Administrative Office of the U.S.

Courts

The administration of the federal

judicial system as a whole is managed

by the Administrative Office of the

U.S. Courts. Since its creation in 1939

it has handled everything from

distributing supplies to negotiating

with other government agencies for

court accommodations in federal

buildings to maintaining judicial personnel records and collecting data

on cases in the federal courts.

The Administrative Office also

serves the Judicial Conference of the

United States, the central administrative policy-making organization of the

federal judicial system. In addition to

providing statistical information to

the conference’s many committees,

the Administrative Office acts as a

reception center and clearinghouse

for information and proposals directed to the Judicial Conference. The

office also acts as liaison for both the

federal judicial system and the Judicial

Conference, serving as advocate for

the judiciary in its dealings with

Congress, the executive branch, professional groups, and the general

public. Especially important is its

representative role before Congress

where, along with concerned judges, it

presents the judiciary’s budget proposals, requests for additional judgeships, suggestions for changes in court

rules, and other key measures.

The Federal Judicial Center

The Federal Judicial Center, created in

1967, is the federal courts’ agency for

continuing education and research. Its

duties fall generally into three categories: conducting research on the

federal courts, making recommendations to improve the administration

and management of the federal

courts, and developing educational

and training programs for personnel

of the judicial branch.



Since its inception, judges have benefited from orientation sessions and other educational programs put on by the Federal Judicial Center. In recent years, magistrate judges, bankruptcy judges, and administrative personnel have also been the recipients of educational programs. The Federal Judicial Center’s extensive use of videos and satellite technology allows it to reach large numbers of people.