NEWS RELEASE

Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

Federal Judiciary Recognized for Real Property Innovation

The federal Judiciary's Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) has been honored with the General Services Administration's Annual Achievement Award for Real Property Innovation in recognition of the Judiciary's Long Range Facilities Planning (LRFP) process used to forecast space requirements for the federal courts. The Judiciary is the first in the federal government to establish a systematic approach to space and facilities planning.

Developed in 1988 at the direction of the Judiciary's policy-making body, the Judicial Conference of the United States, the LRFP process uses statistical models to project the numbers of judicial officers and staff necessary to meet demands brought on by forecasted caseloads for each of the 94 judicial districts. Looking ahead, the Judiciary projects space needs in 5-, 10-, 20-, and 30-year increments and prioritizes requests for additional courthouses. Anticipating the space and facilities needs of the U.S. courts and planning for the years to come ensures prudent use of valuable taxpayer dollars.

"This is an outstanding achievement, of which we are very proud," said AO Director Leonidas Ralph Mecham. "The Judiciary recognizes the benefits of taking the long view with regard to courthouse construction, and we're pleased to be on the forefront of space and facilities planning."

The General Services Administration created the award program to recognize successes in the federal real property community, improve communications between real property professionals, and to share the best policies and practices implemented by federal agencies. The award winners were selected from among 41 entries. A four-member, independent panel of real estate and management experts representing a cross-section of private, government, and international organizations was established to evaluate the entries.

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