1. Home
2. Daily News
3. Federal judge’s Columbia clerk boycott didn’t…

Judiciary

Federal judge’s Columbia clerk boycott didn’t harm public confidence in judiciary, judicial council rules

By Debra Cassens Weiss

April 10, 2025, 11:36 am CDT

A judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade did not violate ethics rules by refusing to hire law clerks who attended Columbia University, according to the judicial council of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago.

In an April 8 decision, the council dismissed the complaint against Judge Stephen A. Vaden, one of 13 federal judges who participated in the boycott and explained why in a letter to the school.

Law360, Reuters and the Volokh Conspiracy have coverage.

President Donald Trump has nominated Vaden to be the deputy secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Reuters reports. A U.S. Senate panel had a hearing on his nomination Tuesday.

The judges had refused to hire law clerks who attended Columbia University or Columbia Law School because of the university’s handling of disruptions caused by pro-Palestinian protesters. Columbia has become “an incubator of bigotry,” the judges said in their letter to Columbia, and the judges have lost confidence in the institution.

Vaden’s boycott and his signature on the letter do not harm the integrity of the judicial office, do not harm public confidence in the judiciary, and do not cast doubt on his impartiality, the judicial council said.

“A judge may refuse to hire law clerks from a law school or university that has, in the judge’s view, failed to foster important aspects of higher education, like civility in discourse, respect for freedom of speech and viewpoint nondiscrimination,” the opinion said.

The chief judge of the U.S. Court of International Trade had transferred the ethics complaint against Vaden to the 7th Circuit’s judicial council for review. The person who filed the ethics complaint is in prison for his role in firebombing and vandalizing Jewish synagogues.

Vaden was represented by the First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit conservative legal organization, and Lisa Blatt of Williams & Connolly.

Judicial councils have also tossed ethics complaints against 11 of the other 12 boycotting judges, including, apparently, two federal appeals judges: Judge James C. Ho of the 5th Circuit at New Orleans and, according to Reuters, Judge Elizabeth L. Branch of the 11th Circuit at Atlanta.

Write a letter to the editor, share a story tip or update, or report an error.

1. Home
2. Daily News
3. Trump order blocks public service loan forgiveness…

Education Law

Trump order blocks public service loan forgiveness for employees of ‘activist organizations’

By Debra Cassens Weiss

March 10, 2025, 11:18 am CDT

Employees of “activist organizations” that support activities with a “substantial illegal purpose” should no longer be eligible for a student loan forgiveness program for borrowers in public service jobs, according to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Friday.

The order and a White House fact sheet say illegal purposes include:

  • Aiding and abetting violations of immigration laws

  • Supporting gender-affirming care for minors (deemed to be “child abuse” in the order) or the transporting of minors “to so-called transgender sanctuary states”

  • Engaging in a pattern of aiding and abetting illegal discrimination

  • Supporting terrorism, including engaging in violence to influence the federal government

  • Engaging in a pattern of “public disruptions” that violate state tort laws, such as trespassing

According to the fact sheet, the executive order refocuses the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program “on its original intent of encouraging Americans to enter essential public service roles, such as nursing, rather than activist groups.”

The order directs the secretary of the U.S. Department of Education to carry out the directive, report the New York Times, NPR, USA Today, the Hill and the Washington Post.

The New York Times pointed out that the Trump administration has previously described diversity and inclusion initiatives as illegal discrimination and has described anti-Israel protests as terrorism.

“The Trump administration has taken a broad view of what it considers to be support of illegal activities,” the newspaper reports.

The ABA’s full time-employees are currently allowed to participate in the program, which offers loan forgiveness for those who make monthly payments on direct federal student loans for 10 years while working full time in qualified public service jobs.

The ABA was deemed to be a qualified public service organization, which entitled its employees to participate in the program, as a result of a 2020 settlement in a lawsuit by the ABA and four lawyers. The ABA had sued after the Education Department decided in 2016 that its employees were no longer eligible to participate in the program that began in 2007.

