Federal Judicial Center, Office of International Judicial Relations

The Federal Judicial Center (FJC) is the federal courts’ agency for continuing education and research. Congress established the Center in 1967 as a separate organization within the federal judicial system at the request of the Judicial Conference of the United States. A nine-member board, chaired by the Chief Justice of the United States, determines its basic policies. The FJC develops educational resources for federal judges, provides training for court staff, and conducts empirical research in the field of judicial administration. The FJC is located in the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building which is immediately adjacent to Union Station.

The Center’s International Judicial Relations Office (IJR) coordinates in¬formational briefings for visiting foreign delegations and provides materials about the U.S. judicial system and the work of the FJC. At the invitation of foreign judiciaries or development organi¬zations, the IJR develops seminars on such topics as judicial branch education, court administration, case management, alternative dispute resolution, and judicial ethics.