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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.

Spotlight on Judicial History

The 1957 Employers' Liability Cases (posted 9/1/2021)
Elkison v. Deliesseline: The South Carolina Negro Seaman Act of 1822 in Federal Court (posted 8/4/2021)
United States v. Santa Fe Pacific R. Co.: The Hualapai and Aboriginal Title in the Supreme Court (posted 7/6/2021)

Timelines of Federal Judicial History

Twitter Feed (@FedJudicialHist)

  • 9/ (If you missed our earlier thread on the history of Title 28, check it out here: https://t.co/900XQCuoUx)
    1 week 13 hours ago
  • 8/ The opening dates of federal trial court terms were carried over to Title 28 of the U.S. Code, which came into being in 1926. https://t.co/mFmzmNjT4T
    1 week 13 hours ago
  • 7/ Congress didn't regulate the U.S. courts of appeals in the same way. The Evarts Act of 1891, which established these courts, set the first meeting dates for all circuits as January 12, 1891 "and thereafter at such times as may be fixed by said courts."
    1 week 13 hours ago
  • 6/ With Congress constantly passing individual statutes altering the times of holding court, it wasn't until the Revised Statutes of the United States (a precursor to the U.S. Code) were published in 1875 that one could see all the court terms organized in one place: https://t.co/0sciBzOtK7
    1 week 13 hours ago
  • 5/ In future years, Congress frequently passed individual statutes setting opening dates of terms for new courts or altering those for existing ones. For example: https://t.co/nuA7c9xpuI
    1 week 13 hours 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This three-volume series presents historical documents related to significant debates about the federal judiciary.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.