Before former President Joe Biden took office, the PSLF program had forgiven debt to just 7,000 borrowers, according to the White House fact sheet. While Biden was in office, the program “ballooned” to wipe out student debt for more than 1 million borrowers, the fact sheet says.

The Washington Post noted that the loan forgiveness order may not take effect immediately.

“Education Secretary Linda McMahon may need to convene a panel of experts for a negotiated rulemaking to change the criteria for qualifying employers and then invite the public to comment on any proposed revision,” the article says.

Or maybe not. Although such changes typically are enacted through a rulemaking process, the New York Times says, “the Trump administration has frequently acted in defiance of apparent legal limits—which is likely to set off waves of anxiety for those relying on the complex program.”

Write a letter to the editor, share a story tip or update, or report an error.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been operating “in the shadows,” wielding unconstitutional authority across multiple agencies while providing the public with “no meaningful transparency” and failing to keep proper records, according to a new lawsuit from a nonprofit government watchdog group.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) accused DOGE of unlawfully refusing to comply with its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for records associated with the government group’s actions and ignored repeated demands for DOGE to preserve its records under the Federal Records Act.

More from Law&Crime: ‘Precisely the Executive abuses that the Appointments Clause seeks to prevent’: Judge troubled by Trump giving Musk ‘unchecked’ power, but won’t stop him — yet

CREW has requested records and documents related to communications between Office of Management and Budget (OMB) staffers and individuals who were affiliated with DOGE prior to Trump’s inauguration, changes to the operations of the U.S. Digital Service, organizational charts and financial disclosures, and DOGE’s communications with federal agencies, which DOGE and the other plaintiffs have so far failed to turn over.

The filing requests that a federal judge order OMB and DOGE — as well as their leaders — to promptly disclose the requested records, to preserve all records until the court decides the case, and to initiate enforcement action to recover any lost records.

The suit asserts that while President Donald Trump vowed DOGE would operate with “maximum transparency,” in actuality, “it has done the opposite.”

“The entity has worked in the shadows — a cadre of largely unidentified actors, whose status as government employees is unclear, controlling major government functions with no oversight. [DOGE] has provided no meaningful transparency into its operations or assurances that it is maintaining proper records of its unprecedented and legally dubious work,” the suit states.

Federal courts regularly engage in public outreach and civics education efforts. A new interactive civics map is helping the public more easily find court educational resources and civics program information nationwide.

The tool, developed by the Federal Judicial Center (FJC), the education and research agency for the federal courts, acts as a central repository for local court-created educational resources and civics programs. It includes, for example, information about notable or historic cases and courthouse history and about recurring programs, such as courthouse tours, institutes for teachers, and civics contests for students. 

Visitors can navigate across multiple display types and filtering options to view various civics offerings from different judicial districts. One view links to program information pages from the respective court website about its recurring civics programs.

Learn more about the new tool from the FJC civics education and outreach page.

Visit the educational resources section on the U.S. Courts website for additional information about the federal Judiciary’s national civics initiatives and educational activities.

REDDING, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management welcomes anyone interested in off-highway vehicle recreation on public lands to share ideas about the use of California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division grant funding, when the Northern California District hosts a virtual public meeting via Zoom, Tuesday, Feb. 18, from 4 to 7 p.m. The meeting will be divided into three, one-hour segments for the Eagle Lake, Redding and Arcata field offices.

Representatives from each field office will present information on their OHV programs and pending requests for grants from the state of California.

“The BLM uses grant funds from the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division to improve off-highway riding and driving opportunities for our communities and visitors,” said BLM Northern California District Manager Dereck Wilson. “We appreciate hearing suggestions from those who enjoy off-highway vehicle sports on public lands.”

BLM offices are preparing applications for the 2025 grant cycle. Public comments will be most helpful to the field offices if received prior to the grant submission deadline of March 3.

Those interested in learning more can join the meeting by registering to participate. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Anyone interested can participate in the entire meeting, or just the field office sessions that interest them, during the following times:

• Eagle Lake Field Office (Susanville): 4 to 5 p.m.
• Redding Field Office: 5 to 6 p.m.
• Arcata Field Office: 6 to 7 p.m.

