Introduction 

Much attention was focused on the Administrative Office's legislative efforts in 2007 to restore judges' salaries to a reasonable and fair level. Simultaneously, however, the AO made substantial effort to strengthen collaboration between the courts and the AO on other major projects and initiatives. Throughout the year, the AO teamed staff efforts with court expertise to set program goals and objectives and to develop initiatives geared to court needs in delivering justice throughout the country and providing quality customer service to the public each day.

Working with advisory groups, activities were coordinated throughout the year. In addition, there is a significant initiative underway to retool the advisory process, with active participation from court managers and judges. The AO Director appoints the advisors to serve on groups that help shape staff development of policy recommendations and programs, systems, and services for the courts.

The Judiciary system-wide cost-containment program initiated by the Judicial Conference in September 2004 continued in FY 2007. Cost-containment efforts, combined with an energized outreach effort to communicate the Judiciary's funding needs to Congress, have improved the financial outlook of the judicial branch significantly. Results of those efforts to conserve are described throughout this report in sections addressing initiatives to control courthouse rent costs, reconfigure computer servers for major technology programs, and plan for the Judiciary's future workforce, among others.

These successes, in addition to the various accomplishments this year in probation and pretrial services and federal defender programs,
and much more, are describedin the following report.