News and Announcements

Caseloads for fiscal year 2011 increased in district courts and in the probation and pretrial services system, while falling slightly in the appellate and bankruptcy courts.

A recently published report focuses on programs, services, and materials federal courts have developed to assist “pro se” litigants – those who don’t have a lawyer’s help. The report also looks at what assistance exists for court staff in handling pro se cases.

U.S. District Judge George Singal of Maine was born in a World War II refugee camp after his family fled from eastern Poland. In this video, he explains that when presiding over naturalization ceremonies he invites new citizens to take advantage of their new opportunities.

As the federal judiciary began the requirements-gathering phase for the Next Generation successor of its Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system back in 2009, it decided to hear voices from outside the court system.

The Pretrial Services Act, which authorized federal judicial districts nationwide to establish pretrial services offices, will turn 30 in 2012.

Federal courts now provide automatic case notification through the use of RSS feeds, allowing the public to easily stay informed of newly docketed events.

The Federal Judicial Center’s Guide to Research in Federal Judicial History has been awarded the prestigious Thomas Jefferson Prize from the Society for History in the Federal Government.

Federal Judicial Center Director Jeremy Fogel said he is “committed to continuing the Center’s exemplary service to the judiciary” despite facing unprecedented fiscal challenges over the next few years.

Bankruptcy filings in the federal courts fell 11.5 percent in calendar year 2011. The number of bankruptcies filed in the 12-month period ending December 31, 2011, totaled 1,410,653 – down from 1,593,081 bankruptcies filed in 2010.

The Administrative Office, required by Congress to report on the number of applications for court orders authorizing or approving interception of electronic communications each year, has posted revised instructions for those who must file data for such reports.