So when is your brief due?
As a legal professional, timing is everything—especially when it comes to meeting critical court deadlines. But what happens when an upcoming filing deadline coincides with a holiday?
Planning ahead effectively, and understanding the nuances around the definitions of Holidays and Recognized or Legal Holidays, can mean the difference between a smooth filing process and an embarrassing procedural headache or rejection.
We’ve prepared this guide to 2025 court holidays as a go-to resource to help you proactively mark critical dates in your calendar to ensure that you’re always one step ahead of the clock.
We’re lawyers too, so here comes the disclaimer: for the most up-to-date holiday and court closure information, always be sure to check the website of the specific court or jurisdiction in which you’re filing.
2025 US federal court holidays
These holidays are observed nationally in all US federal courts, and are typically adopted by most US state and local courts:
- New Year’s Day – Wednesday, January 1, 2025
- Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday – Monday, January 20, 2025
- Washington’s Birthday (AKA Presidents Day) – Monday, February 17, 2025
- Memorial Day – Monday, May 26, 2025
- Juneteenth National Independence Day – Thursday, June 19, 2025
- Independence Day – Friday, July 4, 2025
- Labor Day – Monday, September 1, 2025
- Columbus Day (AKA Indigenous Peoples’ Day) – Monday, October 13, 2025
- Veterans Day – Tuesday, November 11, 2025
- Thanksgiving – Thursday, November 27, 2025
- Christmas Day – Thursday, December 25, 2025
Note that some federal courts of appeal and district courts may observe additional local holidays that may impact filing date calculations. For example, the Fifth Circuit is closed on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 for Mardi Gras. That’s why you should carefully review the FRAP, as well as circuit and local rules and procedures, to determine which holidays actually “count” when you’re computing deadlines and filing dates.
2025 State and local court holidays
Beyond national holidays, there are several state-specific holidays, e.g., César Chávez Day and Patriots’ Day, as well as a few statehood anniversaries, to be aware of when filing in state courts and some federal district courts. County or municipal courts may observe other unique holidays or closures, such as specific local anniversaries or cultural celebrations.
The below examples are not meant to be an exhaustive list, so again, be sure to check your specific jurisdiction’s website and local rules for the most up-to-date information about how a particular holiday will or won’t affect your filing deadlines.
Calendar of 2025 state and local court holidays
January
- Robert E. Lee’s Birthday – Monday, January 20, 2025 (Alabama, Mississippi)
- Kansas Day – Tuesday, January 29, 2025 (Kansas)
February
- Lincoln’s Birthday – Wednesday, February 12, 2025 (Connecticut, New York)
- Presidents Day (called Washington’s Birthday in Connecticut, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and some other states) – Monday, February 17, 2025 (all states, except Florida)
March
- Texas Independence Day – Sunday, March 2, 2025 (Texas)
- Mardi Gras – Tuesday, March 4, 2025 (Louisiana, Baldwin and Mobile counties in Alabama, US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit)
- César Chávez Day – Monday, March 31, 2025 (Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, Washington, locally observed elsewhere)
- Seward’s Day – Monday, March 31, 2025 (Alaska)
April
- Emancipation Day – Wednesday, April 16, 2025 (Washington, D.C.)
- Good Friday – Friday, April 18, 2025 (various states, including Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, North Dakota)
- Patriots’ Day – Monday, April 21, 2025 (Massachusetts, Maine)
- Confederate Memorial Day – Monday, April 28, 2025 (Alabama, Mississippi)
May
- Primary Election Day – Various May dates in various states and courts (e.g., Bucks County, PA courts are closed Tuesday May 20, 2025 for Primary Election Day, though both the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and Supreme Court of Pennsylvania are open)
- Confederate Memorial Day – Friday, May 9, 2025 (South Carolina)
June
- Jefferson Davis’ Birthday – Monday, June 2, 2025 (Alabama)
- Statehood Day – Saturday, June 14, 2025 (Arkansas)
- Juneteenth National Independence Day – Thursday, June 19, 2025 (Not observed in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, most counties in Wisconsin)
- West Virginia Day – Friday, June 20, 2025 (West Virginia)
July
- Pioneer Day – Thursday, July 24, 2025 (Utah)
August
- Hawaii Statehood Day – Friday, August 15, 2025 (Hawaii)
September
- Rosh Hashanah – Tuesday, September 23, 2025 (Florida)
- Native American Day – Friday, September 26, 2025 (California)
October
- Yom Kippur – Thursday, October 2, 2025 (Florida)
- Alaska Day – Saturday, October 18, 2025 (Alaska)
- Nevada Day – Friday, October 31, 2025 (Nevada)
- Columbus Day (called Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Massachusetts, Maine, Oregon, Vermont, and elsewhere) – Monday, October 13, 2025 (all states)
November
- Election Day – Tuesday, November 4, 2025 (New York)
- Day After Thanksgiving – Friday, November 28, 2025 (many states, including California, Kansas, Kentucky, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island [see below])
- American Indian Heritage Day – Friday, November 28, 2025 (Maryland)
December
- Day after Christmas – Friday, December 26, 2025 (many states, but not California, Massachusetts, Maine, New York)
Complicated calculations concerning court closures
When is a holiday not really a holiday?
It’s important to note that not every observance that results in a court being closed counts as a Legal Holiday for the purpose of calculating time under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (see Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a)(6)), Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure (See Fed. R. App. P. 26), or under local rules.
For example, while the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island is closed on Monday August 11, 2025 to observe Victory Day and on Friday, November 28, 2025 for the Day After Thanksgiving, they are both designated as Administrative Leave Days, so they may not qualify as “holidays” for purposes of calculating filing time.
And things can change quickly.
Any day declared a holiday by the President or Congress, such as the recent National Day of Mourning for former President Jimmy Carter, is considered a Legal Holiday for the purpose of computing time in the federal court filings.
This is why, again, it’s vital to always check the applicable federal and local court rules when calculating your filing deadline dates. And, as we’ve detailed in other blog articles, federal rules and local rules can differ widely.
Prepare compliant briefs without watching the clock
With a stronger understanding of your case deadlines, you can focus your efforts on preparing a truly compelling argument.
To free up even more time and eliminate the typical back-and-forth hassle of building tables, assembling an appendix, and getting all the technical formatting details just right, consider focusing 100% on writing your intro to conclusion and letting TypeLaw do the rest.
TypeLaw has helped attorneys and paralegals at solo firms up to the Am Law 100 accurately prepare more than 10,000 briefs, petitions, and motions. Contact us about your next filing and get ready to enjoy the next holiday.