§478 Advisory groups

Summary

Each United States district court must appoint the advisory group required under section 472 within ninety days after this chapter is enacted. The chief judge picks the members after talking with the other judges. The group must be balanced and include lawyers and other people who represent the main types of parties in the court, as the chief judge decides. No member may serve more than four years, except the United States Attorney for the judicial district, or his or her designee, who is a permanent member. The chief judge may also name a reporter and the reporter can be paid under rules set by the Judicial Conference of the United States. While doing advisory group work, members and any reporter are treated as independent contractors and serving on the group alone cannot stop them from practicing law before that court.