The latest installment in our series of programs “Tips for the Unwary” covered significant differences among appellate practice in three states in the Southwest – Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. This program was held in late April. The next program in this series will focus on Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, and be held on September 24. This will be the first of two programs aimed at New England. We chose New England, and Massachusetts in particular, to promote the ABA and CAL in places near the site of the next Appellate Judges Education Institute Summit (AJEI).
Speaking of the Summit, we are right in the thick of its planning. With the Summit less than five months away – November 14-17 in Boston – programs and speakers are being finalized. CAL members are the primary organizers of many of the programs and have input in the others. CAL is also taking the lead in forming a host committee to organize the Friday afternoon field trips, the Saturday evening entertainment, and Friday evening dine-around restaurants, as well as Saturday morning breakfast round tables.
Last, but not least, on the programming front, is a new monthly, free brown-bag open-forum Zoom program. This will be open to all members of the Appellate Judges Conference (AJC), including CAL members, Council of Appellate Staff Attorneys members (CASA), and appellate judges. Participants can raise matters of common interest to appellate attorneys for discussion with and ideas from the group.
Publications
The Summer/Fall issue of Appellate Issues traditionally focuses on a certain topic. This year, the topic will be specialty appellate courts, such as Bankruptcy Appeal Panels, armed-forces appellate courts, courts of claims, and family-law appellate courts. We welcome articles and article suggestions from persons experienced in these and other specialized areas.
After several years as editor of Appellate Issues, Nancy Olson is stepping down from this position to focus on opening her own law practice. Nancy’s contributions to Appellate Issues and CAL have been invaluable. She will be hard to replace – but replace her we must. We have some candidates and wish Nancy the best in her new ventures!
Law Student Outreach
Our newly created Law Student Outreach committee, chaired by Jay Breakstone of the Breakstone Law Firm, has met with the Council of Appellate Staff Attorneys. Plans are being made for at least one reception in the Boston area, the evening before the AJEI Summit begins, to meet with law students from the area’s law schools. The goal is to raise awareness of CASA and CAL and to answer the students’ questions about the appellate-court system and the various ways one can work in or with that system. Members of CASA, CAL, and AJC are welcome to attend, and specific details will be passed along when made. The more the merrier!
We can always use additional active CAL members. If you have any program ideas, an article you would like to write, an interest in law student outreach, or an interest in anything else discussed above or on our website, please contact me at [email protected]. We will be glad to welcome you aboard. And, as always, sincere thanks are due to the CAL Executive Board and committee chairs and members for all that they do for our organization.