In 1939, Congress provided the federal judiciary with its own administrative agency, which was to work under the supervision of the Conference of Senior Circuit Judges. The creation of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts shifted responsibility for judicial administration from the executive branch, in the form of the Department of Justice, to the judicial branch itself. The new agency was to collect information on caseloads, prepare the judiciary’s annual budget request, disburse appropriated funds, and provide other administrative assistance to the courts. At the same time, Congress provided for circuit judicial councils to allow judges of the circuit courts of appeals to oversee administrative matters within their own circuits.
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Landmark Legislation: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts