In Profile - Annual Report 2009
As the central support organization for the judicial branch, the AO provides a wide range of administrative, legal, financial, management, program, and information technology services to federal courts nationwide.
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
Statutory Authority. 28 U.S.C. §§ 601-612. Congress established the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts in 1939 to provide administrative support to federal courts.
Supervision. The Director of the Administrative Office carries out statutory responsibilities and other duties under the supervision and direction of the principal policy-making body of the Judiciary, the Judicial Conference of the United States.
Responsibilities. All responsibility for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts is vested in the Director, who is the chief administrative officer for the federal courts. Under his direction, the agency carries out the following functions:
- Implements the policies of the Judicial Conference of the United States and supports its network of 24 committees (including advisory and special committees) by providing staff to plan meetings, develop agendas, prepare reports, and provide substantive analytical support to the development of issues, projects, and recommendations.
- Supports about 2,000 judicial officers, including active and senior appellate and district court judges, bankruptcy judges, and magistrate judges.
- Advises court administrators regarding procedural and administrative matters.
- Provides program leadership and support for circuit executives, clerks of court, staff attorneys, probation and pretrial services officers, federal defenders, panel attorneys, circuit librarians, conference attorneys/circuit mediators, bankruptcy administrators, and other court employees.
- Provides centralized core administrative functions such as payroll, personnel, and accounting services.
- Administers the Judiciary’s unique personnel systems and monitors its fair employment practices program.
- Develops and executes the budget and provides guidance to courts for local budget execution.
- Defines resource requirements through forecasts of caseloads, work-measurement analyses, assessment of program changes, and reviews of individual court requirements.
- Provides legislative counsel and services to the Judiciary; acts as liaison with the legislative and executive branches.
- Prepares manuals and a variety of other publications.
- Collects and analyzes detailed statistics on the workload of the courts.
- Monitors and reviews the performance of programs and use of resources.
- Conducts education and training programs on administrative responsibilities.
- Audits court financial operations and provides guidance on management oversight and stewardship issues.
- Handles public affairs for the Judiciary, responding to numerous inquiries from Congress, the media, and the public.
- Develops new ways for handling court business, and provides assistance to court employees to help them implement programs and improve operations.
- Develops and supports automated systems and technologies used throughout the courts.
- Coordinates with the General Services Administration the construction and management of the Judiciary's space and facilities.
- Monitors the U.S. Marshals Service’s implementation of the Judicial Facilities Security Program, including court security officers, and executes security policy for the Judiciary.
ORGANIZATION
Director
James C. Duff
Serves as the chief executive of the Administrative Office, Secretary to the Judicial Conference and ex officio member of the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference, and the Board of Directors of the Federal Judicial Center.
Deputy Director
Jill C. Sayenga
Chief advisor to the Director on day-to-day management, strategic, and tactical planning, and operational matters; ensures that activities of all agency elements are functioning in support of stated management goals.
Associate Director and General Counsel
William R. Burchill, Jr.
Robert K. Loesche, Deputy
Provides legal counsel and services to the Director and staff of the Administrative Office and to the Judicial Conference; responds to legal inquiries from judges and other court officials regarding court operations; represents agency in bid protests and other administrative litigation.
Judicial Conference Executive Secretariat
Laura C. Minor, Assistant Director
Wendy Jennis, Deputy
Jeffrey A. Hennemuth, Deputy
Coordinates the agency’s performance of the staff functions required by the Judicial Conference and its committees; maintains the official records of the Judicial Conference; responds to judges and other court personnel regarding Conference activities; and coordinates the advisory group process.
Legislative Affairs
Cordia A. Strom, Assistant Director
Daniel Cunningham, Deputy
Provides legislative counsel and services to the Judiciary; maintains liaison with the legislative branch; manages the coordination of matters affecting the Judiciary with the states, legal entities, and other organizations; develops and produces judicial impact statements.
Public Affairs
David A. Sellers, Assistant Director
Carries out public information, community outreach, and communications programs for the federal Judiciary; manages publishing efforts for the Administrative Office.
Court Administration
Noel J. Augustyn, Assistant Director
Glen K. Palman, Deputy
Provides support to the courts for circuit executives, clerks of court, court librarians, staff attorneys, conference attorneys, court reporters, and interpreters, including the development of budgets, allocation of resources, and management of national programs.
Defender Services
Theodore J. Lidz, Assistant Director
Steven G. Asin, Deputy
Provides policy guidance and administrative, analytical, training, and evaluative services relating to the Criminal Justice Act and support to federal public and community defender organizations.
Facilities and Security
Ross Eisenman, Assistant Director
William J. Lehman, Deputy
Manages services provided to the courts in the areas of court security and space and facilities, and serves as the primary contact on real property administration matters with the General Services Administration and on court security matters with the U.S. Marshals Service.
Finance and Budget
George H. Schafer, Assistant Director
Michael N. Milby, Deputy
Manages the budget, accounting, and financial systems of the Judiciary; prepares financial analyses of Judiciary programs; manages relocation and travel services for the courts; and serves as the Judiciary's point of contact for Congress on budget matters.
Human Resources
Patricia J. Fitzgibbons, Assistant Director
Manages services provided to the courts in the areas of personnel, payroll, health and retirement benefits, workforce development, and employee dispute resolution.
Information Technology
Howard Grandier, Assistant Director
Joseph R. Peters, Jr., Deputy
Administers the information resources management program of the Judiciary; oversees the development, delivery/deployment, security, and management of all national IT systems.
Internal Services
Doreen G.B. Bydume, Assistant Director
Manages the Judiciary's procurement function; provides administrative support and services to the Administrative Office in areas such as budget, facilities, personnel, information technology and information management; and administers the Administrative Office’s fair employment practices program.
Judges Programs
Peter G. McCabe, Assistant Director
R. Townsend Robinson, Deputy
Provides support and services for judges and chambers staff in program management and policy development; coordinates and supports federal rules of practice and procedure; gathers, analyzes, and reports statistical data.
Probation and Pretrial Services
John M. Hughes, Assistant Director
Matthew Rowland, Deputy
Determines the resource and program requirements of the probation and pretrial services system, and provides policy guidance, program evaluation services, management and technical assistance, and training to probation and pretrial services officers.