the first time a Black woman has ascended to the nation’s highest court. This article chronicles Judge Jackson’s remarkable path, highlighting her significant achievements and the profound impact of her appointment. Early Life and Education: Foundations of…
The federal judiciary is considering whether it needs new ethical guidance on hiring law clerks following controversy involving two judges who hired a clerk accused of racist conduct while at a conservative advocacy group. The clerk later secured a prestigious clerkship with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The U.S. Judicial Conference, the judiciary’s policymaking…
Representative Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) marked Father’s Day with a call for the Supreme Court to intervene in former President Donald Trump’s recent guilty verdict related to hush money payments. Appearing virtually on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Donalds criticized what he termed the “weaponization of the justice system” and advocated for an expedited appeal process for…
A government watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), on Wednesday urged the judiciary to rein in the recurring practice of conservative judges boycotting the hiring of law clerks from specific schools over protests and disruptions on their campuses. CREW, in a letter, urged the U.S. Judicial Conference to address the matter…