Civil Procedure in the Chief Justice's Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary

Abstract

In 1970, then-Chief Justice Burger gave the inaugural Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary as an address to the American Bar Association. The Chief Justice has released a Year-End Report each year since. Several reports have highligted civil procedure: diversity jurisdiction, the rulemaking process, changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and the role of district judges in civil litigation. This Article highlights the role and attitude towards civil procedure topics in the Year-End Reports, with a special emphasis on Chief Justice Roberts’ 2015 Report.

Keywords: Civi Procedure; Chief Justice; Discovery; Jurisdiction; Litigation; Federal Courts