Recommendation 2016-5 – The Use of Ombuds in Federal Agencies takes account of the broad array of federal agency ombuds offices that have been established since the time of Recommendation 90-2. The recommendation suggests that agencies and Congress consider creating additional ombuds offices where they may be of benefit.
The USPTO engaged ACUS to conduct an independent study of issues associated with and options for designing a small claims patent court.
Recommendation 2023-8, User Fees – provides best practices for agencies and Congress to consider in designing and implementing user fees in administrative programs.
Recommendation 2023-3, Using Algorithmic Tools in Retrospective Review of Agency Rules – identifies best practices for agencies to consider when designing or using artificially intelligent or algorithmic tools to identify rules that are outmoded or redundant, that contain typographical errors or inaccurate cross-references, or might benefit from resolving issues with intersecting or overlapping rules or stan
Recommendation 2021-4, Virtual Hearings in Agency Adjudication – addresses the use of virtual hearings—that is, proceedings in which participants attend remotely using a personal computer or mobile device—in agency adjudications.
Recommendation 2023-2, Virtual Public Engagement in Agency Rulemaking – identifies best practices to promote enhanced transparency, accessibility, and accountability when agencies use virtual tools to host public engagement meetings during the rulemaking process.
The Working Group on Self-Represented Parties in Administrative Hearings is co-led by the Administrative Conference and the Department of Justice’s Office for Access to Justice. The working group’s aim is to identify the challenges posed by self-represented parties in administrative hearings and find solutions to common problems.
ACUS Recommendation 2021-5, Clarifying Statutory Access to Judicial Review of Agency Action, identified various ways in which statutes governing judicial review of federal agency rules and adjudicative orders create unnecessary obstacles to or overly complicate the process of judicial review.
ACUS Recommendation 2023-1, Proactive Disclosure of Agency Legal Materials, identifies statutory reforms that, if enacted by Congress, would provide clear standards regarding what legal materials agencies must publish and where agencies must publish them (whether in the Federal Register, on the agency's website, or elsewhere).