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<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Welcome<\/h1><\/div>
Welcome to our website celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York. The District was established on May 12, 1900, and occupies a historically significant place in our nation\u2019s jurisprudence. The District will be celebrating its quasquicentennial throughout 2025.<\/p>\n
District courts are the trial courts of the federal judiciary, sitting in law, equity, and admiralty, and hearing both civil and criminal cases. The United States District Court for the Western District of New York has courthouses in Buffalo and Rochester, and serves the 17 surrounding counties (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates).<\/p>\n
Our Court has presided over cases of national importance including the lawsuits brought by inmates after the 1971 Attica Prison Riot, lawsuits stemming from toxic waste contamination in the notorious Love Canal neighborhood of Niagara Falls, and the prosecutions of the Lackawanna Six (who provided material support to al-Qaeda after attending a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan in 2001 before 9\/11) and the sniper assassin of a Buffalo-area abortion provider.<\/p>\n
Western New York native and author Joyce Carol Oates famously said, \u201cThe past is never really in the past; it shapes us in ways we cannot always comprehend.\u201d The collection of materials gathered here tells stories of the past that reflect what the Court does today. I am humbled and proud to be a member of this Court and to share how we approach our mission of pursuing fairness and justice.<\/p>\n
I extend my sincere appreciation to everyone who made this website possible. I hope that you enjoy learning about the District\u2019s rich history and our plans for 2025. The website will be updated throughout 2025, so please continue to visit to learn more about the District and how you can participate in marking this special occasion.<\/p>\n<\/div>
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<\/span><\/div>Hon. Elizabeth A. Wolford<\/strong>
\nChief District Judge
\nJanuary 2025<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"http:\/\/library.ca2.uscourts.gov\/wdny-125\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/WDNY-Rochester-Courthouse-11-webv2-scaled.jpg\" "\\"WDNY-Rochester-Courthouse-11-webv2\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>WDNY Past and Present<\/p><\/h3><\/div>
Learn more about the judges, people, and courthouses that make up the history of our district.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Learn More<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Court Stories<\/h1><\/div>
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<\/a><\/span>Video Vignettes<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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<\/a><\/span>Written Memories<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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<\/a><\/span>Reflections<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
From the Archives<\/h3><\/div>
Explore photographs, documents, and more items that tell the history of our district.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Learn More<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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