# § 620. Federal Judicial Center
**(a)** There is established within the judicial branch of the Government a Federal Judicial Center, whose purpose it shall be to further the development and adoption of improved judicial administration in the courts of the United States.
**(b)** The Center shall have the following functions:
**(1)** to conduct research and study of the operation of the courts of the United States, and to stimulate and coordinate such research and study on the part of other public and private persons and agencies;
**(2)** to develop and present for consideration by the Judicial Conference of the United States recommendations for improvement of the administration and management of the courts of the United States;
**(3)** to stimulate, create, develop, and conduct programs of continuing education and training for personnel of the judicial branch of the Government and other persons whose participation in such programs would improve the operation of the judicial branch, including, but not limited to, judges, United States magistrate judges, clerks of court, probation officers, and persons serving as mediators and arbitrators;
**(4)** insofar as may be consistent with the performance of the other functions set forth in this section, to provide staff, research, and planning assistance to the Judicial Conference of the United States and its committees;
**1** Insofar [^1] as may be consistent with the performance of the other functions set forth in this section, to cooperate with the State Justice Institute in the establishment and coordination of research and programs concerning the administration of justice; and
So in original. Probably should not be capitalized.
**(6)** insofar as may be consistent with the performance of the other functions set forth in this section, to cooperate with and assist agencies of the Federal Government and other appropriate organizations in providing information and advice to further improvement in the administration of justice in the courts of foreign countries and to acquire information about judicial administration in foreign countries that may contribute to performing the other functions set forth in this section.
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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 90–219, title I, § 101, Dec. 20, 1967, 81 Stat. 664; amended Pub. L. 95–598, title II, § 227, Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2665; Pub. L. 98–620, title II, § 214, Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3346; Pub. L. 99–336, § 6(b), June 19, 1986, 100 Stat. 639; Pub. L. 100–702, title III, § 303, Nov. 19, 1988, 102 Stat. 4648; Pub. L. 101–650, title III, § 321, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5117; Pub. L. 102–572, title VI, § 602(a), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4514.)
## Editorial Notes
### Amendments
1992—Subsec. (b)(6). added par. (6).
1988—Subsec. (b)(3). amended par. (3) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (3) read as follows: “to stimulate, create, develop, and conduct programs of continuing education and training for personnel of the judicial branch of the Government, including, but not limited to, judges, clerks of court, probation officers, and United States magistrates;”.
1986—Subsec. (b)(3). struck out “referees,” after “judges,” and substituted “magistrates” for “commissioners”.
1984—Subsec. (b)(5). added par. (5).
1978—Subsec. (b)(3). directed the amendment of par. (3) by striking out “referees,” and by substituting “magistrates” for “commissioners”, which amendment did not become effective pursuant to , as amended, set out as an Effective Date note preceding , Bankruptcy.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Change of Name
“United States magistrate judges” substituted for “United States magistrates” in subsec. (b)(3) pursuant to , set out as a note under .
### Effective Date of 1992 Amendment
Amendment by effective , see , set out as a note under , The Congress.
### Effective Date of 1986 Amendment
> “The amendments made by this section [amending this section and
>
> , The Congress, and redesignating sections 1364 to 1366 of this title] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [
>
> ].”
, , , provided that:
### Effective Date of 1984 Amendment
Amendment by effective , see , set out as a note under , The Public Health and Welfare.
### Best Practices
> **“(a)** **In General.—** Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act [May 11, 2016], the Federal Judicial Center, using existing resources, shall develop recommended best practices for—
>
> **“(1)** the seizure of information and media storing the information; and
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> **“(2)** the securing of the information and media once seized.
>
> **“(b)** **Updates.—** The Federal Judicial Center shall update the recommended best practices developed under subsection (a) from time to time.
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> **“(c)** **Congressional Submissions.—** The Federal Judicial Center shall provide a copy of the recommendations developed under subsection (a), and any updates made under subsection (b), to the—
>
> **“(1)** Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; and
>
> **“(2)** Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.”
, , , provided that:
### Study of Intercircuit Conflicts and Structural Alternatives for Courts of Appeals by Federal Judicial Center
, , , as amended by , , , directed Board of the Federal Judicial Center to conduct study and submit report to Congress by , on number and frequency of conflicts among judicial circuits in interpreting law that remain unresolved because they are not heard by the Supreme Court, and further directed Board to study full range of structural alternatives for Federal Courts of Appeals and submit report on the study to Congress and Judicial Conference of the United States, no later than 2 years and 9 months after .