A Senate Republican is advancing a bill aimed at reducing judge shopping in federal litigation.
The proposal, titled the Blocking Overt Attempts at Shopping By Enforcing Randomization Guidelines Act, or BOASBERG Act, seeks to enforce random assignment of cases across the federal judiciary.
The act would mandate that civil cases be assigned randomly, bar chief judges from influencing the process, require courts to disclose their assignment practices publicly, impose penalties for attempts to manipulate assignments, and allow for reassignment if the Supreme Court intervenes in a ruling.
Courts would have a 120‑day period after enactment to implement the new procedures.
The legislation is named after U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, a judge who has been at the center of several high‑profile disputes with a former president.
Boasberg, appointed in 2010, has blocked administrative actions such as a visa restriction for foreign officials, a rapid deportation program targeting Venezuelan migrants, and a request to preserve communications from a cabinet group chat.
The senator stresses that random assignment will restore public confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary.
If enacted, the BOASBERG Act would establish a new standard for case allocation and could reshape how federal courts manage potential conflicts of interest.
