Seth Stern
@sethstern.bsky.social
Bloomberg Law editor for Supreme Court, federal judiciary, Justice Department and Homeland Security news; author of Speaking Yiddish to Chickens and co-author of Justice Brennan biography; Bill Hennessy sketch
A legal nonprofit accused 2d Circuit judge Sarah Merriam of mistreating her law clerks, despite a pledge to improve after an earlier judicial decision found her management style could be “overly harsh," @suzannemonyak.bsky.social yak.bsky.social reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Legal Nonprofit Accuses Appellate Judge of Bullying Clerks (1)
A legal nonprofit accused a federal appeals court judge of mistreating her law clerks, despite her pledge to improve after an earlier judicial decision found her management style could be “overly hars...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 30, 2025 at 5:47 PM
A legal nonprofit accused 2d Circuit judge Sarah Merriam of mistreating her law clerks, despite a pledge to improve after an earlier judicial decision found her management style could be “overly harsh," @suzannemonyak.bsky.social yak.bsky.social reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Seth Stern
References to the late Justice Antonin Scalia surged this year during Supreme Court oral arguments -- a testament to his lasting influence over the institution nearly 10 years after his death. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Mentions of Justice Scalia Surge at Conservative-Dominated Court
References to the late Justice Antonin Scalia spiked during Supreme Court oral arguments this year, highlighting his lasting influence on how the court interprets the law.
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 22, 2025 at 3:37 PM
References to the late Justice Antonin Scalia surged this year during Supreme Court oral arguments -- a testament to his lasting influence over the institution nearly 10 years after his death. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Seth Stern
Scoop w/ @pathurtado37: DOJ Solicitor General John Sauer directed Trump's EDNY US attorney Nocella to abandon his office's FIFA bribery convictions. Nocella tried pushing back but wasn't given a meeting. Now US may need to return millions in penalties. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
US Attorney Dropped FIFA Bribery Case at Trump Official’s Behest
The Justice Department’s solicitor general effectively ordered Brooklyn prosecutors to abandon two FIFA bribery convictions amid pushback from their Trump-appointed US attorney—potentially unraveling ...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 19, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Scoop w/ @pathurtado37: DOJ Solicitor General John Sauer directed Trump's EDNY US attorney Nocella to abandon his office's FIFA bribery convictions. Nocella tried pushing back but wasn't given a meeting. Now US may need to return millions in penalties. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Chuck Grassley's handling of watchdog firings illustrates how he's strayed from the fierce independence he has long placed at the center of his public persona, legal veterans, some former allies, and fellow lawmakers say, @tianaheadley.bsky.social reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Trump’s Aggression Tests Grassley, Senate GOP Oversight Champion
Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) has adopted a more tepid response to a White House that has aggressively asserted its power, stretched the law, and fired many of the watchdogs Gras...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Chuck Grassley's handling of watchdog firings illustrates how he's strayed from the fierce independence he has long placed at the center of his public persona, legal veterans, some former allies, and fellow lawmakers say, @tianaheadley.bsky.social reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Sen. John Kennedy pressed a Trump judicial nominees about his religious views based on sermons and teachings he gave as a church elder that covered topics such as premarital sex in Christianity and women in Christian marriage, @tianaheadley.bsky.social reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Republican Presses Trump Judicial Pick on His Religious Sermons
A Senate Judiciary Committee Republican questioned one of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees about his religious views based on sermons and teachings he gave as a church elder that covered top...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 17, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Sen. John Kennedy pressed a Trump judicial nominees about his religious views based on sermons and teachings he gave as a church elder that covered topics such as premarital sex in Christianity and women in Christian marriage, @tianaheadley.bsky.social reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
The Trump administration’s move to deploy US Marshals Service officers for immigration enforcement and local crime operations has worsened staffing shortages at the agency tasked with protecting federal judges, @suzannemonyak.bsky.social reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
US Marshals Deployments Strain Court Resources as Threats Rise
The Trump administration’s move to deploy US Marshals Service officers for immigration enforcement and local crime operations has worsened staffing shortages at the agency tasked with protecting feder...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 16, 2025 at 10:59 PM
The Trump administration’s move to deploy US Marshals Service officers for immigration enforcement and local crime operations has worsened staffing shortages at the agency tasked with protecting federal judges, @suzannemonyak.bsky.social reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Seth Stern
For the past several months @emilyrsiegel.bsky.social and I have been analyzing 40 federal civil rights cases filed since 2017 by students who said they were strip searched at school. We found some disturbing patterns. news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/s...
Strip Searches in Schools Traumatize Kids Over Minor Offenses
A Bloomberg Law investigation found 40 federal civil rights lawsuits since 2017 claiming children and teenagers were strip searched at school without parents knowing – often for vape pens and minor of...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 16, 2025 at 3:49 PM
For the past several months @emilyrsiegel.bsky.social and I have been analyzing 40 federal civil rights cases filed since 2017 by students who said they were strip searched at school. We found some disturbing patterns. news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/s...
Reposted by Seth Stern
NEW: Lindsey Halligan's next-in-line as top prosecutor in EDVA, Robert McBride, resigned from prior senior role at a different US attorney's office in 2010 amid multiple employee complaints about his management. External DOJ report recommended he step down. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Halligan’s No. 2 Resigned Past DOJ Role After Staff Complaints
Chief federal prosecutor Lindsey Halligan’s new deputy—and potential successor—resigned from his prior senior Justice Department role amid complaints about his rigid management style, according to fou...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 15, 2025 at 1:43 PM
NEW: Lindsey Halligan's next-in-line as top prosecutor in EDVA, Robert McBride, resigned from prior senior role at a different US attorney's office in 2010 amid multiple employee complaints about his management. External DOJ report recommended he step down. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Seth Stern
My favorite read of the day, from Keith Alexander at Bloomberg Law. Full of fabulous details -- including that the jury included a professional, stand-up comedian >
news.bloomberglaw.com/white-collar...
news.bloomberglaw.com/white-collar...
Jurors in Sandwich Thrower Case Found Charges ‘Bunch of Baloney’
Two of the 12 jurors who found the accused DC sandwich thrower not guilty of assaulting a federal officer discuss why the case didn’t hold up.
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 10, 2025 at 6:08 PM
My favorite read of the day, from Keith Alexander at Bloomberg Law. Full of fabulous details -- including that the jury included a professional, stand-up comedian >
news.bloomberglaw.com/white-collar...
news.bloomberglaw.com/white-collar...
“A federal judge should not by his public conduct engage in what the public will reasonably understand as a sign of political support,” NYU legal ethics professor Stephen Gillers tells @suzannemonyak.bsky.social about Emil Bove attending Trump's speech Tuesday
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news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Emil Bove Attends Trump Rally in Rare Move for Federal Judge
Emil Bove, a top Trump Justice Department official turned federal appeals court judge, attended a campaign-style presidential rally in Pennsylvania in a highly unusual move for a sitting judge.
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 10, 2025 at 3:22 PM
“A federal judge should not by his public conduct engage in what the public will reasonably understand as a sign of political support,” NYU legal ethics professor Stephen Gillers tells @suzannemonyak.bsky.social about Emil Bove attending Trump's speech Tuesday
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
“How do you frame the case in a way that any old Joe can understand what in the world is going on?” 11th Circuit Judge Kevin Newsom told @jacqthomsen.bsky.social
Two federal judges are urging the judiciary to tweak a rule to explicitly allow lawyers to include an “introduction” section at the top of their appellate briefs.
Appeals Judges Push to Clearly Allow Introductions in Briefs
Two federal judges are urging the judiciary to tweak a rule to explicitly allow lawyers to include an “introduction” section at the top of their appellate briefs.
