A Message from the Director
From my earliest days on the federal bench, I relied on the Federal Judicial Center for its education programs and research. I attended the orientation for new district judges with great enthusiasm and a little trepidation. Subsequently, I have relied on the knowledge––as well as the mentors, colleagues, and friends––I have gained through the Center. The Center’s resources and staff act as a hub for the judiciary, enabling skills development and also the more intangible but no less valuable collegiality that comes with gathering together.
I started as the twelfth director of the Federal Judicial Center in August 2025. I now have a new vantage point on the value of the Center to judges and staff. I have the great privilege of supporting the growth and well-being of the critical programs, projects, and resources described in this annual report.
The Center is often described as the “research and education agency for the federal courts.” But the first line of the law that created the Center animates what we do: “[T]o further the development and adoption of improved judicial administration in the courts of the United States.” The Center does not make policy; it equips the judiciary with relevant and reliable tools for improvement. The Center’s expertise, experience, and staff assist in strengthening the judiciary to fulfill its mission.
The Center’s ultimate success rests on how judges, court staff, the Judicial Conference of the United States, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Congress, and the public count on the Center’s objectivity, credibility, and professionalism. The Center’s goal is to build on these qualities in the years to come.
In 2025, more than 4,000 in-person program participants and more than 7,500 virtual-program participants turned to the Center. Others turned to our various research reports, manuals, guides, and other resources. So I know I am not alone in depending on the Center.
We will continue to offer unqualified support and useful resources in the future.
JUDGE ROBIN L. ROSENBERG