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Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial Procedure

Part III · Chapter 45 — Supreme Court

§ 677. Counselor to the Chief Justice

Statutory text

(a)

The Chief Justice of the United States may appoint a Counselor who shall serve at the pleasure of the Chief Justice and shall perform such duties as may be assigned to him by the Chief Justice. The salary payable to the Counselor shall be fixed by the Chief Justice at a rate which shall not exceed the salary payable to the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. The Counselor may elect to bring himself within the same retirement program available to the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, as provided by section 611 of this title, by filing a written election with the Chief Justice within the time and in the manner prescribed by section 611.

(b)

The Counselor, with the approval of the Chief Justice, may appoint and fix the compensation of necessary employees. The Counselor and his employees shall be deemed employees of the Supreme Court.

(c)
(1)

Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, the Counselor, with the approval of the Chief Justice, may accept voluntary personal services to assist with public and visitor programs.

(2)

No person may volunteer personal services under this subsection unless the person has first agreed, in writing, to waive any claim against the United States arising out of or in connection with such services, other than a claim under chapter 81 of title 5.

(3)

No person volunteering personal services under this subsection shall be considered an employee of the United States for any purpose other than for purposes of—

(A)

chapter 81 of title 5; or

(B)

chapter 171 of this title.

(4)

In the administration of this subsection, the Counselor shall ensure that the acceptance of personal services shall not result in the reduction of pay or displacement of any employee of the Supreme Court.

(d)

The Counselor, with the approval of the Chief Justice, shall establish a retention and recruitment program that is consistent with section 908 of the Emergency Supplemental Act, 2002 (2 U.S.C. 1926) for Supreme Court Police officers and other critical employees who agree in writing to remain employed with the Supreme Court for a period of service of not less than two years.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Pub. L. 92–238 § 1 · 86 Stat. 46

    Enacted · 28 U.S.C. § 677

    Added Pub. L. 92–238, § 1, Mar. 1, 1972, 86 Stat. 46

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    Added Pub. L. 92–238, § 1, Mar. 1, 1972, 86 Stat. 46

  2. Pub. L. 105–233 § 1 · 112 Stat. 1535

    Added · 28 U.S.C. § 677(c)

    Pub. L. 105–233 added subsec. (c)

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–233 added subsec. (c).

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICES. Section 677 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: “(c) (1) Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, the Administrative Assistant, with the approval of the Chief Justice, may accept voluntary personal services to assist with public and visitor programs. “(2) No person may volunteer personal services under this subsection unless the person has first agreed, in writing, to waive any claim against the United States arising out of or in connection with such services, other than a claim under chapter 81 of title 5. “(3) No person volunteering personal services under this subsection shall be considered an employee of the United States for any purpose other than for purposes of— “(A) chapter 81 of title 5; or “(B) chapter 171 of this title. “(4) In the administration of this subsection, the Administrative Assistant shall ensure that the acceptance of personal services shall not result in the reduction of pay or displacement of any employee of the Supreme Court.”.

  3. Pub. L. 110–402 § 1(b)(3)(A)(i) · 122 Stat. 4254

    Substituted · 28 U.S.C. § 677

    Pub. L. 110–402, § 1(b)(3)(A)(i), substituted “Counselor” for “Administrative Assistant” in section catchline

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 110–402, § 1(b)(3)(A)(i), substituted “Counselor” for “Administrative Assistant” in section catchline.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (i) in the section heading, by striking “Administrative Assistant” and inserting “Counselor”;

  4. Pub. L. 110–402 § 1(b)(3)(A)(ii) · 122 Stat. 4254

    1. Substituted · 28 U.S.C. § 677(a)

      Pub. L. 110–402, § 1(b)(3)(A)(ii), substituted “a Counselor” for “an Administrative Assistant” in second and third sentences

    2. Substituted · 28 U.S.C. § 677(a)

      Pub. L. 110–402, § 1(b)(3)(A)(ii), substituted “Counselor” for “Administrative Assistant” in second and third sentences

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–402, § 1(b)(3)(A)(ii), substituted “a Counselor” for “an Administrative Assistant” in first sentence and “Counselor” for “Administrative Assistant” in second and third sentences.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (ii) in subsection (a)— (I) in the first sentence, by striking “an Administrative Assistant” and inserting “a Counselor”; and (II) in the second and third sentences, by striking “Administrative Assistant” each place that term appears and inserting “Counselor”; and

  5. Pub. L. 110–402 § 1(b)(3)(A)(iii) · 122 Stat. 4254

    Substituted · 28 U.S.C. § 677(b); 28 U.S.C. § 677(c)

    Pub. L. 110–402, § 1(b)(3)(A)(iii), substituted “Counselor” for “Administrative Assistant” wherever appearing

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 110–402, § 1(b)(3)(A)(iii), substituted “Counselor” for “Administrative Assistant” wherever appearing.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (iii) in subsections (b) and (c), by striking “Administrative Assistant” each place that term appears and inserting “Counselor”.

  6. Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023

    Pub. L. 117–328 div. E title III § 307 · 136 Stat. 4459

    Added · 28 U.S.C. § 677(d)

    Pub. L. 117–328 added subsec. (d)

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 117–328 added subsec. (d).

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    Sec. 307. All unavailable collections currently in the United States Enrichment Corporation Fund shall be transferred to and merged with the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund and shall be available only to the extent provided in advance in appropriations Acts.

6 of 7 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial

Editorial Notes

Amendments1998–2022 · 3 rounds

2022

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 117–328 added subsec. (d).

2008

Pub. L. 110–402, § 1(b)(3)(A)(i), substituted “Counselor” for “Administrative Assistant” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–402, § 1(b)(3)(A)(ii), substituted “a Counselor” for “an Administrative Assistant” in first sentence and “Counselor” for “Administrative Assistant” in second and third sentences.

Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 110–402, § 1(b)(3)(A)(iii), substituted “Counselor” for “Administrative Assistant” wherever appearing.

1998

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–233 added subsec. (c).

Credits

1972–2022 · 4 acts
  1. 1972Added Pub. L. 92–238, § 1, , 86 Stat. 46
  2. 1998amended Pub. L. 105–233, § 1, , 112 Stat. 1535
  3. 2008Pub. L. 110–402, § 1(b)(3)(A), , 122 Stat. 4254
  4. 2022Pub. L. 117–328, div. E, title III, § 307, , 136 Stat. 4672.
Show as published

(Added Pub. L. 92–238, § 1, , 86 Stat. 46; amended Pub. L. 105–233, § 1, , 112 Stat. 1535; Pub. L. 110–402, § 1(b)(3)(A), , 122 Stat. 4254; Pub. L. 117–328, div. E, title III, § 307, , 136 Stat. 4672.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc28.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-04-17

USLM identifier /us/usc/t28/s677