The federal Judiciary is accelerating a multi-front effort to modernize its case management system, gain direct control over courthouse properties, and set ground rules for artificial intelligence in the courts. Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr., director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, delivered the progress report to the Judicial Conference of the United States on September 17, 2026.
"We are moving forward with a sense of urgency and focus," Conrad said.
Case management system overhaul targets 2027 migration
The Judiciary has fast-tracked a redesign of its Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system, which Conrad described as outdated and vulnerable to security breaches. The new system will incorporate current cybersecurity tools to protect documents and cases. Conrad said the first component is on schedule for release before the end of 2026.
"By year end 2027, we will move all new district court cases into CMM. The appellate and bankruptcy courts will follow," Conrad said. The modernization effort, known as Case Management Modernization (CMM), represents a fundamental rebuild of the platform that handles federal court filings nationwide.
Bipartisan bill would test direct property management
The Judiciary is also pursuing authority to manage its own mission-critical properties, a function currently handled by the General Services Administration. The request for Real Property Authority (RPA) was submitted in late February. On July 30, a bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation that would authorize a pilot project covering select court properties in up to 10 judicial districts.
"The proposed legislation would give us the opportunity to demonstrate operational capability while providing Congress with necessary oversight and evaluation opportunities before considering a broader expansion of authority," Conrad said. The Administrative Office has already hired key planning staff and developed criteria for selecting the pilot districts, pending congressional approval.
Conrad pointed to the Judiciary's long track record managing complex business operations, including budgets and technology, since Congress created the Administrative Office in 1939. "We were created to do the Judiciary's administrative work, enabling our judges to concentrate on the law," he said.
AI task force identifies 60 issues, issues interim guidance
Conrad appointed an advisory task force in 2025 to address the impact of artificial intelligence on the federal courts. The task force has since identified more than 60 distinct issues, prioritized them for review, and formed seven subject-matter subgroups to guide further study. Interim guidance has already been issued to the courts, with additional directives to follow as questions are resolved.
The guidance draws a hard line on core judicial functions: courts have been cautioned not to delegate decision-making or case adjudication to AI. All Judiciary users have been reminded that they remain accountable for work performed with AI assistance. For legal professionals tracking how courts are adapting to these tools, the Judiciary's approach aligns with broader conversations in AI for Legal and AI for Government policy circles.
Judge Sidney R. Thomas of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, who chairs the AI Task Force, also briefed the Conference on the group's ongoing examination of AI-related questions. "I'm confident that the end result will be a better equipped, stronger, more effective Judiciary," Conrad said.
New magistrate judge slot and IT security goal approved
The Judicial Conference approved a recommendation to authorize an additional magistrate judge position in the District of Columbia. The district's magistrate judges rank first nationally in total duties per judge and first in felony preliminary duties, while carrying the lowest ratio of magistrate judges to authorized district judgeships in the country - just four full-time magistrate judges supporting 15 district judgeships.
The Conference also updated the Judiciary's Long-Range Plan for information technology, adding a goal to bring Judiciary IT systems under the continuous diagnostics and mitigation (CDM) program. The CDM framework delivers cybersecurity tools, integration services, and dashboards to strengthen security posture across government systems.
Leadership transition on the Executive Committee
Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., thanked Sixth Circuit Chief Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton for his service as chair of the Conference's Executive Committee since 2024. Sutton, who has served on the Judicial Conference since 2021, announced he will take senior status effective October 1, 2026.
"Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton has served with great distinction for the past two and a half years as Chair of the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States," Roberts said. "In that time, he has overseen significant improvements in the communications between our Branch's 25 Judicial Conference Committees, facilitating important projects that cut across multiple committee jurisdictions, such as cybersecurity and case management modernization. All of us in the Judiciary owe Chief Judge Sutton a large debt of gratitude for his transformative leadership."
Why this matters for government and legal professionals
The Judiciary's AI guidance - particularly the prohibition on delegating adjudicative functions - sets a concrete boundary that other government bodies and law firms will watch closely. As courts roll out additional AI policies through 2027, legal professionals who handle federal cases need to understand what tools are permitted, what requires disclosure, and where personal accountability remains absolute. The case management modernization timeline also signals a practical deadline: by the end of 2027, anyone filing in district court will be working inside the new CMM system.
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