Greetings to All Fellows:
It seems hard to believe that nearly a year ago I sat on a train going from Rome to the Amalfi Coast and wrote my first e-Bulletin message. The year has flown by and what a wonderful year it has been. After two years of being locked down with COVID, it has been a thrill to socialize together in person again. I have taken advantage of that opportunity by visiting more than 32 states and 5 provinces (including the Atlantic Provinces) with one more trip in September (to Hawaii) before heading to San Diego for our Annual Meeting. Fellows frequently ask me which trip I have enjoyed the most but that question is impossible to answer. Every trip has been fun, and I have loved meeting and chatting with old and new friends alike across the US and Canada. I’m really hoping to see many of you later this month in San Diego. President-Elect Bill Murphy has put together an extraordinary group of speakers, which, combined with the Friday night concert featuring the music of Creedence Clearwater Revival and the always moving Induction Ceremony on Saturday night, should make for a fun, stimulating and action-packed few days in sunny San Diego. Although it will be bittersweet to see my year as President end, I leave knowing that the College will be in the great hands of my good friends Bill and Pat Murphy. See you in San Diego!
Best Regards,
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Susan J. Harriman
ACTL President
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President Harriman at a recent get-together with her Regent Class, including (from left) Ritchie Berger, President-Elect Bill Murphy and Steve Schwarz.
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2023 Annual Meeting in San Diego |
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There are still a few seats left! Join us for an incredible lineup of speakers, stunning San Diego Marina views, and the music of Creedence Clearwater Revival at our unforgettable Friday Night event.
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After working with a consultant and hearing the needs of Fellows through select focus groups, the National Office has decided to discontinue use of ACTL Connected. If you have documents stored in the library of your ACTL Committee Group that you wish to download and preserve, please contact the National Office for assistance.
Stay tuned for more information on new tools being implemented to facilitate communication among Fellows!
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The Emil Gumpert Award, given annually, includes a $150,000 grant from the Foundation. Past recipients have provided services in such areas as sentencing fairness, record expungement and human rights, among others.
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Louisiana Fellow (now Judicial Fellow) Darrel James Papillion has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
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General Committees
Access to Justice and Legal Services: The Committee, in collaboration with the Distinguished Pro Bono Fellow Committee, will be presenting the CLE at the Annual Meeting, titled “Exonerating the Innocent: Advocacy and Ethics.” The Committee continues to build on a strong relationship with the national innocence project network, plus various local innocence projects. To that end, summer interns from Southern University Law Center were mentored by committee members while working at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services and Innocence Project New Orleans.
Admission to Fellowship: The Committee was tasked with making the admissions process more efficient, more uniform across the states and provinces, and more consistent from year to year; they have since submitted proposed changes for consideration at the upcoming Board of Regents Meeting. The Committee was also asked to review the fifteen years of trial experience requirement and recommended to the Board of Regents a revision allowing for fifteen years of legal experience so long as the trial experiences were otherwise met, which was approved.
Boot Camp Trial Training: Future Boot Camps are scheduled for Charleston on November 3, 2023, with additional dates in the new year for Atlanta and Tulsa.
Heritage: The Committee recently completed five interviews with Fellows of the College. To watch video interviews, visit https://learn.actl.com/history.
Judicial Independence: The Committee prepared a White Paper titled “Recommendations for a Senate Special Committee on Judicial Nominations” which will be reviewed for approval at the Board of Regents meeting in September. The Executive Committee also requested the Committee prepare guidance for when the College should speak out in response to attacks on judges and to prepare a template for such responses. The Committee has submitted two documents: the Judicial Independence Response Template, to aid in responding to attacks on the judiciary, and Guideline Points for Response by the American College of Trial Lawyers to Attacks on Judges and Justices. The Executive Committee has taken these documents for evaluation.
Judiciary: The Committee has detailed, for each of the 50 states, efforts to weaken the judiciary and is in the process of analyzing results and making recommendations on next steps.
Legal Ethics and Professionalism: The Committee has nearly completed an update to the White Paper “Attorney-Client Privilege Update: Current and Recurring Issues.” Committee members are also working on drafting guidelines for ethical issues that arise at trial.
Outreach: The Committee launched the College’s partnership with the National Constitution Center (NCC) by recruiting volunteers for the Peer-to-Peer Scholar Exchange Program. More than 60 Fellows have signed up so far. The Committee is also actively pursuing ways to increase judicial engagement and promote the College podcast, Trial Tested.
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Samuel E. Gates Litigation Award
To honor a lawyer or judge, whether or not a Fellow of the College, who has made a significant, exceptional and lasting contribution to the improvement of the litigation process. The person selected might be a trial practitioner, a judge, a teacher, a writer, a legislator, an administrator, or initiator of organizations or programs, or some other person whose work has been substantively significant or who has inaugurated or advanced significant programs. To view past recipients, click here.
