A Journalist’s Guide to Covering Federal Courts

Reporting about a federal trial court or appellate court is quite unlike reporting on the other two branches of government. Among the most notable differences are that some legal terms are hard to understand; there are many rules; and federal judges work largely alone. This book provides a guide for journalists on federal courts. It also provides an analytic overview of the professional experiences and qualifications of those individuals who are currently serving as active U.S. circuit court judges; provides a statistical analysis of the time from nomination to confirmation for U.S. circuit and district court nominees from Presidents Reagan to Obama; identifies possible consequences of a protracted confirmation process for circuit and district court nominees; and identifies policy options the Senate might consider to shorten the length of time from nomination to confirmation for lower federal court nominees.