The Judicial Conference has carried out many of its responsibilities through the use of committees, created by the Conference and with members appointed by the Chief Justice.

Between 1922 and 1939, the Conference created a limited number of short- term committees to address specific issues. After the creation of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts in 1939, which operated under the supervision of the Judicial Conference, the Conference more frequently created committees, many of which served as permanent standing committees. After 1939 committee membership began to include judges who were not members of the Judicial Conference.

In September 1955, Chief Justice Earl Warren, as the presiding officer of the Conference, discharged the existing committees and reconstituted 10 committees, seven of which he designated standing committees. (See Report of the Proceedings of the Judicial Conference, September 1955, pp. 30-32). The number of committees grew until September 1968, when the Conference again revised the number and jurisdiction of the committees. The Conference created three General Committees of indefinite tenure and broad membership to serve the "overall requirements of the Conference" and whose work would be completed largely through subcommittees. These were Court Administration, Administration of the Criminal Law, and Operation of the Jury System. The Conference also created a series of standing committees that would have fewer members and be focused on more specific needs, like preparing the budget or intercircuit assignment of judges. Finally, the Conference continued to establish special committees to exist for only short durations. (See Report of the Proceedings of the Judicial Conference, September 1968, pp. 43-46).

The Judicial Conference revised the committee structure again in 1987. The Conference ended the formal distinction between general, standing, and special committees. The Conference continued thirteen of the existing committees, dissolved five of them, and created seven new committees, three of which were formed out of subcommittees of the former Court Administration Committee. The Conference also established a policy whereby every five years, each committee must recommend to the Executive Committee whether it should be continued or abolished, with supporting justification. (See Report of the Proceedings of the Judicial Conference, September 1987, pp. 57-60).

Below are the current committees of the Judicial Conference, each followed by predecessor and related committees that have dealt with similar jurisdiction. In some cases, the Conference has created ad hoc and special committees to study particular policy issues and, upon completion of their work, assigned their jurisdiction to existing standing committees.

Committee on Administration of the Bankruptcy System, 1968-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Ad Hoc Committee on Bankruptcy Legislation, 1977-1978
Committee on Bankruptcy Administration, 1926-1931, 1942-1968
Committee to Amend Section 25 of the Bankruptcy Act (Appeals), 1936-1937

Committee on Administration of the Magistrate Judges System, 1991-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Committee on Administration of the Federal Magistrates System, 1972-1991
Committee on Implementation of the Federal Magistrates Act, 1968-1972
Committee on Trial of Minor Offenses by U.S. Commissioners, 1943-1948

Committee on Audits and Administrative Office Accountability, 2009-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Committee on the Administrative Office, 1987-2009
Ad Hoc Committee on Oversight of the Administrative Office, 1979-1980
Advisory Committee (to the Administrative Office), 1939-1968
Committee for Recommendations on an Administrative Office of the Courts, 1938
Committee on Removal of the Administration and Expenditures of the Federal Courts from the Department of Justice, 1932-1936

Committee on the Budget, 1959-present

Committee on Codes of Conduct, 1987-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Advisory Committee on Codes of Conduct, 1980-1987
Advisory Panel on Financial Disclosure and Judicial Activities, 1979
Joint Committee on the Code of Judicial Conduct, 1974-1979
Joint Committee on Standards of Judicial Conduct, 1972-1973

