LCJ urges Congress to fully fund the federal judiciary’s fiscal year 2027 funding request. In a letter to congressional appropriations leaders, LCJ Public Trust in the Courts Committee Co-Chairs Doug Lampe and Barbara Smith Tyson highlighted that a lack of sufficient funding leaves our courts increasingly vulnerable to security breaches, both physical and cyber. Read the letter here.

LCJ’s call for congressional funding highlights the urgency of the court needs. “Adequate and consistent funding is necessary for the federal courts to operate effectively and efficiently. Funding shortfalls and interruptions adversely impact the handling of cases, affecting litigants and the public’s perceptions of the judicial system.”

The urgency of the funding request is underscored by July appearances by U.S. Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan on behalf of funding – the first time since 2019 that a sitting justice has testified before Congress.

Full funding will help ensure our federal courts can operate effectively and efficiently, and that the physical security needs of judges and other judicial personnel are addressed. LCJ’s letter includes a request for full funding for the judiciary’s courthouse construction and capital security projects. Funding shortfalls have led to concerns about the deterioration of federal courthouses and other facilities.

At LCJ’s Spring membership meeting, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Amy St. Eve, the chair of the Judicial Conference Committee on the Budget, joined retired U.S. District Court Judge Kim Mueller, now director of the Bolch Institute, for a conversation with Barbara Smith Tyson which focused on federal judicial funding issues, resource needs, growing threats against judges, and other concerns.

Lagging public trust in our judicial system is a continuing problem for our country. Lawyers and parties who engage regularly in the civil justice system rely on public acceptance of judicial decisions and depend on jurors to respect the judicial process and judges’ instructions. LCJ’s Public Trust in the Courts Committee supports initiatives to Improve the public’s trust in the judicial branch. Adequate funding of our courts is necessary for the judiciary to ensure its operations are safe, efficient, and effective.