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1 Federal Judicial Center: Education and Research for the U.S. Federal Courts [i] (2005)

handle is hein.congcourts/fedrefc0001 and id is 1 raw text is: THE FEDERAL JUDICIAL CENTER Education and Research for the U.S. Federal Courts The Federal Judicial Center is the education and research center for the U.S. federal judiciary. The FJC is an independent government agency within the federal judicial branch and receives its funding directly from Congress. History Congress created the Federal Judicial Center in 1967, a period in U.S. judicial history marked by growing interest in the use of quantitative research and continuing education to improve judicial administration and the management of caseloads. Representatives of the federal judiciary, including then-Chief Justice Earl Warren, recognized the importance of research, planning, and education for the long-term effectiveness of the courts and proposed that Congress create an organization within the judicial branch with responsibility for these tasks. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts had been established in 1939 to oversee the administration of the judicial branch budget, the collection of statistical data, policy innovations, and legislative relations. Rather than assigning responsibility for education to the Administrative Office, Congress created the FJC as a distinct judicial agency, thereby separating the research and education functions from policy-making responsi- bilities and protecting funding of those functions from the demands of everyday court business. Mission The FJC provides education and training for judges and employees of the federal courts. The FJC also coordinates educational programs for federal public defenders, who represent indigent criminal defendants in federal court. (The U.S. Department of Justice trains federal prosecutors.) The FJC research division conducts empirical studies and exploratory research into different aspects of judicial administration, including case management, alternative dispute resolution, and proposed amendments to the federal rules of procedure. These research activities often inform the development of FJC educational programming. In 1992, Congress amended the FJC-enabling legislation to authorize the FJC to serve as a resource for foreign judiciaries. Its International Judicial Relations Office provides information to federal government agencies and other organizations working in the field of international judicial development and also disseminates information to the federal judiciary about practices and procedures in other countries that may improve judicial administration in the United States. The FJC does not train state court judges and personnel or provide services to them. Structure The FJC operates under the general direction of its Board, which is chaired by the Chief Justice of the United States, with seven federal judges elected to four-year terms by the Judicial Conf- erence of the United States. The Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts is an ex officio member of the FJC Board. The Board establishes policy and consults on programs and research projects; it is not involved in the FJC's day-to-day operations. The Board appoints the FJC Director and Deputy Director. The director has traditionally been a U.S. federal judge who gives up judicial duties while serving. There is no statutory term of office for directors, although typically most directors serve for about four years. The FJC has a staff of about 130, including attorneys, edu- cational specialists, researchers with advanced degrees in law and Funding The FJC has an annual budget of approximately $21,000,000, used for program costs (including participant travel, lodging, and meals), distance-learning technologies, staff salaries, and other operational needs. These funds are allocated (appropriated) the social sciences, and professionals with expertise in media, publications, and information technology. The Education Division works in consultation with advisory committees of judges and court staff FJC Organizational Chart Board I Director & Deputy Director I Education Division Advisory Committees I I Research Internationa jud icial Division Relations Office Administration Communications Policy & Design I Federa judicial History Office Systems Innovation & Development directly to the FJC by Congress. Congress created a separate Federal Judicial Center Foundation that decides whether to accept private gifts offered to support the FJC's work. Foundation funds, while important, are a small fraction of the FJC's overall spending.

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