Chief Judge Kenneth M. Switzer Yesterday was the first day of winter, and just a few days remain in the year. Much has been said about 2020, and understandably the theme overall has ranged from disappointment to sorrow. It's been a year for reflection and reevaluating priorities. As a Court, we strived to stay positive and focused on our mission, despite the adversity. What follows is a look back at the year, including steps taken during the pandemic to maintain operations, and lessons learned along the way. Procedures were altered for settlement approval hearings, going from in-person to telephone. In the 38 weeks since then, the judges approved 4,893 settlements paying $89,040,223 in benefits. In the process, we learned that we could be flexible when the circumstances warranted it.