Hi, and welcome back to Bench Report, the weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest news and trends affecting the federal judicial branch.

BK here, Happy LGBTQ Pride Month! Just a friendly reminder some lawyers are still afraid of the consequences of coming out to their firms. How can you do better? Maybe start by reading about the first openly gay federal Judge Deborah A. Batts. Nominated in the early 90's by President Bill Clinton and approved by voice vote, her sexuality wasn't discussed during her hearing, but her legacy, including awarding $41 million to the wrongfully convicted Central Park Five in 2014, lives on today.

Keep an eye out for more LGBTQ-related content this month, including ALM's 2022 LGBTQ Scorecard. As always, send suggestions to [email protected]. You can reach Avalon at [email protected].