Lavenski Smith Tapped to Lead US Judiciary Executive Committee

Lavenski Smith, chief judge of the St. Louis-based US appeals court, is the new chair of the senior-most committee of the judiciary’s policymaking body after his appointment by Chief Justice John Roberts.

Smith began the role on Oct. 1 and replaces US District Judge Claire Eagan as chair of the Judicial Conference’s Executive Committee, a spokesman for the Administrative Office of the US Courts said Wednesday.

Smith has served on the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit since 2002. He was appointed by George W. Bush.

The Judicial Conference is responsible for considering policy changes for the third branch and making recommendations to Congress for legislation that relates to the judiciary. Membership of the conference includes the chief judge of each circuit, the chief judge of the Court of International Trade, and a district judge from each regional circuit. Roberts serves as presiding officer of the conference as chief justice.

As chair of the panel, Smith serves an open term conditional on membership in the Judicial Conference. He will retain membership so as long as he is chief judge of the Eighth Circuit.

Eagan was appointed chair by Roberts in February 2020 and ended her role as Executive Committee chair when her service on the conference ended. Past chairs include Attorney General Merrick Garland, who lead the committee from 2017-2020 when he was a judge on the D.C. Circuit.

The news was first reported by Reuters.