Executive Officer

Herbert Rouson Jr.. JD

Mr. Herbert Rouson Jr., JD, was appointed Executive Officer on May 1, 2024. He brings a wealth of leadership experience to the Executive Officer position, having worked in all entities of the District of Columbia Courts -- D.C. Court of Appeals, D.C. Superior Court, and Court System.

From 2019 until 2024, Mr. Rouson served as the Acting Deputy Executive Officer. In this capacity, he oversaw Court System, which include the following divisions that support the appellate and trial courts: Administrative Services, Budget and Finance, Capital Projects and Facilities Management, the Center for Education and Training, Court Reporting, Human Resources, Information Technology, Office of the General Counsel, and Strategic Management.

From 2016 until 2019, he served as the Chief Deputy Clerk of the Court of Appeals, where he was responsible for leading-out on enterprise-level process improvements related to customer service metrics, and employee engagement. He also oversaw the operations of the Case Management Division and the Committee on Admissions & Unauthorized Practice of Law.

From 2012 to 2016, as Special Operations Division Director, he oversaw the Juror Office, the Office of Court Interpreter Services, the Tax Office, Judge-in-Chambers, the Superior Court Library, the Identity Consolidation Unit, and the Child Care Center. He began his career with the DC Courts as a system accountant in the Defender Services Branch of the Budget & Finance Division in June 2006.

Mr. Rouson serves on several high-profile DC Courts’ committees such as the Strategic Planning Leadership Council, Standing Committee on Fairness and Access, IT Steering Committee, Personnel Advisory Committee, Civil Legal Regulatory Reform Task Force, and the newly formed Artificial Intelligence Task Force.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Rouson led the DC Courts’ Pandemic Working Group which successfully navigated the operational challenges that the Courts faced, while prioritizing the health and safety of judges, staff, litigants, attorneys, and public. Moreover, recognizing the increasing mental health challenges experienced by staff and the need for greater mental health education, Mr. Rouson established the Mental Health Advisory Council.

Mr. Rouson is a graduate of Hampton University and American University Washington College of Law.