Judicial Improvements Act of 1990

Summary

Judicial Improvements Act of 1990 - Title I: Civil Justice Expense and Delay Reduction Plans - Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990 - Amends the Federal judicial code to require U.S. district courts to implement a civil justice expense and delay reduction plan to facilitate adjudication, monitor discovery, improve litigation management, and provide for just, speedy, and inexpensive resolution of civil disputes. Requires: (1) district plans to be developed or selected after consideration of the recommendations of an advisory group of a district court; and (2) the advisory group to complete an assessment of the state of the court's civil and criminal dockets. Specifies the content of such plans which shall include provisions applying the following principles: (1) systematic, differential treatment of civil cases; (2) early and ongoing control of the pretrial process through involvement of a judicial officer in assessing and planning the progress of a case; setting early, firm trial dates; controlling discovery; and setting deadlines for the filing of, and target dates for, the deciding of motions; (3) monitoring of complex cases through discovery-case management conferences at which the presiding judicial officer explores the parties' receptivity to settlement, identifies the principal issues in contention, prepares a discovery schedule and plan, and establishes deadlines for filing motions and target dates for deciding motions; (4) authorization to refer appropriate cases to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) programs; and (5) public disclosure for each judicial officer of reports on motions, trials, and cases pending or not terminated within specified time frames. Sets forth provisions for review of district court plans and reports and for periodic assessment of the condition of the courts' civil and criminal dockets. Authorizes the Judicial Conference of the United States to develop one or more model plans. Requires the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to submit to the U.S. district courts and to the House and Senate Judiciary committees copies of any model plan and any accompanying report. Requires the Judicial Conference to: (1) prepare a comprehensive report on all plans received within four years; (2) study ways to improve litigation management and dispute resolution services in the district courts, and make recommendations to such courts on ways to improve such services, on a continuing basis; and (3) prepare, periodically revise, and transmit to the U.S. district courts a Manual for Litigation Management and Cost and Delay Reduction. Requires the Directors of the Federal Judicial Center and the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts to expand judicial training programs to include litigation management. Requires the Director of the Administrative Office to ensure that each U.S. district court has the automated capability to readily retrieve information about the status of each case in such court. Requires the Judicial Conference to conduct a demonstration program under which specified U.S. district courts experiment with systems of differential case management and various methods of reducing cost and delay in civil litigation, including ADR. Sets forth reporting requirements. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Federal Judgeships - Federal Judgeship Act of 1990 - Directs the President to appoint additional circuit and district judges (including temporary district judges) and to make modifications in certain existing judgeships. Authorizes appropriations.

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Timeline

1. 17 May 1990

   Introduced

   Introduced in Senate

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 17 May 1990

   Introduced

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 26 June 1990

   Committee

   Committee on Judiciary. Hearings concluded. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 101-1097.

   Source: Committee

4. 12 July 1990

   Reported

   Committee on Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

   Source: Committee

5. 3 August 1990

   Calendars

   Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 768.

   Source: Calendars

6. 3 August 1990

   Reported

   Committee on Judiciary. Reported to Senate by Senator Biden with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 101-416. Additional views filed.

   Source: Committee

7. 3 August 1990

   Reported

   Committee on Judiciary. Reported to Senate by Senator Biden with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 101-416. Additional views filed.

   Source: Committee

8. 27 October 1990

   Floor

   Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.

   Source: Floor

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

• Introduced in Senate · undated · Official file
• Reported to Senate · undated · Official file

Documents

5 official files

• Reported to Senate (text)

  Reported to Senate · EN

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Indefinitely postponed in Senate

  summary · EN · 27 October 1990

  Open at official source

• Reported to Senate with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 3 August 1990

  Open at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 17 May 1990

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Sen. Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [D-DE] · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Thurmond, Strom [R-SC] · R · Sponsor
• · ssju00 · Standing

Related records

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• related to → Judicial Improvements Act of 1990