Committee on International Judicial Relations

Purpose and Jurisdiction

The Committee on International Judicial Relations (IJRC) was established in 1993 by the Judicial Conference of the United States, the policy-making body for the federal courts, and has jurisdiction for several aspects of international judicial relations, including:

• Coordinating the federal Judiciary’s support of the work by U.S. government agencies to advance the administration of justice and the rule of law around the world; and
• Serving as a conduit for communication on international judicial relations, the exchange of substantive and procedural law, and matters of mutual concern between the federal Judiciary and foreign judiciaries.

For over 30 years, the IJRC has worked around the world with foreign courts, justice ministries, judicial councils, attorneys general offices, law enforcement agencies, judges, prosecutors, and lawyers in activities that improve the administration of justice and promote the rule of law.

Partnerships

For work that falls within its jurisdiction, the IJRC works in partnership with U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Commerce, Department of Justice, Department of State, the Patent and Trademark Office, and the Congressional Office for International Leadership. It works with international and implementing organizations undertaking justice-sector development initiatives abroad and exchange programs with the United States. IJRC members and federal judges also engage directly with foreign courts on a regular basis.

Expertise and Capacity

The IJRC calls upon the expertise of the federal Judiciary in its international work. In addition to its members, federal judges, court staff, and federal defenders from across the judicial branch contribute to international rule of law initiatives. The IJRC involves the federal Judiciary in work that addresses:

• Judicial Independence and Accountability: The IJRC works to promote judicial independence and integrity by assisting in the development of ethical, accountable, and transparent judiciaries that foster public trust.
• Substantive Law and Procedure: The IJRC addresses substantive law and procedure in collaboration with foreign courts. These areas include commercial law, criminal law, intellectual property law, bankruptcy and insolvency law, and the development of court rules of procedure.
• Judicial Skills and Judicial Administration: The IJRC works to improve judicial skills and judicial administration in collaboration with foreign judiciaries on case management practices, courtroom management, judicial governance and administration, alternative dispute resolution, and judicial branch relations with the public and the media.
• Judicial Education: The IJRC works to improve judicial education through its work with foreign judicial training academies, justice ministries, and judicial councils, and courts of appeal. 

As the IJRC calls upon the wide range of expertise among judges, court staff, and federal defenders, it relies upon the support and capacity of judicial branch agencies, including:

• Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO): The AO is the administrative arm for the judicial branch. It provides a broad range of legislative, legal, financial, technology, operational, and program support services to the federal courts. The AO is also responsible for carrying out Judicial Conference policies.
• Federal Judicial Center (FJC): The FJC is the research and education agency for the judicial branch. It supports the efficient, effective administration of justice through research on federal court practices and policies and education for judges and court staff. The FJC has a statutory mandate to work with foreign judiciaries on judicial education, research, and court administration.
• United States Sentencing Commission (USSC): The USSC establishes sentencing guidelines for the federal criminal justice system. It collects, analyzes, and distributes a broad array of information on federal sentencing practices to reduce sentencing disparities and promote transparency and proportionality in criminal sentencing. 

Membership

The IJRC consists of federal court of appeals, district, magistrate, and bankruptcy judges, all of whom are appointed to the IJRC by the Chief Justice of the United States. The FJC director serves as an ex-officio IJRC member, and the Counselor to the Chief Justice serves as an advisor. Representatives from the Judicial Conference Executive Committee and Committee on Defender Services, and the Federal Court Clerks Association, serve as liaisons. 

Related Resources

• Primer on the Committee on International Judicial Relations (PDF)
• About Federal Courts: This section explores federal court structure, jurisdiction, judgeships, and other topics relevant to the federal Judiciary.
• Understanding The Federal Courts (PDF): This downloadable publication gives an introduction to the federal judicial system.
• Federal Judicial Center International Office: This office works with judiciaries around the world, sharing the FJC’s expertise on judicial branch education, research, and court administration. It maintains Judiciaries Worldwide, an online resource on comparative judicial practice, offering information and insights about the work of courts and judges around the world. 

Requests for Committee Engagement

U.S. government agencies, international organizations and implementers, foreign courts and judicial officers, and others may request the IJRC’s engagement on matters within its jurisdiction. Requests may include, but are not limited to:

• The involvement of a federal judge or court staff in a conference, project, or judicial exchange program.
• Briefing requests for foreign judicial delegations visiting the United States.

Travel costs for work taking place outside of the United States are generally supported by executive branch agencies or international organizations and foreign governments.

Contact Information

U.S. government agencies, international organizations, foreign courts, and others may contact IJRC staff by email.