Retiring DC Circuit Executive Trades Judges for Vermont Alpacas

Betsy Paret, the circuit executive of the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, will soon trade managing judges for farm animals, when she retires at the end of this month following nearly two decades at the court.

Paret has served as circuit executive since 2007, where she’s overseen the court known for its high-profile docket and as a feeder of judges to the US Supreme Court. During her tenure, she oversaw implementation of live-streaming, the Covid-19 pandemic, the flood of Jan. 6 cases, and Donald Trump’s in-person appearance at the federal courthouse.

And for the past nine years, ...