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About Us

Who We Are

Founded in 2000, the Council of Appellate Lawyer's (CAL) mission is to foster a dialogue among federal and state appellate lawyers and judges that will improve appellate advocacy and strengthen ties among the numerous federal, state, and local appellate bar associations.  Often working with the Appellate Judge’s Education Institute (AJEI), CAL sponsors and develops continuing legal education programs taught by the country’s most celebrated appellate judges and practitioners.

Our Mission

The Council of Appellate Lawyers is devoted to the professional development of lawyers who practice appellate law and the fostering of creative dialogue between those lawyers and appellate judges, both federal and state, with the purpose of improving appellate practice.  The Council sponsors and develops continuing legal education programs and publications designed for the needs of appellate lawyers, promotes recognition of the practice of appellate law as a specialty, and examines and fosters discussions and proposals for the improvement of the appellate courts.

The Council is committed to insuring the highest quality possible in all sponsored programs and publications, to extending services and opportunities for involvement to appellate lawyers throughout the country, and to enhancing the quality and integrity of the appellate process.

The Council meets monthly to conduct its work and carry out its mission.

 

CAL Bylaws

CAL is governed by its Bylaws, last amended in November 2020 and adheres to the governance of the ABA, Judicial Division and Appellate Judges Conference.  CAL Bylaws include the role of the executive board, committees, elections and much more.

CAL Executive Board

The Council of Appellate Lawyers Executive Board consist of the Officers, the Immediate Past Chair, and up to fifteen (15) Members-at-Large.

2024-2025 Executive Board

Gretchen Harris Sperry, Chair, Chicago, IL

Karen Precella, Chair-Elect, Fort Worth, TX

Jonathan Potter, Secretary, Charlottesville, VA

Jill M. Wheaton, Immediate Past Chair, Dallas, TX

Mark Magyar, 2025 Member-at-Large, Lansing, MI

Scott Dixler, 2025 Member-at-Large, Burbank, CA

Griffen Sumner, 2026 Member at Large, Louisville KY

Devin Dolive, 2026 Member-at-Large, Birmingham, AL

Carol Rooney, 2025 Member-at-Large, Tampa, FL

Robert Parsley, 2026 Member-at-Large, Chattanooga, TN

Emily Musgrave, 2026 Member-at-Large, Boston, MA

Karl Myers, 2025 Member-at-Large, Philadelphia, PA

Dwyer Arce, 2026 Member-at-Large, Omaha, NE 

Lucy Inman, 2025 Member-at-Large, Knoxville, TN

Julie Murray, 2026 Member-at-Large, Washington, DC 

Savannah Potter-Miller, 2025 Member-at-Large, Atlanta, GA

Kelly Dove, 2025 Member-at-Large, Las Vegas, NV

Stephen van Stempvoort, 2025 Member-at-Large, Grand Rapids, MI

Staff Contact

Amy Dasgupta
Program Specialist
321 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60654
312.988.5419
[email protected]