Greetings to all Fellows,
Starting in 2023, we will publish the e-Bulletin monthly, instead of bi-monthly, on the recommendation of the Communications Committee. By doing so, we’re hoping that we’ll get news to you more quickly and in an easier to digest format. Please feel free to let us know what you think of this new monthly schedule.
In the last e-Bulletin, I spoke about the consensus at our Leadership Workshop that the College should devote time and effort to Civics Education. While the Executive Committee is discussing various proposals, I’d like each of you to think about ways in which you can be proactive in educating the public on what judicial independence really means and the essential role of fair and impartial courts in a democracy. In 2012, the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) launched the Informed Voters, Fair Judges Project (the “IVP”) as a nonpartisan, adult civic education and outreach initiative. The IVP maintains a dedicated website and social media presence to assist in increasing awareness and implementing their efforts nationwide. In 2020, the College collaborated with the NAWJ to prepare updated, nonpartisan public presentations that can be given to a variety of audiences, including colleges and universities, civic organizations, library programs, adult education initiatives, lifelong learning institutes, juror orientation rooms and more. These presentations (a short 30-minute version and longer 60-minute version) are housed on the College website and are linked here. Fellows simply need to log in to view.
The presentation can be easily adapted to highlight state-specific or audience-specific issues and information. So please think about the groups that you personally can reach in your community. Volunteer to talk at a school or local organization and take advantage of your own unique skills as someone who knows how to present material in a clear and understandable way.
Best Regards,
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Susan J. Harriman
ACTL President
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ACTL Podcast Special Episode
Premiering January 16, 2023
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Mike Cody on Representing MLK Jr., Confronting Segregation and Running a 4:24 Mile
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Mike Cody was on the trial team that represented Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and was one of the last attorney groups to speak with Dr. King prior to his murder. An avid runner, he’s logged in over 80,000 miles, using the exercise to process, relax and think about tough cases. Listen as Host Mike Herring speaks with Cody about segregation, Dr. King, and his life of legal service. |
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Registration is now open for the 2023 Spring Meeting, February 23-26, in Miami, Florida at The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne. Follow this link for more information or to register now.
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Diversity Trial Advocacy Program |
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The second annual ACTL Diversity Trial Advocacy Program will be held in Chicago May 5-7, hosted by the law offices of Kirkland & Ellis. This tuition-free program was developed to help equip the next generation of outstanding and diverse trial lawyers so that the lawyers trying cases better mirror the diversity in our society and in our courthouses. The faculty consists of Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Nominations for diverse trial lawyer attendees and additional questions can be directed to Teaching of Trial and Appellate Advocacy Chair Thomas J. Heiden at mtjh66@cornell.edu.
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Committee Spotlight:
Online Advisory Committee
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In this new eBulletin feature, select committees and their work with the College will be featured throughout the year. If you are interested in becoming a committee member, please contact the committee chair so they can provide more information.
The Online Advisory Committee’s mandate is to monitor and recommend improvements to the College’s website and to consider the effectiveness of the website as a tool to further the mission of the College. It is a committee that will be busy in 2023 as members work with the National Office to provide input and assistance during the College website redesign. Fellows on this committee are interested in how the College can utilize its website to both represent itself to the public and be a useful tool for Fellows. To learn more about the Online Advisory Committee, please email Committee Chair Larry Krantz.
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Fellow Fred Gray was featured in AL.com’s “22 Alabamians who made a difference in 2022” for his tireless efforts in pursuit of civil rights. Read the article here.
Kent Hyde, Heritage Committee Chair, was presented with a Heritage Award at the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) Annual Convention. The award recognizes the achievements of outstanding volunteer fair managers.
Honorary Fellow Rosalie Abella, retired Judge of the Canadian Supreme Court, was recently interviewed for Harvard Law Today. The discussion centered around the differences between the Canadian and U.S. approach, and why justice matters.
