Judge Yvette Kane

WELCOME!

This is the official website of Yvette Kane, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Learn about the chief judge's initiatives and court opinions which demonstrate her commitment to the administration of justice.
Also, please visit her blog site for brief news updates.

What is the role of a Chief Judge?

Chief Judges of the United States Courts serve as the chief presiding officer for the court and have a leadership role in court management and stewardship. The chief judges’ responsibilities extend beyond those areas specifically assigned by statute. The chief judge is responsible for seeing that the court is administered effectively and efficiently and in compliance with statutes, Judicial Conference and circuit judicial council policies and Administrative Office regulations.

By operation of federal law, the district court's chief judge position is assigned on the basis of seniority. Chief judges serve for seven years or until the age of 70, whichever comes sooner.

Judge Kane was sworn in as a district judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on October 27, 1998. She was appointed to the federal bench by President William Jefferson Clinton.  

United States District Judge Yvette Kane became Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania on September 1, 2006. Judge Kane, who presides in Harrisburg, PA succeeded Chief Judge Thomas I. Vanaskie of Scranton, who served in that role from September 1, 1999 - August 31, 2006.

Since her appointment in 1998, Judge Kane has been active in court administration as a member of the Court Operations committee of the Middle District Board of Judges. In October, 2003, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist named her to the Judicial Conference of the United States Committee on Financial Disclosure, which oversees compliance with laws and regulations that govern the reporting of judges' financial holdings for purposes of recusal. Judge Kane is an active member of the Dauphin County Bar Association and the Middle District Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and is a frequent lecturer on matters of federal practice and procedure.

Judge Kane has a long history of public service. She served as Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under Governor Tom Ridge from January, 1995 until her appointment as a federal trial judge. Previously, she practiced law with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, the Denver District Attorney’s Office, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. She was also Chief Counsel of the Pennsylvania Independent Regulatory Review Commission.

What is the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania?

Created by an Act of Congress in 1901, the Middle District of Pennsylvania serves thirty-three neighboring counties ranging from the state’s northern tier to the Maryland border.

Court business is conducted in Harrisburg, where Judge Kane presides, as well as Scranton, Williamsport and Wilkes-Barre. There are six authorized judgeships for the district which are referred to as active judges. Currently, there are only three of the six active federal judges on-board, leaving three judicial vacancies.  The district is also supported by eight senior judges located throughout the district as well as four full-time magistrate judges and one part-time magistrate judge.

For information about the United States District Court for the Middle District of PA, contact: Mary E. D’Andrea, Clerk of Court, William J. Nealon Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 235 North Washington Avenue, Scranton, PA (570) 207-5680 or visit the court's website.