2021 Ninth Circuit Annual Report


October 11, 2022 / Ninth Circuit Public Information Office


The 2021 Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Annual Report has been posted to our public website. The report focuses on the work of the federal courts in the western United States, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. It includes court caseload statistics and articles focusing on various initiatives undertaken by judges and court staff in 2021 when the global distribution of vaccines against COVID-19 began and the prospect of resuming normal routines seemed possible.

Throughout the Ninth Circuit, federal courts continued to fulfill their responsibilities both virtually and in person, with the Court of Appeals hearing oral arguments and en bancs by video conference, benefiting from the technology that has been in place for over 13 years. The committees of the Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit found creative ways to stay connected with people and the communities they serve. Circuit meetings, law clerk orientations, educational programs and conferences were held virtually. Judges and court personnel provided schools and other organizations with innovative civics education programs using various video conferencing platforms and webinar formats. Five of the seven winners from the seventh annual 2021 Ninth Circuit Civics Contest met virtually in July 2021 to share their experience creating their winning essays and videos.

There was a significant transition in leadership of the Ninth Circuit on Dec. 1, 2021, when Circuit Judge Mary H. Murguia was elevated to chief circuit judge after Chief Judge Emeritus Sidney R. Thomas had served as chief for seven years and so ably guided the Ninth Circuit through challenging times and an unprecedented pandemic. You can read about these transitions and the Ninth Circuit’s accomplishments in the new report. View the report:
2021 Ninth Circuit Annual Report.

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