Welcome to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The Eastern District of Virginia consists of four divisions: Alexandria, Newport News, Norfolk, and Richmond. Our mission is to preserve and enhance the rule of law while providing an impartial and accessible forum for the just, timely, and economical resolution of legal proceedings within the Court's jurisdiction; to protect individual rights and liberties; to promote public trust and confidence in the judicial system; and, to maintain judicial independence.
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the federal court system. Within limits set by Congress and the Constitution, the district courts have jurisdiction to hear nearly all federal cases, including civil and criminal matters. Every day, hundreds of people nationwide are selected for jury duty to help decide some of these cases.
There are 94 federal judicial districts, including at least one district in each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Three territories of the United States -- the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands -- have district courts that hear federal cases, including bankruptcy cases.
Bankruptcy courts are separate units of the district courts. Federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases, meaning parties cannot file a bankruptcy case in a state court.
Two special trial courts have nationwide jurisdiction over certain types of cases:
1. The Court of International Trade addresses cases involving international trade and customs issues.
2. The United States Court of Federal Claims has jurisdiction over most claims for money damages against the United States, disputes over federal contracts, unlawful "takings" of private property by the federal government, and various other claims against the United States.
Pursuant to 28 U.S. Code § 137, the Eastern District of Virginia randomly divides its cases among the judges, employing case assignment tools promulgated by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AO) via Case Management/Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF). At regular intervals, the Court reviews case assignments to ensure the accomplishment of rules and regulations established by statutory authority, policies of the Judicial Conference of the United States, and guidance provided by the AO.
Frequently visited pages on our website are linked below: