TBA Law Blog

TBA Law Blog

U.S. Judicial Panel Drops Part of Amicus Disclosure Rule

Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Apr 20, 2026
News Type: Legal News

The U.S. Judicial Conference's Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules voted last Thursday to abandon a key part of a proposed rule governing the disclosure of who finances friend-of-the-court briefs. Reuters reports that committee members took the action after key judges expressed concern the measure could interfere with the privacy of advocacy groups. The panel previously had endorsed a rule requiring organizations that file amicus briefs to name donors who provide more than $100 for preparation of a brief if those individuals had joined the organization less than 12 months ⁠earlier. Opponents argued that requiring advocacy groups to disclose members’ names would violate their First Amendment rights. Current rules already require organizations to disclose ⁠support from nonmembers. The judiciary had been considering the rule change since 2019.

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