Mitchell R. Elfers, Clerk of Court for the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, is retiring after a 35-year career in the federal judiciary. Elfers began his work with the court in December 1991 as a temporary PC Systems Administrator and became a permanent employee in 1993. Over the next decade, he held several supervisory and managerial roles within the Information Systems division.
Elfers was appointed Chief Deputy Clerk in 2003 and later served as Acting Clerk of Court starting in April 2018. He was officially named Clerk of Court in February 2019.
During his tenure, Elfers played a key role in advancing technology initiatives both within the district and at the national level. In the early 1990s, he led projects such as creating the District’s original Opinion Retrieval System, which influenced national document retrieval systems. He contributed to developing and implementing one of the first Advanced Courts Engineering (ACE) electronic filing systems in the country and assisted with national efforts on the CM/ECF system. Elfers also participated on working groups to improve automated processes for managing court-appointed counsel activities and served on a board advising on modernization efforts for case management systems.
Colleagues often sought Elfers’ advice, recognizing his commitment to staff development and fostering a culture of respect throughout the district.
Chief District Judge Kenneth J. Gonzales commented, “Speaking on behalf of all the judges, I thank Mitch for his outstanding service to our court and the public we serve. His expertise and innovative approach to information services technology have significantly improved court operations throughout the federal judiciary. I congratulate Mitch and his family and wish him a very happy and healthy retirement.”
Elfers plans to spend more time with his family following his retirement.
