§10703 Board of Directors

Summary

Creates a Board of Directors to run the Institute. The Board has eleven voting members. The President appoints them with the Senate’s approval. The Board must include six judges, one State court administrator, and four public members (no more than two from the same political party). The six judges and the State court administrator must come from lists sent by the Conference of Chief Justices. That Conference must send at least 14 names for the first appointments and lists of three names for later vacancies. The President may reject a list and ask for another. The President had to make the first appointments within 90 days after October 1, 1985, and must fill later openings within 90 days after a term ends or a vacancy occurs. The first Board members are the incorporators and pick the State of incorporation. Each voting member normally serves three years, though five initial members serve two years. Members stay on until a successor is in place. No one may be reappointed to more than two consecutive terms after their first term. Board members are unpaid but get reimbursed for necessary expenses. They are not federal officers or employees. Each member has one vote. A simple majority of the Board is a quorum, and decisions need a majority of those voting. The Board picks a chair from its voting members (the first chair serves three years, then the chair is chosen each year). A member can be removed by seven votes for serious misconduct, neglect, inability, or an offense involving moral turpitude. The Board meets quarterly and holds special meetings if the chair calls them or seven members request one. Meetings must be open under federal open‑meetings rules. The Board sets policies and programs, sets funding priorities and rules, hires and supervises the Executive Director (a nonvoting member), advises other agencies about State courts, recommends study topics, and awards grants and makes contracts as allowed by law.