Reading Room Document

President's reliance on Federal judges for assistance in nonjudicial matters

This memo considered the president’s enlistment of federal judges for non-judicial matters. It found that there was no prohibition on federal judges performing non-judicial functions for the president and that the choice to do so was a matter of policy. However, it noted that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary strongly discouraged the practice as it could compromise the independence of judges and diminish the "prestige" of the judiciary.

November 27, 1963