The U.S. Congress established the Conference of Senior Circuit Judges in 1922 to determine the rules and policies with respect to the administration of the U.S. courts system. Twenty-six years later, Congress changed the name to the somewhat catchier Judicial Conference of the United States. At a general level, the 27-judge Conference is responsible for:

• periodically reviewing the operations of United States courts (including filed orders for circuit council conduct and disability);
• conducting ongoing assessment and evaluation of the general rules and procedures within federal courts laid out by the Supreme Court;
• overseeing the process by which judges are assigned to, or transferred among, district courts and courts of appeals;
• providing suggestions on how courts can adopt and implement uniform management procedures and practices which expedite cases.

Federal district courts are where federal trials are conducted. There are 89 federal district courts divided among the 50 states (a number of states of multiple districts), as well as a district court for the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, for a total of 94 federal judicial districts. In addition, this level of courts also includes the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, U.S. Court of International Trade, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The number of judgeships appointed to each district is laid out in Title 28 Section 133 of the U.S. Code. Federal cases are appealed by either side to one of the federal court of appeals. There are 12 regional Circuit Courts of Appeals, and one U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The number of judgeships for the courts of appeals is set under Title 28 Section 44 of the U.S. Code.

The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in the nation. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices. At its discretion, it hears cases from federal and state courts around issues of constitutional and federal law. The Chief Justice of the United States presides over the Judicial Conference, and provides Congress with an annual report of both the recommendations from and proceedings of its annual meeting. The report serves as the basis of legislation regarding the operation of the courts. The meeting is usually broken up into two sessions, usually held in September and March at the Supreme Court Building in Washington, DC (although this can vary at the discretion of the Chief Justice).

In addition to the Chief Justice, the Judicial Conference consists of the 13 chief judges from the federal courts of appeals; one district judge from each of the 12 judicial circuits; and the chief judge of the Court of International Trade. The district judges are elected for a 3-5 year term on the Conference, depending upon a vote of a majority of all the district and circuit court judges from the particular circuit represented. Members of the Conference serve on advisory committees, appointed and assigned by the Chief Justice (although members can ask for assignments, and recommend others), for a maximum of two three-year terms. Committees consist of a myriad of subcommittees conducting research and study on specific topics of concern to court operations.

The Conference is coordinated by a seven-member executive committee, appointed by the Chief Justice, which makes decisions for the Conference in between sessions, and sets rules for its deliberations, implemented by the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. The office of the director coordinates support for the both the Executive Committee and the Judicial Conference itself.