Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, administrative office of the courts, in Washington. Photo: Architect of the Capitol Photography Branch

A federal judiciary rules committee debated a proposal Tuesday to amend the rules governing case assignment practices for trial courts in an effort to curb judge shopping by litigants.

The Committee on Civil Rules received letters from Democratic lawmakers and the Brennan Center for Justice warning that procedures in so-called single-judge divisions allow litigants to lodge challenges to nationwide policies, guaranteeing their matter will be heard by a specific judge viewed as likely to rule in their favor.

Committee members seemed divided over whether to require courts to randomly assign among all judges in a district any lawsuit where a plaintiff seeks national relief extending beyond the district where the case is lodged.