Chief Justice Names New Conference Committee Chairs

Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., has named eight new chairs of Judicial Conference committees. Unless otherwise noted, the appointments took effect on Oct. 1, 2018.

• Judge Ralph R. Erickson (Eighth Circuit) succeeds Chief Judge Rebecca Beach Smith (VA-E) as chair of the Committee on Codes of Conduct.
• Judge Audrey G. Fleissig (MO-E) succeeds Judge William Terrell Hodges (FL-M) as chair of the Committee on Court Administration and Case Management.
• Judge Nancy Freudenthal (WY) succeeds Judge Richard Seeborg (CA-N) as chair of the Committee on the Administration of the Magistrate Judges System.
• Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis (NY-E) succeeds Judge Royce C. Lamberth (DC) as chair of the Committee on Intercircuit Assignments.
• Judge Roslynn R. Mauskopf (NY-E) succeeds Judge Lawrence F. Stengel (PA-E) as chair of the Committee on Judicial Resources, effective Sept. 1, 2018.
• Judge David W. McKeague (Sixth Circuit) succeeds Judge David R. Herndon (IL-S) as chair of the Committee on Judicial Security.
• Judge Sidney H. Stein (NY-S) succeeds Judge Allyson K. Duncan (Fourth Circuit) as chair of the Committee on International Judicial Relations.
• Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Dow (MO-W) succeeds Judge Sandra Segal Ikuta (Ninth Circuit) as chair of the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules.

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.