Former State Committee Chair Michael Walsh was awarded the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in November, 2022.
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General Committees
Access to Justice and Legal Services: The committee held a very successful and well-attended Pro Bono Symposium on November 10, 2022. Committee Chair Mark Surprenant thanks the following Fellows and staff for helping make this event a success: President Susan Harriman, Michael Jones, Former Canadian Supreme Court Justice Thomas Cromwell, Kimball Anderson, Douglas Mitchell, Joseph Tate, Terri Mascherin, John Gilligan, Diane Menashe, Alistair Dawson, Dennis Maggi, Amy Mrugalski, Sarah Stokes, and Kim Klingaman. The committee also reports the start of a new subcommittee focusing on innocence project related work. The purpose for this subcommittee is to bring greater awareness within the College to the importance of this work and encourage Fellows to get involved in pro bono service to clients who have been wrongfully convicted and imprisoned. If you are interested in participating in this subcommittee, please contact Committee Chair Mark Surprenant at mark.surprenant@arlw.com.
Beverley McLachlin Access to Justice Award: The committee will be meeting in February to discuss potential nominees. The Award, named for The Honourable Beverley McLachlin, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, is to be awarded to a judge or a member of the bar in the United States or Canada, whether or not a Fellow of the College, who has played an exceptional role in creating and promoting access to justice. The Award will recognize innovative measures or extraordinary personal commitment and professional dedication which have enhanced access to justice in the United States or Canada. Please send any information regarding potential nominees to David Ross, dross@ramllp.com
Boot Camp Trial Training Program: The ACTL Boot Camp Library for young lawyers is still growing and the committee welcomes contributions. Please consider sharing your writings with the library. Also, why not help present a Boot Camp Trial Training Program in your jurisdiction? Tammy Peterson did so in Las Vegas as did numerous other Fellows such as Carolyn Fairless in Denver, Mark Horwitz in Orlando, Michael Turco in Detroit, Mick Rusing in Phoenix, Tim Tomasik in Chicago, John Gilligan in Ohio, and David Weinstein in Houston. If interested, please contact Committee Chair Paul Sandler.
Complex Litigation Committee: The committee has started the year running. This year, we are working on three projects: (1) the first annual update to the ACTL Handbook of Electronic Evidence, (2) a potential new Handbook on Bankruptcy Litigation, and (3) beginning this month, a “Lunch and Learn” series with guest speakers via Zoom to discuss varied topics relating to complex litigation. The series will start on January 10 at noon ET with a program featuring U.K. international law specialist Toby Cadman of the Guernica Centre for International Justice. Toby and Fellow Vince Citro will discuss their work together on a lawsuit against the government of South Sudan on behalf of American citizens who were tortured in South Sudan while working there on behalf of NGOs. Additional Lunch and Learn programs are planned for March 14 and June 13, 2023. The committee welcome all Fellows to join in these programs via Zoom. If interested in attending, please contact Committee Chair Terri Mascherin at mtmascherin@jenner.com.
National Trial Competition: Committee members will be in touch with state chairs in the states where Regional Competitions are being held to recruit Fellows as volunteer judges. The National Trial Competition is co-sponsored by ACTL and the Texas Young Lawyers Association; 300 law school teams participate in fifteen Regionals. Each Region sends two Regional Champions to the National Finals in Texas. The Regionals will be held over one of the first three weekends in February 2023. What sets this competition apart is the quality of the judges—experienced trial lawyers. A minimum of three judges are needed for each trial, with a preference for four. The trials consist of Opening Statements for each side, direct and cross of two witnesses for each side, and closing arguments for each side; the time commitment for volunteer judges is about three hours. Student advocates are judged on their advocacy skills, not the merits of the case. If you haven’t yet participated in the past, please consider volunteering for at least one trial. You will be inspired by the work of the student advocates.
