The Federal Judicial Center is the research and education agency of the judicial branch of the U.S. government. The Center was established by Congress in 1967 (28 U.S.C. §§ 620–629). At left, the Center’s statutory purpose is superimposed on the photo of the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building in Washington, D.C., where the Center is located.

The Center is governed by a Board, chaired by the Chief Justice of the United States. The other Board members are seven judges elected by the Judicial Conference of the United States, and the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

The Center fulfills its statutory purpose by providing rigorous and objective research, education, and related services for the courts. The Center does not make or enforce policy for the judiciary; its role is to help the judiciary examine existing and potential issues, policies, and practices with sound information and analysis. The Center’s major functions fall into four areas, described below. The Publications Catalog contains reports, monographs, manuals, and guides prepared in support of the Center’s missions.