Committee on Court Administration and Case Management, 1990-present
Predecessor Standing Committees:
Committee on Judicial Improvements, 1987-1990
Committee on Trial Practice and Technique, 1965-1971
Committee on Court Administration, 1955-1987
Committee on Operation of the Jury System, 1941-1987
Committee on Pre-trial Procedure, 1943-1968
Committee on Judicial Statistics, 1945-1968
Committee on Supporting Personnel, 1949-1968
Committee on Salaries of Supporting Personnel, 1942-1949
Predecessor Special/Ad Hoc Committees:
Ad Hoc Committee on Cameras in the Courtroom, 1983-1984, 1988-1991
Ad Hoc Committee on Asbestos Litigation, 1990-1991
Ad Hoc Committee on Electronic Sound Recording, 1983-1987
Committee on Judgeship Vacancies, 1982
Ad Hoc Committee on the Selection of Law Clerks, 1982-1985
Ad Hoc Committee on Judicial Review Provisions in Regulatory Reform Legislation, 1981-1984
Implementation Committee on Admission of Attorneys to Federal Practice, 1979-1985
Ad Hoc Committee on the Disposition of Court Records, 1978-1982
Committee to Consider Standards for Admission to Practice in the Federal Courts, 1976-1979
Special Committee on Salaries, 1971-1972
Special Committee on Continuing Education, Research, Training, and Administration, 1966-1967
Special Committee on the Geographical Organization of the Courts, 1964-1968
Special Committee on Responsibilities and Powers of the Judicial Councils, 1960-1961
Committee on the Use of Land Commissioners, 1960-1961
Committee on Multiple-Judge Courts, 1959-1968
Committee to Study Pre-Trial Procedure in Protracted Litigation, 1957-1960
Committee on Disposition of Old Records of U.S. Courts of Appeals, 1954-1955
Committee on Revision of the Laws, 1953-1968
Committee on Maintenance Expenses of Judges, 1953
Committee on the Question of Legislation to Authorize Compensation for Expert Witnesses, 1952-1953
Committee on Retirement of Judges, 1951-1955
Committee on Venue and Jurisdiction of the District Courts, 1951-1952
Committee on Appeals from Interlocutory Orders, 1952-1953
Committee on Antitrust and Other Protracted Cases, 1950-1954
Committee on Bills for an Administrative Court, 1949
Committee on the Method of Dealing with the Wages and Effects of Deceased or Deserting Seamen, 1949-1954
Committee on the provision for a three-judge district court in antitrust cases, 1949-1950
Committee on the Sound Recording of Court Proceedings, 1949-1955
Committee on Uniform Rules for Federal Practice Admission, 1945-1947
Committee on the Codification and Revision of Criminal and Judicial Codes, 1944-1953
Committee Disposition of Records of U.S. Courts, 1945-1946
Committee on Expediting appeals in cases in which there are conflicting decisions by district courts within the same circuit, 1944-1945
Committee on Bailiffs, 1942-1945
Committee on Rights of Indigent Litigants, 1943-1954
Committee on Claims against the United States, 1943-1944
Committee on Law Clerks for District Judges, 1943-1945
Consolidated Committee on Appellate Review of Administrative Orders and Procedures of Three Judge District Courts, 1943-1955
Committee on Procedure for Convening District Courts of Three Judges, 1941-1943
Committee on Appellate Review of Orders of the Interstate Commerce Commission and other Administrative Orders, 1942-1943
Committee on the Selection of Jurors, 1941-1943
Committee on Fees of Clerks of Courts of Appeals and the District Courts, 1941-1945
Committee on Merit System for Personnel in Clerks' Offices, 1941-1942
Committee on Specially Constituted Statutory Courts, 1943
Committee to concerning special courts for railroad reorganizations, 1941-1942
Committee on a Special Court of Patent Appeals, 1943-1947
Committee to Consider Legislation with respect to Review or Rehearing of Cases Decided by Inferior Courts in Conflict with a Later Decision of the Supreme Court, 1941
Committee on Court Reporters/Court Reporting System, 1940-1948, 1950-51
Committee on the Library Funds of Courts of Appeals, 1940-1951
Committee on Boundaries of Circuits and Districts, 1937-1941
Committee to Consider the Necessities of the Ninth Circuit, 1936-1938
Committee to Draft Resolution with respect to H.R. 4721 (Jury Instructions), 1937
Committee to Consider Amending Sec. 212 of Title 28 (on quorum) in Courts of Appeals with more than three judges, 1936-1937
Committee on Subsistence and Traveling Expenses of Clerks and Secretaries, 1932
Committee on Case Reports, 1931-1932
Committee on Making Permanent "No-Successor" (Temporary) Judgeships, 1929-1931
Committee on the Creation of New Judicial Districts, 1930
Committee for Improvement of Judicial Statistics, 1926-1927
Committee on Substance and Form of Reports on Business in District Courts, 1922-1923
Committee on Forms and Procedures in Transfers of Judges, 1922-1923
Committee on Need and Possibility of Transfer of Judges, 1922-1923
Committee on Extra Expenditures Needed In Conduct of Extra Courts of Visiting Judges, 1922-1923
Committee on Better Libraries for Circuit Courts of Appeals and District Courts/Committee on Law Books, 1922-1926
Committee on Recommendations to District Judges of Changes in Local Procedure to Expedite Disposition of Pending Cases and to Rid Dockets of Dead Litigation, 1922-1926

Committee on Criminal Law, 1992-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Committee on Criminal Law & Probation Administration, 1987-1992
Ad Hoc Committee on Sentencing Guidelines, 1986-1987
Committee on Administration of the Probation System, 1963-1987
Committee on Administration of the Criminal Law, 1955-1987
Committee on Probation, 1947-1948
Committee on Trial Memoranda in Criminal Cases, 1945-1946
Committee on Punishment for Crime, 1941-1952
Committee on the Statutory Definition of Felony, 1945-1949
Committee on Discretion for reviewing criminal cases when sentence of imprisonment has been served and continuance of judgment on the record would work injustice, 1944-1945
Committee on the Treatment of Insane Persons Charged with Crime in the Federal courts, 1943-1949
Committee to Review Practice of Imprisonment for Failure to Pay Fine, 1942
Committee on Removal of Civil Disabilities of Probationers Fulfilling the Terms of their Probation, 1941-1955
Committee on Standards of Qualifications for Probation Officers, 1941-1942
Committee on Sentences in Criminal Cases, 1939-1940

Committee on Defender Services, 1987-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Committee to Review the Criminal Justice Act, 1991-1992
Committee to Implement the Criminal Justice Act, 1965-1987
Ad Hoc Committee to Develop Rules, Procedures, and Guidelines for an Assigned Counsel System, 1964-1965

