United States District Court for the District of Vermont
About This Court
The District of Vermont is a federal judicial district covering the entire state of Vermont, one of the smallest states by population in the United States. It sits within the Second Circuit and handles all federal district court matters arising within Vermont's borders, including civil, criminal, and bankruptcy-related proceedings at the district level.
The court operates as a single-district court without formal divisions, given Vermont's compact geographic size and relatively modest population. Judges regularly travel to multiple courthouses across the state to serve litigants throughout the district.
Vermont's federal docket reflects the character of a rural New England state, with cases often involving federal lands, environmental matters, immigration proceedings related to the Canadian border, and drug trafficking cases connected to the Interstate 89 and Interstate 91 corridors.
Proceedings are governed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and Federal Rules of Evidence, along with the court's local rules. Bankruptcy cases are handled by the companion Bankruptcy Court, District of Vermont.
Caseload
The District of Vermont maintains one of the smaller federal dockets in the country, consistent with Vermont's population, though it sees a notable volume of immigration and border-related criminal cases given Vermont's extensive boundary with Canada.
Bar Admission
Attorneys must be admitted to practice law in the state of Vermont or be admitted pro hac vice for a specific proceeding. Applicants for admission to the district court bar must comply with the court's local rules governing admission requirements.
Clerk's Office
P.O. Box 945, Burlington, VT 05402
(802) 951-6301
Active Judges 5
| Name | Appointed By | Confirmed | Law School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geoffrey Crawford | Barack Obama | 2014 | Harvard Law School |
| Mary Lanthier | Joseph R. Biden | 2024 | Northeastern University School of Law |
| John Murtha | William J. Clinton | 1995 | University of Connecticut School of Law |
| Christina Reiss | Barack Obama | 2009 | University of Arizona College of Law (now James E. Rogers College of Law) |
| William Sessions | William J. Clinton | 1995 | George Washington University Law School |
Local Rules
43 local rules extracted from this court's published rules. See the court's official website for the authoritative text.
Civil Rules 33
Criminal Rules 3
General Rules 6
Attorney Rules 1
| Rule | Title |
|---|---|
| 83.1 | Admission of Attorneys |