Appellate Rule Changes Might Help Judges Decide on Recusal

Judges who hold stock in companies might have an easier time deciding whether they need to recuse themselves from a particular case under new appellate rules that went into effect Dec. 1.

Under the changes, non-government corporations intervening in litigation and organizations that are the victim of an alleged crime were added to the entities that must disclose their parent company and any publicly held corporation holding 10% or more of their stock.

The amendments to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure are part of a routine process to update federal practice and procedure rules. In addition to the disclosure ...