28 USC § 463 - Expenses of litigation

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t28/s463"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "28 USC § 463 - Expenses of litigation"
title_number: 28
title_name: "JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE"
section_number: "463"
section_name: "Expenses of litigation"
chapter_number: 21
chapter_name: "GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO COURTS AND JUDGES"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "ORGANIZATION OF COURTS"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 97–164, title I, § 116(a), Apr. 2, 1982, 96 Stat. 32.)"
---


# § 463. Expenses of litigation

Whenever a Chief Justice, justice, judge, officer, or employee of any United States court is sued in his official capacity, or is otherwise required to defend acts taken or omissions made in his official capacity, and the services of an attorney for the Government are not reasonably available pursuant to chapter 31 of this title, the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts may pay the costs of his defense. The Director shall prescribe regulations for such payments subject to the approval of the Judicial Conference of the United States.

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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 97–164, title I, § 116(a), Apr. 2, 1982, 96 Stat. 32.)

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective , see , set out as an Effective Date of 1982 Amendment note under .