Advisory Bodies

To provide leadership for advancing the consistent, impartial, independent, and accessible administration of justice, the Judicial Council must be aware of the issues and concerns confronting the judiciary, as well as appropriate solutions and responses. The council carries out this mission primarily through the work of its internal committees, advisory committees, and task forces. See below for more information about each of the groups.

For meetings subject to California Rules of Court 10.75, notices and agendas will be posted five business days before the meeting and materials for an open meeting will be posted three business days before the meeting.

Internal Committees

Advisory Committees

Refer to Rule 10.34 Duties and responsibilities of advisory committees.

Task Forces and Other Advisory/Working Groups

Refer to Rule 10.70. Task forces and other advisory bodies.

Advisory Group Archive

Judicial Council working groups and task forces "sunset" after their final recommendations are presented to the council. The service of the following groups has expired; they are listed here for reference.

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Blue Ribbon Commission on Children in Foster Care

Provides leadership and recommendations to improve the ability of California's state and local agencies, and the courts to help children grow up in safe, nurturing, and permanent homes through the application of reasonable efforts to prevent removal and achieve permanency; increased collaboration among courts and their partnering agencies; court reform to ensure timely hearings and fair treatment; and prioritization of children and families in the child welfare system in the allocation and administration of resources and funding.

Blue Ribbon Commission Members

Commission for Impartial Courts

The Commission for Impartial Courts was formed in September 2007. In December 2009, the Commission presented its final report to the Judicial Council of actions it should take in order to safeguard the quality, impartiality, and accountability of the California judiciary for the benefit of all its citizens.

Domestic Violence Practice and Procedure Task Force

Makes recommendations to the Judicial Council on improving the administration of justice in domestic violence cases in the California trial courts.

Membership list

Audiocasts, meeting materials, and transcripts from Public Hearings in Los Angeles and San Francisco on March 14 and March 21, 2007

Final Report of The Domestic Violence Practice And Procedure Task Force

Elkins Family Law Task Force and Implementation Task Force

The Task Force was charged with proposing measures to improve efficiency and fairness in family law proceedings and ensure access to justice for all family law litigants.

Elkins Family Law Implementation Task Force Fact Sheet
Membership list

Joint Working Group for California’s Language Access Plan

The Joint Working Group for California’s Language Access Plan developed a comprehensive, statewide, language access plan (LAP) for the judiciary to be able to expand meaningful access for limited-English-proficient court users.

Established: June 2013
Sunset: January 2015

Mental Health Issues Implementation Task Force

The Mental Health Issues Implementation Task Force was charged with identifying the recommendations under Judicial Council purview, and developed a plan for judicial branch and interbranch implementation activities to improve court, criminal justice and mental health services outcomes for adults and juvenile offenders with mental illness, ensure fair and expeditious administration of justice, and promote improved access to treatment for litigants in the justice system.

Start Date: January 1, 2012
Sunset Date: December 31, 2015

Self-Represented Litigants Task Force

Determines the best ways to assist the growing number of Californians who need legal services but cannot afford an attorney. The task force coordinates the statewide response of the bench and bar to the needs of self-represented, or pro per, parties and helps share information about model pro per programs; implements a statewide action plan for serving self-represented litigants; develops resources for services for self-represented litigants, particularly activities in the statewide action plan that require significant funding; and makes recommendations to the Judicial Council, the State Bar, and other appropriate institutions about additional measures that should be considered to improve court services for self-represented parties.

Task force roster
Guidelines for Self-Help Centers

Task Force on Trial Court Fiscal Accountability

The Task Force on Trial Court Fiscal Accountability will focus on implementing specified recommendations of the Trial Court Funding Workgroup and Trial Court Budget Working Group Funding Methodology Subcommittee as directed by the Judicial Council on April 26, 2013. The recommendations of these two bodies were designed to bring greater equity to California trial court funding and help ensure the delivery of quality justice, and equal access to justice statewide.

Task Force Roster
Task Force Charge

Technology Planning Task Force

Purpose: This task force is charged with addressing and making recommendations on the governance, strategy, and financial support for judicial branch technology. They work in partnership with the courts and with input from branch stakeholders.

Date Established: Feb 2013
Date Sunset: August 22, 2014