Us Code § 957 - Clerks ineligible for certain offices
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 957 — Clerks ineligible for certain offices, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 957. Clerks ineligible for certain offices
A clerk of a court or any of his deputies shall not be appointed a commissioner, master, referee or receiver in any case, unless there are special reasons requiring such appointment which are recited in the order of appointment.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 926; Pub. L. 95–598, title II, §234, Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2667; Pub. L. 97–164, title I, §122(b), Apr. 2, 1982, 96 Stat. 36; Pub. L. 98–353, title I, §109, July 10, 1984, 98 Stat. 342.)
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§127, 304 (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, §§68, 191, 36 Stat. 1105, 1144).
Section consolidates section 127 with part of 304 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed.
Provisions of section 304 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., relating to appointment, powers, duties, and compensation of the clerk of the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, and table of fees are incorporated in sections 604, 831, 956 and 1926 of this title.
Appointment and compensation of masters for district courts, see Rule 53(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
The words "commissioner" and "referee" did not appear in section 127 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed. They were added to subsection (a) to remove possible ambiguity.
Words "by the court or any judge thereof" in section 304 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., were omitted as surplusage.
Words "or assistant clerks" and "in any case" were added in subsection (b) to make the section applicable to that officer and consistent with the prohibition in this section against deputies of district court clerks.
Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1984—Pub. L. 98–353 struck out "district" before "court".
1982—Pub. L. 97–164 struck out designation "(a)" before "A clerk of a district court" and struck out subsec. (b) which had provided that the clerk or assistant clerk of the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals could not be appointed a commissioner, master, or referee in any case.
1978—Pub. L. 95–598 directed the amendment of section by inserting "or bankruptcy court" after "district court", which amendment did not become effective pursuant to section 402(b) of Pub. L. 95–598, as amended, set out as an Effective Date note preceding section 101 of Title 11, Bankruptcy.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 1984 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 98–353 effective July 10, 1984, see section 122(a) of Pub. L. 98–353, set out as an Effective Date note under section 151 of this title.
Effective Date of 1982 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 97–164 effective Oct. 1, 1982, see section 402 of Pub. L. 97–164, set out as a note under section 171 of this title.
About This Section
28 U.S.C. § 957 is part of Title 28 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 28 U.S.C. § 957. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.