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Upcoming National Meetings: |
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More events can be viewed on the College website. Click here for the Events Calendar.
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September 21-24
Marriott Marquis
San Diego California
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2024 Spring Meeting
February 29-March 3, 2024
Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort
Phoenix, Arizona
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2024 Annual Meeting
September 26-29, 2024
JW Marriott
Nashville, Tennessee
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2025 Spring Meeting
March 6-9, 2025
The Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort
Maui, Hawaii
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Colorado Fellows Summer Dinner, Denver: July 31, 2023
After spending quality time at the beautiful ranch of Past President Mike O’Donnell and his wife, Brett, overlooking the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, President Harriman attended the Colorado Fellows’ Summer Dinner at the Cherry Hills Country Club. State Chair Kenzo Kawanabe provided welcome remarks before Regent Dan Folluo introduced President Harriman, who addressed the crowd and emphasized the good work being done by the Task Forces on Civics Education and Mental Health Awareness. She also encouraged Fellows to attend the 2024 Spring Meeting in Phoenix, where spring training for several teams in Major League Baseball will be underway.
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Iowa Fellows Meeting, Des Moines: August 5, 2023
Regent Greg Lederer welcomed President Harriman to Cedar Rapids for the start of a three-day stay in Iowa, including a visit to the former home of Grant Wood in Iowa City, a Friday reception and a Saturday breakfast and meeting in Des Moines. Fellow Jim Hayes lives in the home formerly occupied by Grant Wood near the University of Iowa campus. Ultimately, that home and several others will be donated to the University for use as an art colony.
The cocktail reception on Friday evening was held at the Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel. President Harriman met many Fellows, including Bob Waterman, and his brother, Judicial Fellow Tom Waterman, a member of the Supreme Court of Iowa. On Saturday morning, State Chair Jerry Spaeth welcomed everyone and gave a warm tribute to Regent Lederer, who then introduced President Harriman. She spoke on the importance of the College staying relevant in terms of its mission and membership. A CLE presentation followed led by Justice Waterman and Justice Sharon Greer of the Iowa Court of Appeals.
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Tenth Circuit Regional Meeting, Santa Fe, New Mexico: August 11-12, 2023
The La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, hosted President Harriman and Fellows from Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico. Past President Andy Coats and his wife Nancy along with Regent Dan Folluo and his wife Sally, were the first to greet President Harriman. Friday evening featured a cocktail reception with Past Presidents Mike Stout and Mike O'Donnell along with Oklahoma State Chair Karen Callahan in attendance. New Mexico State Chair Lee Rogers provided the welcome remarks.
Saturday featured an excellent program of speakers assembled by New Mexico Vice Chair Maureen Sanders. Among the speakers were Alan Webber, the Mayor of Santa Fe and Ed Pulsifer, the Marketing Director and Historian of the La Fonda Hotel. President Harriman also spoke, addressing the demographics of the College and statistical concern that the number of Fellows who die each year exceeds the number of new inductees. She implored the state and province committees to continue seeking out exceptionally qualified trial lawyers for the College to remain vibrant and relevant.
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Georgia Fellows Dinner, Atlanta: Thursday, August 24, 2023
President Harriman arrived in Atlanta for the Georgia Fellows Dinner the morning of August 24. Treasurer Rick Deane accompanied President Harriman and Executive Director Dennis Maggi to the black-tie event, held at the beautiful Cherokee Town Club. Past President Jack Dalton and his wife Marcy were in attendance, along with Past President Chilton Varner. President Harriman was especially pleased to reconnect with Fellow John Chandler and his wife Beth Tanis, having met John years before becoming a Fellow on a trip to Alaska. State Chair Scott Greene opened the program, acknowledging officers and past presidents before introducing Regent Bob MacKenzie, who in turn introduced President Harriman. President Harriman commended the work of the State Committee in finding diverse, qualified inductees and emphasized the need to continue that work to keep the College vibrant. President Harriman then presented the moot and trial competition winners with their plaques. Mercer University School of Law not only won the National Moot Court competition but also came close in the National Trial Competition and one of its students, Isiah Chavis, won the Spiegelberg Award for best oral advocate. In addition, John Flowers, a member of both teams, won the Fulton Haight Best Oral Advocate award in the National Moot Court Competition. President Harriman was delighted to see the students again after having met them at the competitions.
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The College has been notified of the passing of the Fellows listed below. The date after each name notes the year of induction into the College, and the date following the city is the date of his or her passing. A tribute to each will appear in the In Memoriam section of a subsequent issue of the Journal.
Arizona
William T. Coghill, ’75, Phoenix, July 25, 2023
Texas
John E. Simpson, III, ’05, Lubbock, August 3, 2023
Utah
Leonard H Russon, ’84, Salt Lake City, July 29, 2023
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Phone: (949) 752-1801 • Fax: (949) 752-1674
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