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Federal Judicial Center

Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, One Columbus Circle NE., Washington, DC 20002-8003

202-502-4000
http://www.fjc.gov

DIRECTORJohn S. Cooke
Deputy DirectorClara J. Altman

Division Directors

Division Directors
EducationDana K. Chipman
ResearchElizabeth C. Wiggins

Office Directors

Office Directors
AdministrationNancy Payne
Editorial and Information ServicesJosé Idler
Federal Judicial HistoryChristine Lamberson
International Judicial RelationsMira Gur-Arie
Information TechnologyEsther DeVries
https://www.fjc.gov/about/senior-staff

Board of the Federal Judicial Center

Board of the Federal Judicial Center
CHAIRJohn G. Roberts, Jr.

MEMBERS
JudgeCarol B. Amon
JudgeDuane Benton
JudgeNancy D. Freudenthal
JudgeThomas M. Hardiman
JudgeRaymond A. Jackson
Judge **Roslynn R. Mauskopf
Chief Bankruptcy JudgeMildred Cabán
Magistrate JudgeAnthony E. Porcelli
https://www.fjc.gov/about/board-members

The Federal Judicial Center is the judicial branch's agency for policy research and continuing education.

ESTABLISHMENT AND ORGANIZATION

On December 20, 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson approved Public Law 90–219, "an act to provide for the establishment of a Federal Judicial Center [FJC], and for other purposes." The FJC was established "to further the development and adoption of improved judicial administration in the courts of the United States" (81 Stat. 664).

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-81/pdf/STATUTE-81-Pg664.pdf

The FJC's statutory duties are described in chapter 42, sections 620–629, of 28 U.S.C.

https://uscode.house.gov/browse/prelim@title28/part3/chapter42&edition=prelim

The Board of the FJC determines the agency's basic policies and activities. The Board comprises the Chief Justice of the United States, who permanently chairs of the Board by statute; two circuit judges of the U.S. courts of appeals; three judges of the U.S. district courts; one bankruptcy judge; and one magistrate judge. The Judicial Conference of the United States elects these eight members of the Board for 4-year terms. The ninth member is the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, who serves on Board in a permanent capacity. An elected member may serve only for one four-year term on the Board.

https://www.fjc.gov/about/statute

The FJC does not post an organizational chart on its website.

ACTIVITIES

The organization of the FJC reflects its primary statutory mandates. The Education Division plans education and produces training—including curriculum packages for in-district training, in-person programs, publications, video programs, and web-based programs and resources—for judges and court staff. The Research Division examines and evaluates current and alternative Federal court practices and policies. Its research assists Judicial Conference committees in developing policy recommendations. The research also supports the FJC's educational programs. The Federal Judicial History Office helps courts and other parties study and preserve Federal judicial history. The International Judicial Relations Office provides information to judicial and legal officials from foreign countries and informs Federal judicial personnel of developments in international law and other court systems that may affect their work. Two units of the Director's Office—the Editorial and Information Services Office and the Information Technology Office—provide editorial and design assistance, organization and dissemination of FJC resources, and technology.

https://www.fjc.gov/about

Sources of Information

Annual Reports

Annual Reports, from 1969 to the present, are available to download as Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

https://www.fjc.gov/content/annual-reports

Archived Judicial Records

The FJC record group does not currently have a description associated with it in the "Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States." The Guide is accessible online, and FJC records have been assigned to Record Group 516.

https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/000.html

The National Archives does maintain a "Judicial Records" web page that contains information and resources for identifying and locating Federal court documents within its holdings. These documents comprise records of hearings and trials of Federal jurisdiction.

https://www.archives.gov/research/court-records/archives.html

Biographical Directory of Judges

The directory includes the biographies of judges appointed by the President to serve during good behavior since 1789 on the U.S. district courts, U.S. courts of appeals, Supreme Court of the United States, and U.S. Court of International Trade, as well as the former U.S. circuit courts, Court of Claims, U.S. Customs Court, and U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. Also included are judges who received presidential recess appointments to the above named courts but were not confirmed by the Senate to serve during good behavior.

https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges

Career Opportunities

The FJC posts job openings online. Contact the Human Resources Office for more information. Phone, 202-502-4165.

https://www.fjc.gov/about/job-vacancies | Email: personnel@fjc.gov

Contact Information

The "Contact Us" page has fax and phone numbers for FJC offices and divisions.

https://www.fjc.gov/about/contact-us

Educational Materials

Materials that the FJC produces as part of its educational programs for judges and court employees are accessible online.

https://www.fjc.gov/education

Environmental Law

The FJC published "International Environmental Law: A Guide for Judges" (2015) that Roger R. Martella, Jr., and James W. Coleman wrote. The guide introduces judges to some of the major areas of international environmental law and examines how the law might arise in Federal litigation involving climate change, hazardous chemicals and materials, protected species, water pollution, air pollution, environmental disaster response, and transborder enforcement of environmental regulations. It also discusses the sources of international environmental laws, such as bilateral investment treaties, international standards and standard-setting organizations, and multilateral trade agreements. The FJC regards the content of the guide as responsible and valuable, but it does not reflect the policy or recommendations of the FJC Board.

https://www.fjc.gov/content/309707/international-environmental-law-guide-judges

History

Questions about the history of the Federal judiciary? Submit them to the experts at the Federal Judicial History Office. Phone, 202-502-4180. Fax, 202-502-4077.

https://www.fjc.gov/history | Email: history@fjc.gov

Hundreds of images of historic Federal courthouses and other buildings that have served as the meeting places of Federal courts are available online.

https://www.fjc.gov/history/courthouses

Timelines of the structure of the Federal courts, jurisdiction of the Federal courts, administration of the Federal courts, and cases that shaped the them are posted online.

https://www.fjc.gov/history/timeline

Integrated Database

Under a working arrangement with the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, The FJC provides public access to its Integrated Data Base, which contains data on civil case and criminal defendant filings and terminations in the district courts, as well as bankruptcy court and appellate court case information.

https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb

Publications

The online catalog contains records of FJC publications: manuals, monographs, reference guides, and research reports. A bibliographic record, which includes abstract or description, author and title, and additional information, is available for each item. Phone, 202-502-4153. Fax, 202-502-4077.

https://www.fjc.gov/publications | Email: publications@fjc.gov

Reports / Studies

The FJC posts studies that were published in the past on its website in Portable Document Format (PDF) for downloading. Its Research Division conducted them. Some Center reports are not published or made publicly available due to restrictions in place from the source of the research request.

https://www.fjc.gov/research/reports-and-studies

Resources on Law and Practice

The "Special Topics" web page provides online access to curated collections of FJC resources on discrete areas of law and judicial practice.

https://www.fjc.gov/research/special-topics

Site Map

The website map allows visitors to look for specific topics or to browse content that aligns with their interests.

https://www.fjc.gov/sitemap

Teaching Resources

Teaching and civic outreach resources are available online.

https://www.fjc.gov/education/civic-education-about-courts

Visiting Foreign Judicial Fellows

Foreign judges, court officials, and scholars may apply for the opportunity to conduct research at the FJC on topics concerning the administration of justice in the United States.

https://www.fjc.gov/content/visiting-foreign-judicial-fellows-program