Director's Annual Report

The Administrative Office (AO) made it a priority in fiscal year 2005 to implement the Judicial Conference long-term cost-containment strategy that focused on space and facilities costs, workforce efficiencies, a compensation study, effective use of technology, program changes, and fee adjustments. Those efforts are described throughout this report. An especially busy legislative year occupied significant staff time in communicating the Judiciary's priorities to Congress, and in supporting the Judiciary's mission and commitment to advancing the world's most effective justice system.

AO and court staff resources were challenged by legislation that placed new demands on the courts. The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 made unprecedented demands on Judiciary staff nationwide. Hurricanes severely impacted court operations in the southern and Gulf states and required emergency attention. Additional challenges were presented by long-established major project goals, such as those related to the case management/electronic case files project (CM/ECF), which will reach full implementation in 2006.

At year's end, the Judiciary was deeply saddened by the passing of Chief Justice Rehnquist, whose commitment, leadership, and guidance will be sorely missed. A tribute to him appears in this report.