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Judges' Information

Judicial Seminars Disclosure

The Judicial Conference adopted a private seminars disclosure reporting policy (PDF) that requires educational program providers and judges to disclose certain information relevant to judges' attendance at privately-funded educational programs.

Any organization covered by the policy that issues an invitation on or after January 1, 2007 (for a program commencing after that date), to a federal judge to attend an educational program as a speaker, panelist, or attendee and offers to pay for or reimburse that judge, in excess of $305, must disclose financial and programmatic information.

Resources

Overview of Privately Funded Seminars Disclosure System provides information on how the system works for judges, education program providers, and the public.

Judicial Conduct and Disability

Congress has created, through the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act, a procedure that permits any person to file a complaint alleging that a federal judge has engaged in “conduct prejudicial to the effective and expeditious administration of the business of the courts” or has become, by any reason of a temporary or permanent condition, “unable to discharge the duties of the judicial office. Below you will find a link to both the rules that encompass the complaint procedure as well as a link to the actual complaint form itself.

Almost all complaints dismissed in recent years have been so because they do not follow the rules about the complaints. The rules state that complaints about judges’ decisions and complaints with no evidence to support them must be dismissed. If you are a litigant in a case and believe the judge has made a wrong decision—regardless of how wrong you feel the decision was—you may not use this procedure to complain about the decision itself. An attorney can explain the rights you have as a litigant to seek review of a judicial decision.