Compliance Stuff

Federal funding lapse could slow filings and hearings as US courts shift schedules and staffing. As of October 20, 2025, the federal judiciary’s funding lapse is now disrupting day-to-day court operations. After exhausting fee balances and other non-appropriated funds, several US trial-level courts began reducing activity on Fridays — and in some instances closing courthouses entirely for the day. The changes underscore a new phase of constrained court-by-court decision-making that will shape how filings, hearings, and staffing are handled in the coming weeks. For example, the  Eastern and Southern District Courts of California and the District of Arizona  have designated all staff as essential in order to manage heavy caseloads and minimize disruptions to court operations. By comparison, the District Court of Rhode Island has instituted a four-day workweek, which will necessarily slow cases. Similarly, the  Middle District of Alabama  has closed its courthouses on F...

The shutdown’s effect on federal court proceedings is in flux. For now, most litigants should expect business as usual in the nation’s courthouses, at least in private civil matters. As of October 6, 2025, federal courts remain open and are drawing on non-appropriated funds to continue operations. But the federal judiciary has warned that if it exhausts those funds, it may have to reduce operations to essential functions. The Administrative Office of the US Courts released a  statement  indicating that existing funds will last until at least October 17 . After that, should the shutdown remain in effect, impacts on the judicial system may grow and will likely vary by jurisdiction. In prior shutdowns, disruptions were kept to a minimum, but that is because most shutdowns did not last significant amounts of time. During the 2018–19 shutdown (the longest in history, at 34 days) , courts ultimately shifted to essential-only staffing, which caused additional delays at the district c...