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Vanderbilt Law Review

John W. Wade

First Page

27

Abstract

My comment must start with a strong commendation of Attorney General Bell for recognizing the crisis created by the current "litigation explosion" in our courts and for providing leadership in seeking means for alleviating and perhaps even solving it. I am sure that the Justice Department's new Section on Improvement in the Administration of Justice will prove invaluable, both as an originator and a clearinghouse for compiling and evaluating new ideas and as a means for putting them into effect. Dan Meador makes an ideal selection as assistant attorney general to head it. I also must commend the Justice Department for its decisions on the scope of the new agency's activity. As I see it, three aspects of this are significant. First, the agency's commission is broader than simply trying to solve the problem for the federal courts by restricting the present basis of federal jurisdiction and thus pushing the problem in an exacerbated form over to the state courts. Instead it is tackling the problem in general and seeking to find overall solutions. Second, in seeking to improve the administration of justice, it is considering inadequacies of the present system and is not confining its efforts solely to cutting down on the quantity of litigation. Third, the agency is not confining its attention to procedural reforms, but also is giving consideration to substantive law reform that affects the administration of justice. This Section of the Justice Department has the potential for rendering an extremely valuable service to the people of the United States through the years to come, and you may, Mr. Attorney General, find that you wish to have your administration remembered in the future primarily for this significant accomplishment.

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