Members of the public and OHV partner organizations are invited to provide information that will help the BLM identify new trails and redesign routes for better connectivity, safer solutions for shared trails, greater public access, and more enjoyable experiences.

Once the proposals are submitted to the state, anyone interested can review and comment on the preliminary applications from March 4 to May 5, by visiting the grants section at https://ohv.parks.ca.gov, or by submitting written comments to the field offices by mail or email:

• BLM Eagle Lake Field Office, 2550 Riverside Dr., Susanville, CA 96130, attention Marisa Williams; email: mbwillia@blm.gov.

• BLM Redding Field Office, 6640 Lockheed Dr., Redding, CA 96002, attention Sky Zaffarano; email: szaffara@blm.gov.

• BLM Arcata Field Office, 1695 Heindon Road, 95521, attention Casey Hague; email: chague@blm.gov.

The California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division state program supports off-highway vehicle recreation in California by distributing funds collected from gas tax, entrance fees and off-highway vehicle registration. For information on the OHV grant program, past grant allocations, program regulations, and more, please visit the website.

The BLM manages off-highway vehicle areas to provide outstanding, sustainable opportunities for recreation on trails designed to minimize impacts on natural resources. The agency works closely with stakeholders and communities in this effort.

In northern California, BLM offices provide OHV recreation opportunities at the Fort Sage and Rice Canyon OHV recreation areas in Lassen County, at the Chappie-Shasta OHV Area in Shasta County, and at the Samoa Dunes Recreation Area in Humboldt County. Additionally, OHV use is allowed on designated roads and trails through wildlands managed by the agency.

REDDING, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management welcomes anyone interested in off-highway vehicle recreation on public lands to share ideas about the use of California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division grant funding, when the Northern California District hosts a virtual public meeting via Zoom, Tuesday, Feb. 18, from 4 to 7 p.m. The meeting will be divided into three, one-hour segments for the Eagle Lake, Redding and Arcata field offices.

Representatives from each field office will present information on their OHV programs and pending requests for grants from the state of California.

“The BLM uses grant funds from the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division to improve off-highway riding and driving opportunities for our communities and visitors,” said BLM Northern California District Manager Dereck Wilson. “We appreciate hearing suggestions from those who enjoy off-highway vehicle sports on public lands.”

BLM offices are preparing applications for the 2025 grant cycle. Public comments will be most helpful to the field offices if received prior to the grant submission deadline of March 3.

Those interested in learning more can join the meeting by registering to participate. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Anyone interested can participate in the entire meeting, or just the field office sessions that interest them, during the following times:

• Eagle Lake Field Office (Susanville): 4 to 5 p.m.
• Redding Field Office: 5 to 6 p.m.
• Arcata Field Office: 6 to 7 p.m.

Members of the public and OHV partner organizations are invited to provide information that will help the BLM identify new trails and redesign routes for better connectivity, safer solutions for shared trails, greater public access, and more enjoyable experiences.

Once the proposals are submitted to the state, anyone interested can review and comment on the preliminary applications from March 4 to May 5, by visiting the grants section at https://ohv.parks.ca.gov, or by submitting written comments to the field offices by mail or email:

• BLM Eagle Lake Field Office, 2550 Riverside Dr., Susanville, CA 96130, attention Marisa Williams; email: mbwillia@blm.gov.

• BLM Redding Field Office, 6640 Lockheed Dr., Redding, CA 96002, attention Sky Zaffarano; email: szaffara@blm.gov.

• BLM Arcata Field Office, 1695 Heindon Road, 95521, attention Casey Hague; email: chague@blm.gov.

The California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division state program supports off-highway vehicle recreation in California by distributing funds collected from gas tax, entrance fees and off-highway vehicle registration. For information on the OHV grant program, past grant allocations, program regulations, and more, please visit the website.

