Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr. Speaks Out: Insights on the Veto of the JUDGES Act

Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr., who serves as the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, made the following statement concerning the President’s veto of S. 4199, the Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act:

“The President’s rejection of the JUDGES Act is profoundly disappointing. The addition of judgeships is crucial to enhancing access to the courts and is vital for the efficient and effective administration of justice, as expressed by the Judiciary in a recent communication to the President (PDF) addressing concerns raised by the Administration regarding the legislation. The judgeship proposal presented to the President is a culmination of years of effort by the federal Judiciary and closely resembles legislation introduced in the previous Congress. It is not a measure that was carelessly assembled. Instead, it results from thorough and meticulous evaluation which chiefly considers the weighted caseload per active judge in each judicial district while also acknowledging the roles of senior judges, magistrate judges, and visiting judges.

“This veto represents a departure from the longstanding tradition of sanctioning judgeship bills that allocated new judgeships to incumbent Presidents. The President’s veto contradicts the actions of Senator Biden who contributed to the passage of many of those bills.

“It is unfortunate that the Administration chose not to back the federal Judiciary and dismissed this bipartisan, bicameral, and interbranch agreement (PDF). The President’s veto will exacerbate the trend of escalating caseloads and growing backlogs that adversely affect litigants and undermine public trust in our court system. We are grateful for Congress’s support and anticipate collaborating with them to advance crucial judgeship legislation.”