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US courts set to run out of money, begin furloughs as shutdown lingers

Federal courts will furlough staff and reduce operations as funding ends from the ongoing shutdown, with judges continuing essential work unpaid, officials said.

  • On Oct. 17, the U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts moved to curb operations, with the high court closing to the public Oct. 18 and furloughing staff as funding lapses.
  • Because lawmakers remain at an impasse, the federal government shutdown that began Oct. 1 depleted the judiciary's reserves that sustained about two weeks of normal operations, triggering a 'phase 2' funding lapse.
  • Chief judges ordered that chambers staff deemed essential must continue working without pay, some courts will close clerk offices on Fridays, suspend training and hiring, and limit travel.
  • Furlough notices will be handed out on Oct. 20, with federal judges continuing paid work while court staff and probation/federal defender offices face suspended paychecks.
  • High-Profile arguments set for Nov. 5, Nov. 10 and Dec. 8 add urgency as each district, bankruptcy and appellate court decides operations during the funding lapse, the judiciary's administrative office said.
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61 Articles

Right

Federal judges will continue their necessary work during the closure, but staff will only be able to carry out certain protected activities during the service. Judges and their staff will not be charged until the end of the closure.

Lean Left

The Supreme Court announced that it will run out of funds on October 18 and has suspended public access to closed buildings, but still hears cases

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Law.com broke the news in on Friday, October 17, 2025.
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