bit.ly
December 9, 2025 at 9:42 PM
“How do you frame the case in a way that any old Joe can understand what in the world is going on?” 11th Circuit Judge Kevin Newsom told @jacqthomsen.bsky.social
Reposted by Seth Stern
Ex-Civil Rights Div attorneys blast Trump DOJ overhaul while current employee says, "We are working in an environment of hostility & disrespect from leadership...we never know who is going to be forced to stop their work or be terminated or transferred" news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Limits Civil Rights Unit as Ex-Staff Decry ‘Destruction’ (1)
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will focus solely on “intentional discrimination” in its regulation of federally funded programs in the latest effort by the Trump administration to reor...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 9, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Ex-Civil Rights Div attorneys blast Trump DOJ overhaul while current employee says, "We are working in an environment of hostility & disrespect from leadership...we never know who is going to be forced to stop their work or be terminated or transferred" news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
The Trump administration is considering demolishing four historic Washington buildings, including those that housed HUD and Voice of America, a former government official alleged in a declaration, @suzannemonyak.bsky.social reports
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news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Trump Eyeing Federal Buildings for Demolition, Ex-Official Says
The Trump administration is considering demolishing four historic Washington buildings, including those that housed the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Voice of America, a former gover...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 8, 2025 at 8:49 PM
The Trump administration is considering demolishing four historic Washington buildings, including those that housed HUD and Voice of America, a former government official alleged in a declaration, @suzannemonyak.bsky.social reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche accused judges of “engaging in an unconscionable campaign of bias and hostility” against Lindsey Halligan and other prosecutors in the office, Celine Castronuovo reports
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news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Hits Back at Judges Doubting Halligan’s US Attorney Role
The Justice Department is doubling down on its decision to have Lindsey Halligan continue serving as the Eastern District of Virginia’s top federal prosecutor after a court last month declared she was...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 8, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche accused judges of “engaging in an unconscionable campaign of bias and hostility” against Lindsey Halligan and other prosecutors in the office, Celine Castronuovo reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Seth Stern
Scoop: FBI aims to escalate its inquiry into 6 Democrats who made video for troops by pressing domestic terrorism squad to launch a formal seditious conspiracy investigation. Washington Field Office leaders are pushing back b/c they don't see a crime. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
FBI Seeks ‘Seditious Conspiracy’ Probe of Democratic Lawmakers
The FBI is pressuring domestic terrorism agents to open a seditious conspiracy investigation into six Democratic lawmakers who advised military service members to defy unlawful orders, according to th...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 4, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Scoop: FBI aims to escalate its inquiry into 6 Democrats who made video for troops by pressing domestic terrorism squad to launch a formal seditious conspiracy investigation. Washington Field Office leaders are pushing back b/c they don't see a crime. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Seth Stern
News: DOJ demotes Lindsey Halligan's criminal chief as her office weighs new charges against Jim Comey, Tish James. Nearly two-decade EDVA veteran replaced by a North Carolina transplant. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Demotes Virginia Criminal Chief As It Mulls Comey Dismissal
The Justice Department demoted a veteran criminal chief in the Eastern Virginia office that’s weighing key decisions in dismissed cases against two of Trump’s perceived enemies, people familiar with t...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 3, 2025 at 5:54 PM
News: DOJ demotes Lindsey Halligan's criminal chief as her office weighs new charges against Jim Comey, Tish James. Nearly two-decade EDVA veteran replaced by a North Carolina transplant. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Seth Stern
Demand Justice is spending over $1 million to expand its offensive against Senate Democrats who vote to confirm President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
New $1 Million Ad Push Targets Democrats Who Backed Trump Judges
A progressive advocacy group is spending over $1 million to expand its offensive against Senate Democrats who vote to confirm President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees.
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 3, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Demand Justice is spending over $1 million to expand its offensive against Senate Democrats who vote to confirm President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Amazing inside look at how litigator Roman Martinez argued a case before the Supreme Court from @bloomberglaw.com video team's Andrew Satter and Josh Block
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsOi...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsOi...
Supreme Advocacy: What It Takes to Argue at the Supreme Court (DOCUMENTARY)
YouTube video by Bloomberg Law
www.youtube.com
December 2, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Amazing inside look at how litigator Roman Martinez argued a case before the Supreme Court from @bloomberglaw.com video team's Andrew Satter and Josh Block
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsOi...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsOi...
Reposted by Seth Stern
Supreme Advocacy, is a documentary film that takes viewers inside the rarefied world of the Supreme Court—offering an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to argue before the nation’s highest court.
Supreme Advocacy: What It Takes to Argue at the Supreme Court
Supreme Advocacy, is a documentary film that takes viewers inside the rarefied world of the Supreme Court—offering an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to argue before the nation’s highest court.
bit.ly
December 2, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Supreme Advocacy, is a documentary film that takes viewers inside the rarefied world of the Supreme Court—offering an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to argue before the nation’s highest court.
Halligan should be listed in the signature block used on all pleadings as “United States Attorny and Special United States Attorney,” according to the email, which misspells “Attorney.”
