WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF RECORDS MANAGEMENT SUBJECT FILES: JUDICIAL BRANCH (FG050-FG061)

Research Availability:
Open - all records in the subject category have been processed and are available for research
Partial - some of the records in the subject category have been processed and available for research
None - no records in the subject category have been processed nor made available for research
N/A - no records were found in this category

File Code Description Research
Availability
F0050 Judicial Branch  (3.2 ft.; boxes 1-8)
This secondary subject category contains material relating to Justice department material concerning support for Reagan judicial nominees; complaints or support for particular sitting judges; supporting qualified women nominees; supporting pro-life nominees; the need to fill judicial vacancies expeditiously; mid-term reports on Reagan administration judicial selection process; various legislation covering the appointment, administration and adjudication proposed for the judicial branch such as the Federal Court Improvement Act of 1983; the Bankruptcy Court Reform Act Amendments of 1984; Federal Court Security; Judicial Branch Improvements Act, Judicial Retirement;  etc.  This category also contains a number of agendas, background information and summaries of decisions from the President’s Federal Judicial Selection Committee.		 Partial
FG051 Supreme Court of the United States (6.4 l.ft., Box 9-24) 
This secondary subject category contains material relating to the selection and possible appointment to the Supreme Court of Sandra Day O’Connor, Antonin Scalia, Robert Bork, Douglas Ginsburg, and Anthony Kennedy; and the elevation of William Rehnquist to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.  In addition, this category contains material regarding the public campaign to put pro-life judges on the Supreme Court; the proposed Intercircuit Tribunal; White House reactions to specific Supreme Court decisions; the formal opening of the Supreme Court; Supreme Court Police Protection; S. 833 (Supreme Court discretion to review new cases); preparation of swearing-in ceremonies; S.952 (restricting selection of cases for Supreme Court review), and retirement letters from Justice Stewart, Chief Justice Burger,  and Justice Powell.		 Partial
FG052

Courts of Appeal, United States  (4.3 l.ft.; Box 25-35)
This secondary subject category contains material relating to judge candidate reviews, potential judicial nominee’s questionnaires, briefing books, and standard nomination packets regarding the possible selection and/or nomination of judges to the United States Courts of Appeal. This subject category includes material relating to the federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Included in this category are resignation letters, thank-you notes for nomination, material regarding H.R. 1162  (the Court of Appeals Venue Act), and material regarding contentious nomination process for certain appeals court nominees such as Alex Kozinsky for the Ninth Circuit and Daniel Manion for the Seventh Circuit.

Effective October 1, 1982, the United States Claims Court and the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals were overhauled and repositioned as the new United States Court of Claims (FG054) and the new United States Court of Appeals for the Federal District (FG055). With the confusion over two federal courts designated “appeals” courts, the Reagan White House had a considerable amount of mis-classified material within FG052 (Courts of Appeal).  This material has been transferred to FG055 (US Court of Appeals for the Federal District).

 Partial
FG053

District Courts, United States  (7.6 l.ft.; Box 35-54)
This secondary subject category contains material relating to the recommendation of individuals for District Court openings; judicial personal data questionnaires for various candidates for District Courts; the nomination papers for selected candidates, concern over the housing of District Courts in New York City and Los Angeles; resignation letters from retiring District judges and public support or opposition to various candidates for District Court openings.

The following Case Files have been digitized: 347250-347999;  352500-356999; 366299-366100

 Partial
FG054

Court of Claims, United States (.7 l.ft.; Box 54-56) 
This secondary subject category contains material relating to potential nominee’s judicial questionnaires regarding possible selection and/or nomination of judges to the United States Court of Claims and standard nomination packets; S.1700, and H.R. 4482 (later to be called the Federal Courts Improvement Act of 1982); administration of the new court, an opening ceremony for the new court; the legality of the new court; a later salary/retirement amendment to the FCIA; and the possible elevation of the new Court of Claims judges to Article III status.

Note:  With the passage of the Federal Courts Improvement Act of 1982, effective October 1, 1982, the United States Claims Court and the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals were overhauled and repositioned as the new United States Court of Claims (FG054) and the new United States Court of Appeals for the Federal District (FG055).  All material at the Reagan Library has been filed by the new court designations.

  
FG055

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal District  (1 l.ft; Box 56-58)
This secondary subject category contains material relating to standard nomination packets; potential nominee’s judicial questionnaires; discussions of possible selection and/or nomination of judges to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal District.  In addition, this category contains material regarding H.R. 4482 (the Federal Courts Improvement Act of 1982), the jurisdiction of the new Court of Appeals for the Federal District, judicial retirement letters and discussions of the difficulties raised in nominating Sherman Unger for this court. Most of this subject category consists of transferred material misclassified by the White House Office of Records Management within FG052 (Courts of Appeal, U.S.).

Note:  With the passage of the Federal Courts Improvement Act of 1982, effective October 1, 1982, the United States Claims Court and the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals were overhauled and repositioned as the new United States Court of Claims (FG054) and the new United States Court of Appeals for the Federal District (FG055).  All material at the Reagan Library has been filed by the new court designations. 

  
FG056 United States Court of International Trade  (.2 l.ft; Box 59)
This secondary subject category contains material regarding standard nomination packets; discussions of possible selection and/or nomination of judges to the United States Court of International Trade; personnel matters at the Court after the sudden death of Judge Scovel Richardson; judicial retirement; selection process of the judges for this court and comments on H.R. 2183 (amending Title 28) granting judges on this court membership in the Judicial Conference of the United States.		  
FG057 Court of Military Appeals, United States (1 l.ft.; Box 59-60)
This secondary subject category contains material regarding possible selection and/or nomination of judges to the United States Court of Military Appeals; judicial retirement; and the removal and/or disability retirement of Judge Albert Fletcher from the Court of Military Appeals.		  
FG058 United States Tax Court (1.4 l.ft.; Box 60-61)
This secondary subject category contains material regarding standard nomination packets regarding possible selection and/or nomination of judges to the United States Tax Court.		  
FG059 Courts of the District of Columbia (1 folder; Box 61)
This secondary subject category contains material regarding discussions of H.R. 3655, a bill adding judges to the D.C.  Superior Court and raising mandatory retirement age; and H.R. 3578 (District of Columbia Judicial Efficiency and Improvement Act of 1986).  There were a number of misclassifications by the White House Office of Records Management within this category and they have been reclassified by the Reagan Library.		  
FG059-01 District of Columbia Court of Appeals (.2 l.ft.; Box 61-62)
This secondary subject category contains material regarding standard D.C. court nomination packets regarding possible selection and/or nomination of judges to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.		  
FG059-02 Superior Court of the District of Columbia (.4 l.ft.; Box 62-63)
This secondary subject category contains standard D.C. court nomination packets regarding possible selection and/or nomination of judges to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; judicial retirement, disability and reviews;  H.R. 3655 and the addition of judges to the D.C. Superior Court; H.R. 6007 (expansion of Small Claims Court) and H.R. 2946 (District of Columbia Jury System Act).		  
FG060 Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts  (1 folder, Box 63)
This secondary subject category contains transmittal letters for the Annual Report of the United Sates Courts. 		  
FG061 Federal Judicial Center (empty) 
The White House Office of Records Management transferred no material within this secondary subject category to the Reagan Library.