Samuel E. Gates Litigation Award: The Committee has submitted a recommendation for the Board of Regents to consider at its upcoming meeting in February. The report and recommendation will be acted upon by the Board of Regents at the 2023 Spring Meeting. Nominations for future recipients of the Samuel E Gates Award can be sent to pjhickey1@msn.com and to Marvin_Quattlebaum@ca4.uscourts.gov.
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The College recognizes extraordinary individuals and their important contributions to the law through the awards described below. A nominator need only submit a letter of support, and the award committee will complete an investigation before deciding whether to recommend the person to the Board of Regents. Please consider nominating a worthy recipient. You may send your letter to nationaloffice@actl.com or directly to the committee chair indicated below.
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Griffin Bell Award for Courageous Advocacy
Awarded only when appropriate to honor outstanding courage demonstrated by trial lawyers in unpopular or difficult causes. The award is one of the highest honors conferred by the College upon an individual trial lawyer and recognizes lawyers who have persevered in pursuit of an important cause despite substantial personal danger, fear, unpopularity, opposition or other difficulties. To view past recipients, click here.
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Hector Gonzalez
Brooklyn, New York
Judge
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
December 2022
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Upcoming National Meetings: |
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February 23-26
The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne
Florida
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2023 Annual Meeting
September 21-24
Marriott Marquis, San Diego California
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More events can be viewed on the College website. Click here for the Events Calendar.
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**Date correction from December 2022 eBulletin: The 2023 Regional Meeting in Vancouver, B.C. will be held June 22-24, 2023**
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Arkansas Fellows Dinner, Little Rock: December 1, 2022
President Harriman attended the Arkansas Fellows Dinner at the beautiful Capitol Hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas. President Harriman took the opportunity to ride in the enormous hotel elevator previously used by General Ulysses Grant and his horse! Arkansas State Chair Spence Friske and his wife, Kari, planned the dinner. In attendance were Judges Bill Wilson and Cathi Compton, who was the Inductee Responder in 2002. After dinner Regent Lyn Pruitt spoke and recounted her positive experiences in her role as Regent as she nears the end of her term. President Harriman then acknowledged the great work of Past President Rodney Acker, who was also in attendance, and spoke about her vision for the College and the continued positive outlook for ACTL. Identifying exceptional candidates for admission, and increasing diversity, are key factors in maintaining the College’s strength. President Harriman also encouraged the Fellows to become involved in maintaining and improving the standards of trial practice.
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Mississippi Fellows Black-Tie Event, Jackson: December 2, 2022
Early on December 2, 2022, Regent Lyn Pruitt and her husband Chip picked up President Harriman and Past President Rodney Acker in Little Rock for the drive to Jackson, Mississippi. After stopping at a roadside restaurant named Rhoda’s to explore fried catfish, the group arrived at The Fairview Inn, a charming bed and breakfast decked out for the holidays. The inn was also the site of the black-tie event the following evening. The next morning, Former Regent Christy Jones took the group on a tour of the Civil Rights Museum, an enormous building with very moving depictions of the history of civil rights, particularly in Mississippi. Later that evening, Fellows were welcomed to the black-tie event by Mississippi State Chair Trey Byars III. President Harriman spoke, after which State Chair Byars presented both President Harriman and Past President Acker with a gift from the Mississippi Fellows, a beautiful piece of pottery made by a local artist. Several Fellow stayed after the festive event concluded to enjoy each other’s company.
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Louisiana Fellows Formal Dinner, New Orleans: December 3, 2022
President Harriman was joined by Regent Lyn Pruitt and her husband Chip, along with Past President Rodney Acker in the French Quarter for lunch before they gathered with the Louisiana Fellows for dinner at Antoine’s Restaurant. State Chair James Brown greeted the crowd. The crowd was smaller and quieter than expected, perhaps explained by the LSU loss earlier that day. President Harriman spoke briefly and commended Louisiana for having five inductees in Rome. Past President Acker also spoke. Travel during the year of his presidency was affected by COVID and he has enjoyed visiting venues that were not open at the time. Access to Justice and Legal Services Committee Chair Mark Surprenant spoke about the successful Pro bono symposium held in November 2022. That committee is coordinating with the Innocence Project for their next event.