The BLM manages off-highway vehicle areas to provide outstanding, sustainable opportunities for recreation on trails designed to minimize impacts on natural resources. The agency works closely with stakeholders and communities in this effort.

In northern California, BLM offices provide OHV recreation opportunities at the Fort Sage and Rice Canyon OHV recreation areas in Lassen County, at the Chappie-Shasta OHV Area in Shasta County, and at the Samoa Dunes Recreation Area in Humboldt County. Additionally, OHV use is allowed on designated roads and trails through wildlands managed by the agency.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management is hosting several in-person and virtual public and stakeholder meetings to gather input to develop off-highway vehicle grant proposals for submission to the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division. Grants support off-highway vehicle management activities, including visitor services, law enforcement, resource protection, planning and monitoring, and maintenance on BLM-managed public lands.

“The BLM uses these important grant funds to help manage, operate, and maintain the many BLM-managed off-highway vehicle recreation areas in the District,” said Acting California Desert District Manager Brandon Anderson.

Grant applications are being prepared for the 2025 grant cycle. Public comments will be most helpful to the field offices if received prior to the grant submission deadline of March 3.

Stakeholders and members of the public are invited to attend any of the meetings below. Participants are invited to join meetings virtually, by phone using the dial-in information, or attend in-person. The meeting schedule is as follows with options for participation below:

Needles Field Office: Tuesday, Feb. 11

9 – 10 a.m. public meeting and 10 -11 a.m. stakeholder meeting
Virtual via Zoom: https://ow.ly/NzFQ50UONeb

Phone: 833-568-8864 / Meeting ID: 161 868 2430 / Passcode: 948817

 

Ridgecrest Field Office: Tuesday, Feb. 18

4:30 – 5:15 p.m. stakeholder meeting and 5:15 – 6 p.m. public meeting
In-person: BLM Ridgecrest Field Office, 300 S Richmond Rd, Ridgecrest, CA 93555

Virtual via Zoom: https://ow.ly/LXuX50UNZo0

Phone: 833-568-8864 / Meeting ID: 161 544 4745 / Passcode: 408376

 

Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office: Tuesday, Feb. 18

5 – 6 p.m. public meeting and 6 – 6:30 p.m. stakeholder meeting

Virtual via Zoom: https://ow.ly/EAxb50UOMNW

Phone: 833-568-8864 / Meeting ID: 160 146 2122 / Passcode: 245615

 

Barstow Field Office: Wednesday, Feb. 19

5 – 6 p.m. public meeting

In person: BLM Barstow Field Office, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311

Virtual via Zoom: https://ow.ly/OJIl50UNZhl

Phone: 833-568-8864 / Meeting ID: 161 710 5577 / Passcode: 693916

 

El Centro Field Office: Monday, Feb. 24

3 – 4 p.m. public meeting and 4 – 4:30 p.m. stakeholder meeting

Virtual via Zoom: https://ow.ly/xVqF50UNZn2

Phone: 833-568-8864 / Meeting ID: 161 973 9827 / Passcode: 776862

 

After the proposals are submitted to the state, preliminary applications are available for review and comment from March 4 to May 5, by visiting the OHV grants web page  at https://ohv.parks.ca.gov, or by submitting written comments to the field offices by mail or email:

• BLM Barstow Field Office, 2601 Barstow Road, 92311, ATTN: Caleb Scruggs; cscruggs@blm.gov
• BLM El Centro Field Office, 1661 S 4th Street, 92243, ATTN: Michael Mujica; mmujica@blm.gov
• BLM Needles Field Office, 1303 S Highway 95, 92363, ATTN: Sabrina Bice; sbice@blm.gov
• BLM Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, 92262, ATTN: Caroline Gish; cgish@blm.gov
• BLM Ridgecrest Field Office, 300 S Richmond Road, 93555, ATTN: Katrina Meyer; kmeyer@blm.gov

The California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division state program supports off-highway vehicle recreation in California by distributing funds collected from gas tax, entrance fees and off-highway vehicle registration. For information on the OHV grant program, past grant allocations, program regulations, and more, please visit the website.