UORITY MEMBERS JACK BROOKS, TEXAS, CHAIRMAN ROBERT W. KASTENMEKER WISCONSIN PATRICIA SCHROEDER COLORADO BARNEY PRANK MASSACHUSETTS BRUCE A MORRISON, CONNECTICUT LAWRENCE J. SMITH, FLORIDA HOWARD L BERMAN CALIFORNIA RICK BOUCHER VIRGINIA MARLEY O STAGGERS, JR. WEST VIRGINIA JOHN BRYANT, TEXAS BENJAMIN L CARDEN, MARYLAND GEORGE L. SANGMEISTER ILLINOIS The Honorable Owen B. Pickett Dear Congressman Pickett: Thank you for your letter of June 13, 1989, regarding the Your letter was need to increase the salaries of Federal judges. originally sent to Chairman Jack Brooks, who brought your views to my attention. I have been holding hearings on the general subject of Judicial Independence and will insert your views in the hearing record. year. I do expect action on the pay raise issue to occur this Sincerely, RWK: mrj ROBERT W.KASTENMEIER Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Thank you for your recent letter with enclosed correspondence from Mr. Thomas G. Slater, Jr., President-Elect of I have read with interest the Resolution of the Bar I have received the enclosed inquiry and resolution from Mr. Thomas G. Slater, Jr., President-Elect of the Bar Association of the City of Richmond. Any consideration you could give to the concerns addressed by Mr. Slater in your deliberations on the salaries of federal judges would be greatly appreciated. I am writing on behalf of the Bar Association of the City of Richmond. Enclosed is a copy of a resolution that the Executive Committee passed at its March 31 meeting supporting a raise in salaries for federal judges. Attracting and retaining well-qualified lawyers to serve as members of the federal judiciary is vitally important to the preservation of our judicial system. Accordingly, the Bar Association of Richmond urges you to support an increase in federal judicial salary rates to take effect as soon as possible. Respectfully submitted, Hu G. Thomas G. Slater, Jr. 74/619 Enclosure CC: Executive Committee, Bar Association of the City of Richmond SUITE 1010. Ross BUILDING. 801 EAST MAIN STREET. P.O. Box 1213. RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23209-1213 (804) 780-0700 RESOLUTION OF THE RICHMOND BAR ASSOCIATION ON THE COMPENSATION OF FEDERAL JUDGES WHEREAS the recent controversy over Congressional salary increases has delayed action on the recommendation of the Federal Quadrennial Commission for salary increases for federal judges; and WHEREAS the report of the Commission confirms the longstanding and critical need for such increases; and WHEREAS sitting federal judges have suffered a decline of more than in real income since 197 as a result of increased living costs unmatched by any salary increases; and WHEREAS it is in the best interests of the overall administration of justice to attract and retain the highest calibre lawyers to the federal bench; and WHEREAS a good percentage of the highly qualified and successful attorneys do and can earn more in the private sector than they will earn as federal judges, and will be required to make some financial sacrifice; and be WHEREAS failure to substantially increase such salaries will a deterrent to such highly qualified attorneys becoming federal judges and will, possibly, add further to the number of resignations for financial reasons by sitting federal judges; NOW, THEREFORE, the Richmond Bar Association hereby resolves, as follows: |