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Pennsylvania Fellows Dinner, Philadelphia: December 7, 2022
State Chair Mike Engle organized cocktails and dinner, graciously hosted by Stradley Ronon Stevens and Young, for the Pennsylvania Fellows. Immediate Past President Michael O’Donnell filled in for President Harriman, who was unable to attend due to a conflict. Regent Katie Recker introduced Past President O’Donnell, who spoke about the many successful College programs this past year. A few programs mentioned were Diversity in the Courtroom, Trial Training Boot Camps, and the especially great work of the Advocacy in the 21st Century Committee previously chaired by Secretary John Day and now under the leadership of Committee Chair Mona Duckett.
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Oregon Fellows Holiday Event, Portland: December 7, 2022
President Harriman attended the Oregon State Committee Meeting in Portland, followed by the Oregon Holiday Dinner at the Sentinel Hotel in downtown Portland. The Committee Meeting, led by State Chair Julie Vacura, discussed putting on a Trial Training Boot Camp, increasing membership and reinforcing bonds with the judiciary by reinstituting the previous tradition of hosting cocktail parties for the judges. The Holiday Party boasted a good-sized crowd, which included Past President Tom Tongue, Regent Carey Matovich, Former Regent Paul Fortino and Judge Michael Simon. Fellow Robert Vaughan, from Ft. Lauderdale, must have had his ears burning, as Judge Simon highly complimented his recent trial performance before the Court. President Harriman also met Judicial Fellow Martha Walters, who is retiring from the Oregon Supreme Court. President Harriman spoke and noted that the aging population of the College required redoubling membership efforts, focusing also on increasing diversity of Fellows as the correct and smart method of advancing the ACTL’s goals. Judge Walters also addressed the crowd, to everyone’s delight.
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Connecticut Fellows Dinner, New Haven: December 13, 2022
The evening of December 13th was the eve of the tenth anniversary of the Sandy Hook Massacre and the tragedy was on everyone’s mind. Many in attendance were close to the events and recalled memories, which lent a somber note to the evening. The dinner was for Fellows only and about twenty-five Fellows were in attendance. President Harriman spoke, noting an observation from her travels that there is a concern about the aging population of the College. All need to work diligently to find qualified and diverse new Fellows, and Connecticut State Chair Tim Shearin and Vice Chair Stephanie Roberge are committed to helping the committee vet potential new candidates with the support of Regent Rich Strassberg.
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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.
British Columbia
J. Patrick Peacock, ’91, Vancouver, December 4, 2022
California
H. Gilbert Jones, ’74, Newport Beach, Nov. 29, 2022
Georgia
Claude B. Rogers, III, ’76, Atlanta, November 23, 2022
Illinois
Thomas B. McNeill, ’90, Chicago, December 6, 2022
Iowa
Charles R. Wolle, ’79, Urbandale, December 6, 2022
Maryland
Harry J. Trainor, Jr., ’01, Annapolis, Oct. 10, 2022
Nebraska
John T. Carpenter, ’88, Omaha, July 14, 2022
New York
Andrew M. Lawler, ’85, New York, December 8, 2022
North Carolina
John G. Golding, ’89, Charlotte, Nov. 11, 2022
Robert J. Malinak, ’85, Glenville, Nov. 29, 2022
Ohio
Daniel W. Hammer, ’82, Cleveland, October 12, 2022
Pennsylvania
John H. Lewis, Jr., ’90, Gladwyne, June 16, 2022
Walter R. Milbourne, ’76. Philadelphia, Nov. 28, 2022
Ronald H. Sherr, ’87, Plymouth Meeting, December 18, 2022
Virginia
Franklin A. Swartz, ’96, Norfolk, December 11, 2022
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