Chief Justice
A chief justice or judge (also known as a presiding judge or justice) is the lead judicial administrative officer within any multijudge court. The title may refer to the presiding justice of the Supreme Court of the United States or a state supreme court, for example. The chief judge works alongside the clerk of court in his or her respective court by overseeing the day to day operations of that court.[1][2]
John Roberts is the current chief justice of the United States Supreme Court.
Purpose
The job of chief judge or justice calls for an individual not only to see that administrative tasks in the court are carried out, but also to address the needs of the public, attorneys, court staff, and fellow judges.
Duties
Federal courts
- See also: United States federal courts
The following are the duties of a chief judge at the federal level.
- Ensuring that laws, regulations, and court policies are followed.
- Monitoring court caseloads.
- Developing and implementing short- and long-term court plans.
- Directly supervising the clerk of court.
- Overseeing local rule-making (Local Court Rules are adaptations to Federal Rules).
- Resolving informal disputes.
- Reviewing court budgets and court spending.
- Overseeing space acquisition, alterations, and construction.
- Ensuring court security and emergency preparedness.
- Appointing and serving on court committees.
- Filing reports and plans in a timely manner with the circuit judicial council, the administrative office, and other entities.
- Serving as a liaison with outside groups such as the Judicial Conference, the public, the bar associations, state and local courts and governments, agencies, schools, and the media. Chief judges may also interact with the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and other federal government agencies.[3]
U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal
- See also: United States court of appeals
Chief judges of the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal preside over any three-judge panel to which he or she is assigned, preside over meetings of the circuit council, supervise the appointment of bankruptcy judges, and authorize and request intercircuit and intra–circuit judicial assignments. The chief judge also reviews complaints of judicial misconduct and disability, and serves on the Judicial Conference. In much of this work, the chief judge relies on the circuit executive, the clerk of court, and other appellate court staff members.[3]
U.S. District Courts
- See also: United States district court
Chief judges of the U.S. district courts supervise chief probation and pretrial services officers, monitor magistrate judges, oversee the use of jurors, and maintain effective relations with the bankruptcy court. The chief judge is also given exclusive authority to appoint magistrate judges.[3]
Age restrictions
Chief judges on the federal courts must be under the age of 64.[2][3][4]
History
Rules for federal chief judges went into effect on October 1, 1982. The office of chief judge was created in 1948. Until August 6, 1959, the position was filled in each federal court by the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire on senior status or declined to serve as chief judge. From 1959 to 1982, the position was filled by the senior such judge who had not turned 70.[3][4]
State courts
- See also: State courts
Each judicial district at the state level—in trial courts and in intermediate appeals courts—has a chief judge. He or she is appointed by his or her respective state supreme court. Each state differs on the amount of terms a chief judge may serve and on age restrictions.
At the state level, chief judges carry out the following tasks:
- Ensuring that laws, regulations, and court policies are followed.
- Monitoring court caseloads.
- Developing and implementing short- and long-term court plans.
- Directly supervising the clerk of court. In some states, local clerks of court are independently elected.
- Cooperating with the director of State Courts, as charged by their respective state supreme court rules.
- Overseeing rule-making of local rules and adaptations of state court rules.
- Resolving informal disputes.
- Reviewing court budgets and court spending with the clerk of court.
- Overseeing space acquisition, alterations, and construction.
- Ensuring court security and emergency preparedness.
- Directly reporting to local and state government bodies including the State Judicial Conference, the State Legislature, and County Board of Supervisors on the state of the courts.
- Lobbying to local and state legislatures.
- Serving as a liaison to the local and state bar associations, schools, the media, and the general public.
Current chief judges
Federal chief judges
- See also: Current federal chief judges
In order to qualify for the office of chief judge in an Article III circuit or district court, or on the United States Court of International Trade, a judge must be in active service and hold seniority over the court's commissioned judges who are 64 years of age or under, have served one year or more, and have not previously served as chief judge.[5]
In the event that no judge on the court meets those qualifications, the youngest judge in regular active service aged 65 years or more and who has served as a judge for one year or more shall become chief judge. If no judge meets those qualifications, the judge holding seniority in active service who has not served as chief before shall become the chief judge.[6][7][8]
The chief judge serves for a term of seven years until another judge becomes eligible to serve in the position. No judge is permitted to serve as chief judge after reaching the age of 70 years unless no other judge is qualified to serve.[6][7][8]
Unlike the chief justice of the United States, a chief judge returns to active service after the expiration of their term and does not create a vacancy on the court by the fact of their promotion.[5][6][7][8]
On the United States Court of Federal Claims, the chief judge is selected by the president of the United States. The judge must be less than 70 years of age. A chief may serve until they reach age 70 or until another judge is designated by the president as the new chief judge. If the president selects a new chief judge, the former chief judge may continue active service on the court for the remainder of their appointed term.[9]
The table below lists the 112 acting chief judges within the Article III Federal Courts. It was last updated on November 15, 2024.
State chief justices
Chief justices of the state supreme courts act as head of the judiciaries in their states, in addition to serving as a justice on the court. The longest-serving chief justice as of December 2024 is Sharon Keller, who began serving as presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on January 1, 2001.
Each state has different laws providing for the selection of its chief justice(s). Ballotpedia has categorized four methods of selection, as follows:
- Appointment: chief justices are appointed to the position by the governor, state legislature, or other body
- Chamber vote: the court's justices choose a chief justice from amongst themselves
- Popular vote: chief justices are elected to the position by voters in the state
- Seniority: the chief justice is determined based on their length of service on the court
The table below lists the acting chief justices of state supreme courts by state. It was last updated on July 30, 2024.
See also
- Index of terms
- Judge
- Justice of the Peace
- Judicial selection
- Senior status
- Pro tempore
- Judicial philosophy
Footnotes
- ↑ Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Chief Justice Definition, accessed August 24, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 U.S. Legal, "Chief Judge Definition," accessed December 11, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 United States Courts, "On Being Chief Judge," February 2009
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 United States Courts, Frequently Asked Questions
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 United States Courts, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, "28 U.S. Code § 136 - Chief judges; precedence of district judges," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, "28 U.S. Code § 258 - Chief judges; precedence of judges," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, "28 U.S. Code § 45 - Chief judges; precedence of judges," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑ Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, "28 U.S. Code § 171 - Appointment and number of judges; character of court; designation of chief judge," accessed January 25, 2022
