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Bulletin of the Federal C s
VOL. 6, NO. 1
Published by the Administrative Office of the U.S.Courts and the Federal Judicial Center
CHIEF JUSTICE REVIEWS 1973 PROGRESS IN
THE FEDERAL C0URTS
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger said this month that despite
excessive and mounting pressure on all federal courts, including the
Supreme Court, federal judges are managing now to keep up with their
flood of cases and, in some cases, are digging into backlogs.
He said a series of innovations plus the fact that federal judges are
now 1working harder than ever before have helped judges break even
on the flood of cases coming into the court and receiving disposition.
He added that further important reforms at all levels of the more than
100 federal courts, including the 183-year-old Supreme Court, would
be needed unless the federal courts are to be engulfed by a continuing
explosion of litigation.
HERE ARE EXTRACTS FROM THE CHIEF JUSTICE'S REVIEW OF
THE YEAR. THE FULL TEXT IS AVAILABLE FROM THE F.J.C.
INFORMATION SERVICE.
In the Supreme Court's case, he
said, unless some way is found to
cut back an avalanche of new
cases the nine justices by the end
of this decade are likely to be con-
fronted with as many as 6,000 to
7,000 cases a year, nearly one
new case every hour of the day
and night, weekdays and week-
ends included.
The past year has brought
progress and improvements in
the federal courts. Long overdue
modernization is taking shape.
Cases are being tried with less
delay and dispositions are
coming into balance with new
filings. Additional needed
changes are under way.
This does not mean that all
our problems have been solved
for there is still excessive pres-
sure on all the federal courts
from the District Courts to the
Supreme Court and additional
measures of relief are gravely
needed. But a start has been
made.
The main problem at all
levels of the federal court
system is the mammoth continu-
ing litigation in many fields:
Civil liberties, criminal cases
with special emphasis on the
rights of prisoners, environ-
mental cases, consumer protec-
tion, questions involving employ-
ment opportunities. To cope
[See REVIEW, Pg. 2, Col. 1
JANUARY, 1974
Senator Roman L. Hruska,
Charman of the Commission
SPOTLIGHT: REALIGNiNG
THE NATION'S FEDERAL
JUDICIAL CIRCUITS
The final report of the Com-
mission on Revision of The
Federal Court Appellate System.
The 92nd Congress created a
commission with two purposes:
study the present division of the
nation into the several judicial
circuits and recommend changes
in the geographical boundries of
the circuits; and study the struc-
ture and internal procedures of
the Federal Courts of Appeals
System.
Late last month, the Commis-
sion published its final report
which called for the creation of
two new judicial- circuits by
splitting both the Fifth or so-
called 'deep south Circuit and
the Ninth or far west Circuit
into two new circuits each.
[See SPOTLIGHT, pg. 4]](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/thirdbran6&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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