Former judiciary workers urge Congress to protect court employees from discrimination and harassment

Former law clerks and other federal judiciary employees shared highly personal stories of workplace harassment and discrimination Thursday, urging Congress to pass legislation that would better protect such workers and ensure an impartial system for reporting misconduct.

Lawmakers from both parties said that, despite efforts by the U.S. courts to overhaul their system, problems persist because the judiciary's more than 30,000 employees still lack the same legal rights as other government and private-sector workers.