In what many would consider a “class act,” Chief Justice Roberts recently appointed Chief Judge of the DC Circuit Judge Garland to chair the Executive Committee of the Federal Judicial Conference.

As the release explains:

The 26-member Judicial Conference is the policy-making body for the federal court system. By statute the Chief Justice of the United States serves as its presiding officer and its members are the chief judges of the 13 courts of appeals, a district judge from each of the 12 geographic circuits, and the chief judge of the Court of International Trade. The Conference meets twice a year to consider administrative and policy issues affecting the court system, and to make recommendations to Congress concerning legislation involving the Judicial Branch. 

This is obviously a potentially very broad remit indeed.  Given Judge Garland’s well known and longstanding committement to access to justice, I am certain that he will want to use this opportunity to advance a broad Federal Court access agenda.

Here, for example, is what LSC President Jim Sandman said at the time of Garland’s nomination to the Court.

I do not know a finer person than Merrick Garland.  .  .  .   He gave a magnificent speech at the LSC reception at the Supreme Court last April, and he has attended every one of our White House forums on Increasing Access to Justice.  He is deeply committed to the rule of law and access to justice.

Here are some of my prior blogs on access to justice and the Federal Courts (some more opinionated than others.)

I would welcome thoughts on how the  Judicial Conference could advance access to justice, particularly with a broad focus on a multi-element agenda, as supported by the general public.