NEWS: DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel has blessed the use of Lindsey Halligan's name as US Attorney on her prosecutors' court filings despite a judge ruling she was illegally appointed. They're advised to add DAG Todd Blanche to the signature block as well.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Legal Adviser Says Halligan Can Still Be Called US Attorney
The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel has advised that Lindsey Halligan can continue to be referred to as the Eastern District of Virginia’s US attorney in court filings, according to an em...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Halligan should be listed in the signature block used on all pleadings as “United States Attorny and Special United States Attorney,” according to the email, which misspells “Attorney.”
Reposted by Seth Stern
NEW: DOJ identified top US officials involved in the decision not to turn around planes of deported migrants in March per a judge’s order, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Judge Emil Bove (a DOJ official at the time)
buff.ly/p0f1hnf
buff.ly/p0f1hnf
November 26, 2025 at 3:29 AM
NEW: DOJ identified top US officials involved in the decision not to turn around planes of deported migrants in March per a judge’s order, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Judge Emil Bove (a DOJ official at the time)
buff.ly/p0f1hnf
buff.ly/p0f1hnf
Reposted by Seth Stern
Lost in the huge Comey/James dismissals is Halligan has a new No. 2, an ex-prosecutor parachuting in from Ky., who'd be in line to refile the Trump retribution charges depending on outcome of appeal. Robert McBride has no EDVA experience. w/ Celine Castronuovo:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Defense of Top Prosecutors Tees Up Debate for Supreme Court
The Justice Department’s plans to appeal a ruling that an interim US attorney is unlawfully serving is likely to force the Supreme Court to weigh in on the Trump administration’s maneuvers to install ...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Lost in the huge Comey/James dismissals is Halligan has a new No. 2, an ex-prosecutor parachuting in from Ky., who'd be in line to refile the Trump retribution charges depending on outcome of appeal. Robert McBride has no EDVA experience. w/ Celine Castronuovo:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Seth Stern
The Justice Department’s plans to appeal a ruling that an interim US attorney is unlawfully serving is likely to force the Supreme Court to weigh in on the Trump administration’s maneuvers to install loyalists as top prosecutors.
DOJ Defense of Top Prosecutors Tees Up Debate for Supreme Court
The Justice Department’s plans to appeal a ruling that an interim US attorney is unlawfully serving is likely to force the Supreme Court to weigh in on the Trump administration’s maneuvers to install loyalists as top prosecutors.
bit.ly
November 25, 2025 at 12:55 AM
The Justice Department’s plans to appeal a ruling that an interim US attorney is unlawfully serving is likely to force the Supreme Court to weigh in on the Trump administration’s maneuvers to install loyalists as top prosecutors.
“This is what happens when you completely unmoor DOJ from the historical expertise that DOJ possesses,” said Sasha Samberg-Champion, a former appellate lawyer for the Civil Rights Division, tells Celine Castronuovo and @suzannemonyak.bsky.social
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Trump Loyalists in DOJ Face Criticism as Judges Expose Blunders
Judges’ rebukes this week of blunders by top Justice Department lawyers show the pitfalls of installing President Donald Trump loyalists to their roles, lawyers and scholars said.
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:58 PM
“This is what happens when you completely unmoor DOJ from the historical expertise that DOJ possesses,” said Sasha Samberg-Champion, a former appellate lawyer for the Civil Rights Division, tells Celine Castronuovo and @suzannemonyak.bsky.social
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Seth Stern
NEW: US District Judge Sarah Pitlyk and Jesus Osete of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division are on a White House list of candidates interviewing for an 8th Circuit seat, per source familiar
Litigator Erin Hawley, Sen. Hawley's spouse, also expressed interest
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Litigator Erin Hawley, Sen. Hawley's spouse, also expressed interest
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Litigator Erin Hawley Said to Be Interested in Circuit Judgeship
A Trump-appointed trial judge and a senior Justice Department official are included on a White House list of candidates interviewing for a federal appeals court seat in Missouri, a person familiar wit...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:58 PM
NEW: US District Judge Sarah Pitlyk and Jesus Osete of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division are on a White House list of candidates interviewing for an 8th Circuit seat, per source familiar
Litigator Erin Hawley, Sen. Hawley's spouse, also expressed interest
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Litigator Erin Hawley, Sen. Hawley's spouse, also expressed interest
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...