FJC ANNOUNCES NEW RESEARCH DIRECTOR

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Spotlight

Federal Judicial History

The Center conducts research and produces resources on the history of the judicial branch of the federal government.  These resources include compilations of historical data on the courts, information about judges and judicial administration, as well as publications on federal judicial history. The Center also maintains a biographical directory of Article III judges from 1789 to the present, engages in outreach and education on federal judicial history, and works to promote the preservation of the history of the judicial branch.

Timelines of Federal Judicial History

Twitter Feed (@FedJudicialHist)

  • Congress organized the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska on July 7, 1958, to be effective upon statehood, Jan. 3, 1959 https://t.co/21LXj5HBO9 https://t.co/oN7EfkQls8
    1 day 2 hours ago
  • RT @abapubliced: Teachers! Looking for free online PD this summer? Join us for a two part series exploring teaching with federal trials thr…
    6 days 21 hours ago
  • Senior U.S. District Judge James P. Churchill (E.D. Mich.) died June 29 at age 96 https://t.co/cTCL45hySt https://t.co/r1FMu7RIXy
    1 week 1 hour ago
  • RT @FJC_Research: Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Wiggins, who begins her tenure as Director of Research today! Congratulations Beth!
    1 week 3 days ago
  • West Humphreys, U.S. district judge for Tennessee, was impeached and removed from office #OTD in 1862 on charges of refusing to hold court and waging war against the U.S. government https://t.co/2X1bcPcvGE https://t.co/lDsWvAl9i9
    1 week 6 days ago

Pages

Debates on the Federal Judiciary: A Documentary History

This three-volume series presents historical documents related to significant debates about the federal judiciary.

Volume I: 1787-1875
The first volume traces the long process of defining the judiciary within the relatively brief outline provided by the Constitution.

Volume II: 1875-1939
Volume II introduces readers to public debates on proposals to alter the organization, jurisdiction, and administration of the federal courts, as well as the tenure and authority of federal judges, during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. 

Volume III: 1939-2005
The concluding volume of the series covers debates concerning structural changes to the federal courts, criminal justice reform, proposed civil justice initiatives, and the discipline of federal judges.

Approaches to Federal Judicial History

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This volume presents a range of scholarly approaches to the field of federal judicial history. Essays by scholars and public historians evaluate the current state of the field and offer insights into new potential areas of study.

To submit questions about federal judicial history, email us at history@fjc.gov.