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Centennial of the Judicial Conference of the United States

Learn about how the Judiciary’s national policy-making body has grappled with many issues over the last century, including rising court caseloads and limited resources, natural disasters, public-health crises, and the safety of the Judiciary and the public.

In COVID-19, Judicial Conference Met Its Ultimate Challenge

Judge James K. Bredar in plastic facemask

Published onDecember 22, 2022

When COVID-19 struck in early 2020, Chief Justice William Howard Taft’s vision of a Judiciary that could work in unison was put to perhaps its greatest test. For critical weeks and months, the Judiciary’s very ability to conduct proceedings was endangered. The Judicial Conference of the United States, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, and judges and court staff across the country worked tirelessly to keep courts open and safe.

Facing Fiscal Crises, Judicial Conference Charted Steady Course

Published onNovember 17, 2022

Over the last 25 years, the federal Judiciary has faced several fiscal emergencies, including sequestration and two government shutdowns. Each event illustrates how the Judicial Conference of the United States has transformed the way federal courts manage their finances.

9/11, Weather Disasters Spurred Courts to Stay Open in All Crises

The Pentagon building in D.C.

Published onOctober 12, 2022

September 11, was the first of several national emergencies that have challenged the Judicial Conference in the last 25 years. Although the immediate result was confusion, the terrorist attack had a profound and lasting impact on how the Judiciary operates today.

The Judicial Conference: A Century of Service to the Federal Judiciary

Members of the Conference outside the White House in 1926. Chief Justice William Howard Taft is in the first row, second from right.

Published onSeptember 23, 2022

While meetings of judges to discuss policy are routine today, that first Judicial Conference was a unique milestone in the Judiciary’s history. Chief Justice William Howard Taft had a vision that federal judges could chart their own path as an efficient and independent branch of government. It would begin with judges working together on issues of common interest.

Fast forward 100 years; what Taft envisioned has evolved into the Judicial Conference of the United States, a body that is central to the modern federal Judiciary.

Timeline Highlights Evolution of Judicial Conference

Published onJuly 28, 2022

A new interactive timeline, created by the Federal Judicial Center, depicts the evolution of the roles and responsibilities of the Judicial Conference of the United States over the last century.

U.S. Judicial Conference Celebrates 100th Anniversary

Published onMarch 25, 2022

Over the last 100 years, the Judicial Conference of the United States has grappled with many issues: rising court caseloads and limited resources, natural disasters, public-health crises, and the safety of the Judiciary and the public. This year marks the centennial of the national policy-making body, which has helped ensure efficient administration of justice in the courts since 1922.