Naturalization Ceremony and Outreach Photos 2023

Federal Magistrate Judges around the country are pleased and proud to participate in public outreach and education to their local communities through the year including Naturalization Ceremonies, Robes in Schools and other presentations each year. FMJA members provide resources to the community, including schools on the U.S. Judicial System in conjunction with the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and FMJA.  These photos represent just a few of the activities Federal Magistrate Judges have participated in this year.

Right to Counsel Video Released July 2023

This video, produced by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, judges and public defenders make the case for why everyone has a stake in the right to counsel. 

“It’s protecting every one of us from government overreach,” said Akin Adepoju, Branch Chief, Federal Defender Services, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. “It’s a way we keep the government in check.  The Founders of this country recognized the importance of that, and that’s why it’s in the Constitution.”

 Judges and attorneys in the video tell the story of the landmark Supreme Court decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, which is 60 years old this year. The video is the latest installment in the Court Shorts series of brief videos on pillars of court literacy:  rule of law, separation of powers, and judicial impartiality.  The series is in the lineup of educational videos on the federal judiciary’s YouTube channel.

Featured in the video are U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Feldman, of the Western District of New York; U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake, District of Maryland; U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins, District of Arizona; Federal Public Defender Kyana K. Givens, Massachusetts; Federal Public Defender Eric A. Vos, Puerto Rico; and Akin Adepoju, of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts’ Defender Services Office.

FMJA Announces 2023 Fellows

FMJA Announces 2023 Fellows
Stanardsville, VA, April 12, 2023 – The Federal Magistrate Judges
Association (FMJA) is proud to announce the selection of Sharell
Reddin of Florida A & M College of Law, Patrick Gildea of American
University College of Law, Elka-asbi Edma of Howard University
School of Law, Alan Huang of Loyola University School of
Law, D’Andre Gordon of Syracuse University College of Law, Abena
Ampofo of Temple University School of Law, Sophia Kim of UC
Hastings College of Law, and Daphne Escobedo of University of
Houston Law School, as our 2023 FMJA Fellows.
The FMJA is committed to diversity and inclusion in the legal
profession and the courts. For this reason, FMJA, in collaboration
with Just the Beginning – A Pipeline Organization, has created the
FMJA Fellows to support and promote the placement of diverse and
underrepresented law students in judicial internships with U.S
Magistrate Judges. Each FMJA Fellow will receive a stipend of $2,500
and an opportunity to participate in FMJA programs on path to the
bench and applying for federal clerkships.
ABOUT THE FMJA: The Federal Magistrate Judges Association (FMJA) is a
national association consisting of United States Magistrate Judges whose mission
is to support the vital role of all Magistrate Judges as an integral part of our United
States Judicial System: to promote appropriate utilization and understanding of the
role magistrate judges play in the federal judiciary by advising and advancing
policies that affect it members and the United States Courts as a whole; by actively
participating in the review and modification of legislation, as well as substantive
and procedural rules that affect the United States Courts and by promoting the
independence of the federal judiciary.

Congratulations, Magistrate Judge Quraishi!

Stanardsville, VA-April 5, 2021

The Federal Magistrate Judges Association would like to be among the first to congratulate Hon. Zahid Quraishi on his nomination to be a United States District Judge.

Magistrate Judge Quraishi was first appointed to the federal bench on June 3, 2019, when he took the oath of office as a USMJ. United States Magistrate Judges are appointed to the federal bench by the District Judges in the districts where they serve. According to the White House, Magistrate Judge Quraishi is the first Muslim-American to be nominated to the federal bench by the President of the United States. Congratulations, Magistrate Judge Quraishi!

ABOUT THE FMJA: The Federal Magistrate Judges Association (FMJA) is a national association consisting of United States Magistrate Judges whose mission is to support the vital role of all Magistrate Judges as an integral part of our United States Judicial System: to promote appropriate utilization and understanding of the role magistrate judges play in the federal judiciary by advising and advancing policies that affect it members and the United States Courts as a whole; by actively participating in the review and modification of legislation, as well as substantive and procedural rules that affect the United States Courts and by promoting the independence of the federal judiciary.

Contact:
 
Shari Bedker, Executive Director
Federal Magistrate Judges Association
P.O. Box 249, Stanardsville, VA 22973
(Phone) 434-939-6007 (Fax)- 434-939-6030
Email sbedker@fmja.org