Executive Committee, 1968-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Committee to Study the Judicial Conference, 1986-1987
Special Committee on Jurisdiction of the Committees, 1969
Committee on Committees, 1967-1968
Committee on Representation of District Judges in the Judicial Conference, 1944-1945
Committee on Rules and Procedure of the Conference, 1922-1926

Committee on Federal-State Jurisdiction, 1987-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Ad Hoc Committee on Gender Based Violence, 1991-1993
Ad Hoc Committee on Federal Habeas Corpus in Capital Cases, 1988-1989
Committee on Habeas Corpus, 1943-1947, 1953-1955, 1959-68, 1972-1974
Special Committee to Study State Prisoner Litigation in the Federal Courts, 1970

Committee on Financial Disclosure, 1992-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Committee on Judicial Ethics, 1979-1992
Advisory Panel on Financial Disclosure and Judicial Activities, 1979
Review Committee, 1971-1979
Advisory Committee on Judicial Activities, 1971-1979

Committee on Information Technology, 2002-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Committee on Automation and Technology, 1991-2001

Committee on Intercircuit Assignments, 1968-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Advisory Committee on Intercircuit Assignments, 1960-1968
Committee on Assignment and Designation of Judges, 1959-1960
Committee on Outside Assignments of Judges, 1945-46

Committee on International Judicial Relations, 1993-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Ad Hoc Committee on International Judicial Relations, 1992-1993
International Appellate Judges Conference Committee, 1987-1990

Committee on the Judicial Branch, 1980-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Select Committee on Top Salaries in the Judicial Branch, 1971

Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability, 2007-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Committee to Review Circuit Council Conduct and Disability Orders, 1982-2007

Committee on Judicial Resources, 1987-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Committee on Ways and Means of Economy in Operations of the Courts, 1947-1948

Committee on Judicial Security, 2006-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Committee on Security and Facilities, 1997-2005
Committee on Security, Space, and Facilities, 1993-1997
Committee on Court and Judicial Security, 1991-1993
Committee on Court Security, 1987-1991
Committee on Picketing of the Courts, 1949

Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure, 1958-present
Advisory Committees:
Advisory Committee on Rules of Evidence, 1965-1975, 1992-present
Advisory Committee on Rules of Civil Procedure, 1958-present
Advisory Committee on Rules of Criminal Procedure, 1958-present
Advisory Committee on Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, 1958-present
Advisory Committee on Rules of Appellate Procedure, 1958-1968, 1971-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Special Committee on Uniform Rules of Evidence, 1961-1963
Advisory Committee on Rules of Admiralty, 1958-1972
Advisory Committee on International Rules of Judicial Procedure, 1959
Committee on Uniform Rules of the Circuit Courts of Appeals, 1932-1934, 1938-1941
Committee on Amendments of the Admiralty Rules, 1945-1947
Committee on Uniform Time for Appeal to Circuit Courts of Appeals, 1944
Committee on Extending to Appeals in Admiralty Suits the Practice Obtaining in Appeals in Other Civil Actions, 1940-1941
Committee on Rules of Evidence and Competency of Witnesses in Criminal Cases, 1939-1941
Committee on Uniform Local Rules for District Courts, 1938-1940
Committee on Rules Respecting Review of Decisions of U.S. Board of Tax Appeals, 1926
Committee on Recommendations as to Bankruptcy Rules, 1922-1924
Committee on Recommendations as to Equity Rules, 1922-1926
Committee on Amendments to Appellate Procedure, 1922-1926

Committee on Space and Facilities, 2006-present
Predecessor and Related Committees:
Committee on Security and Facilities, 1997-2005
Committee on Security, Space, and Facilities, 1993-1997
Committee on Space and Facilities, 1987-1993
Committee on Court Facilities and Design, 1971
Ad Hoc Committee on Security in the Federal Courts, 1970
Committee on Air Conditioning Quarters of the Courts, 1954-1957
Committee on Post-war Building Plans for Quarters of the U.S. Courts, 1944-1947

Other Ad Hoc and Special Committees

Bicentennials
Committee on the Bicentennial of Independence and the Constitution, 1976-1978
Committee on the Bicentennial of the Constitution, 1985-1992

Criminal Justice
Ad Hoc Committee to Review the Criminal Justice Act, 2015-2017

Federal Judicial Center
Ad Hoc Committee on the Implementation of the Act of Congress Establishing a Federal Judicial Center, 1967-1968
Special Committee to Recommend Persons for the Board of the Federal Judicial Center, 1968
Ad Hoc Strategic Planning Committee of the Federal Judicial Center, 1996-1997
Ad Hoc Committee to Study the Merits of Motions Related to the Report of the Ad Hoc Strategic Planning Committee of the Federal Judicial Center, 1997-1998
Ad Hoc Committee to Study the Relationship between the Federal Judicial Center and the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, 1991

Long Range Planning
Committee on Long Range Planning, 1991-1995
Ad Hoc Committee on Judiciary Planning, 2008-2010

Miscellaneous
Committee on Pacific Territories, 1976-1990
Ad Hoc Committee on American Inns of Court, 1983-1986