FEDERAL JUDICIAL CENTER
The Federal Judicial Center (FJC) was created by Congress in 1967 (28 U.S.C.A. § 620) to enhance the growth of JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION in
federal courts. It has become the judicial
branch’s agency for planning and policy
research, systems development, and continuing
education for judges and court personnel. It is
located in the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judi-
ciary Building, in Washington, D.C.
Because of increasing caseloads and the
growing complexity of the law, court adminis-
tration has become an important part of the
judicial branch. Congress gave the FJC a broad
mandate to improve the performance of the
courts and judges through research, planning,
and education.
The FJC conducts research on the operation
of federal courts and coordinates similar
research with other public and private persons
and agencies. The FJC works with its state-court
counterpart, the National Center for State
Courts, which is located in Williamsburg, Vir-
ginia, on issues that are common to state and
federal courts. The staff of the FJC has con-
ducted research on the workings of different
rules of federal procedure and on topics such as
the role of court-appointed experts. The FJC
also conducts empirical studies on the courts,
analyzing the ways in which different federal
courts process certain types of cases. In addi-
tion, it provides support to judicial systems in
foreign countries.
The research and planning efforts of the FJC
extend to providing support for the JUDICIAL
CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED STATES. The Judi-
cial Conference is composed of the chief justice
of the U.S. Supreme Court, the chief judge from
each circuit court of appeals, the chief judge of
the Court of International Trade, and a district
judge from each circuit. The conference is the
federal judiciary’s central policy-making organ
and the federal court’s chief liaison with Con-
gress. It meets twice per year and functions
through a system of twenty-five committees that
focus on particular judicial and administrative
issues. The FJC’s research support to these com-
mittees is critical to their effectiveness.
The FJC has also has had a role in the intro-
duction of computers and automated data pro-
cessing to the court system. It has developed
materials to help courts around the United
States move from tracking cases in large ledger
books to using computer database systems.
Continuing education for judges and court
personnel is another major responsibility of the
FJC. The FJC presents seminars and other types
of training that help the federal courts prepare
for legislative changes in criminal and CIVIL
LAW. Topical programs in areas such as immi-
