"Users United": The Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990

Abstract

Across country, federal district courts have begun implementing Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990 (the or the Act),' widely referred as Biden Bill in recognition of its principal sponsor, SenatorJoseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-Delaware), chairman of Senate Judiciary Committee. Passed in waning moments of 101st Congress and praised by President Bush as making valuable suggestions for improving management of civil justice system,2 CJRA promises have a profound impact on practice of civil litigation in federal court system.3 Its objectives are to facilitate deliberate adjudication of civil cases on merits, monitor discovery, improve litigation management, and ensure just, speedy, and inexpensive resolutions of civil disputes.4 The CJRA is subject of widespread attention from lawyers, judges, and clients alike because of substance of its underlying reforms and process by which those reforms came about. Substantively, Act mandates a series of sweeping steps at local and national levels make federal civil litigation more affordable, more accessible, and less time consuming. The linchpin of Act is user involvement in establishment and promulgation of policies for management of litigation in federal courts. This involvement is accomplished through creation of local advisory groups, which are responsible for assessing civil and criminal dockets and overall operation of their federal district courts, recommending