Dear Fellow:

We have just concluded an outstanding 2018 Spring Meeting at the beautiful, historic Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, and I am happy to report that the meeting was very well attended. In addition to our social gatherings and important general committee meetings, we were treated to an excellent and entertaining program arranged by President-Elect Jeff Leon of Toronto. If you were unable to attend, please know that some of the presentations are on the College YouTube channel, while a comprehensive review of the entire meeting will appear in an upcoming edition of the Journal. I would also like to thank our National Office staff for the great planning and support provided by them to make this another successful national meeting. If you have not attended one of our national meetings recently, you are really missing one of the great benefits of Fellowship. We are most excited about the 2018 Annual Meeting to be held at the Roosevelt Hotel, a Waldorf Astoria property, in New Orleans on September 27-30, 2018, and please mark your calendar now to protect those dates. As we say in the Southeast, “y’all come!”

Let me give you a quick report on the results of nominations approved by the Board at our last two national meetings in Montréal and Phoenix. Due to the hard work of our State and Province Committees, and the due diligence performed by all of our Regents, the Board approved a total of 181 new Fellows in fiscal year 2018. It is a great pleasure to report that our efforts to be more inclusive are producing results, as 46 of those candidates approved were female trial attorneys, and 20 were trial lawyers of color. I remind each of us that we have an obligation, having enjoyed the honor of Fellowship, to be vigilant in identifying trial lawyers who meet our standards, and to take steps to bring those persons to the attention of the State or Province Committee. 

The privilege and importance of Fellowship in the College was brought to my attention in February by our National Office staff, who reported on a request made by one of our Emeritus Fellows. That Fellow, in requesting a replacement membership plaque, reported that his house had been destroyed in the fires last October in Santa Rosa, California, resulting in the loss of his original membership plaque. This Fellow, with the multitude of things he must have had on his plate, put replacing his membership plaque near the top of his action list. I know I certainly would have felt this way if something were to happen to my membership plaque and am confident the same is true for all of our Fellows.

Betty and I have just passed the six-month point since the start of this Presidential year, and continue thoroughly to enjoy our travels around the United States and Canada, and our opportunities to visit with as many of you as possible. I have also recorded a video sharing my thoughts at the midpoint of my time as president. Please click here to view.

Sam Franklin

President

At the 2018 Spring Meeting in Phoenix, 95 new Fellows from 30 states, the District of Columbia and 4 Canadian provinces were welcomed to the Fellowship. The College also welcomed the Honourable Mr. Justice Malcolm Rowe as an Honorary Fellow while Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara J. Pariente gave a rousing presentation upon her acceptance of the Sandra Day O'Connor Jurist Award. She is the third recipient of the award. A complete recap of all the speaker presentations will be featured in the next issue of the Journal.

The Board of Regents approved the following actions:

2018 Spring Meeting Speaker Videos, Photos Available

For those who were unable to join us in Phoenix, presentations from five speakers are now available on the College YouTube channel. Click on the links below to watch the presentations.

Event photos taken at the meeting are also now available. Click here to be taken to the Shutterfly site

hosting these photos. You may view the photos, but you must log in to Shutterfly in order to save or download the photo.

Professor John Q. Barrett – Justice Robert H. Jackson, Trial Lawyer at Nuremberg

Michele Bratcher Goodwin – "The Drug War’s Collateral Damage: Women, Girls, and Mass Incarceration”

Inductee Responder Mary Kay Lanthier

Justice Barbara J. Pariente – recipient of the Sandra Day O’Connor Jurist Award

Justice Malcom Rowe – presented with Honorary Fellowship

2018 Spring Poll Reminder

The spring polls will be opening next week. Be sure to take this opportunity and tell us what you know about the candidates in your chapter that are being considered for Fellowship. Your input is critical to this process. When the polls open, you will receive an email with instructions to complete the poll online. Please be sure we have a current email address for you.

New Jersey Fellows Bestow New Award

Fellow Raymond M. Brown was honored by the New Jersey Fellows as the first recipient of the Francis X. Dee Award. The award, which was established this year, recognizes a trial lawyer who demonstrates outstanding advocacy skills and is dedicated to improving the standards of trial practice and the administration of justice. The newly established award celebrates the life of Francis X. Dee, a Fellow who, during his 47-year legal career, was broadly recognized by his peers as a trial lawyer who exemplified the profession’s highest ideals. 

Future Advocates Shine in Law School Competitions

National Moot Court Competition

Northwestern Pritzker School of Law won the final round of the 68 ^th Annual National Moot Court Competition held February 1 at the New York City Bar Association. The winning team was comprised of Brendan Gerdes , Taylor Mullaney and L.J. Pavletic . The USC Gould School of Law was the runner-up, with a team comprised of Zoe Steinberg and Rachel Yang. Best Oralist in the Final Round was Taylor Mullaney. Runner-Up Best Oralist in the Final Round was L.J. Pavletic. Thank you to all Fellows who volunteered at the regional rounds and final rounds.

Sopinka Cup

The team of Kelsey Angeley and Dominique Verdurme from McGill University Faculty of Law won the 20 ^th annual Sopinka Cup competition. The team from the University of Manitoba, Yassir Al-Naji and Ben Johnson, placed second.

Gale Cup

The winner of the 45th Gale Cup was the team of Heather Cave and Kritika Sharma from the University of Alberta Law. Placing second was the team from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. The competition was held at Osgoode Hall School of Law at York University on Feb. 16-17.

Utah Fellows Recognize First Regent

At the Utah Fellows Dinner in February, Former Regent Steve Nebeker was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Utah Fellows. Nebeker has the distinction of being the first Regent from Utah. In his remarks, he said,"The College has taught me many things and has always epitomized the professionalism which we strive for in the Bar. It has also been about civility and friendship between lawyers who are often on different sides in the courtroom.  I tried many lawsuits against Carman Kipp and Gordon Roberts.  We were all members of the College and during those hard-fought cases, win or lose, our friendship and respect for one another not only survived but grew.  That was not always the case in litigation. The role of a trial lawyer can often feel lonely but belonging to the College and mixing with other lawyers who understand what trying a case involves, not just in the courtroom but what the preparation is like, provided collegiality and comradeship. For me, trial preparation was like a puzzle where I hoped I had all the pieces put together before I entered the courtroom."

Updates from General Committees

Access to Justice and Legal Services: The committee is developing a systematic reporting system to track and encourage pro bono work by Fellows on a state-by-state and province-by-province basis. Also, a subcommittee has been convened to investigate the creation of a program matching senior, semi-retired and retired Fellows with organizations devoted to access to justice. 

Admission to Fellowship: A subcommittee has been appointed to examine the College's position on lawyer advertising.

Adjunct Fellowship: The committee has been active in discussing the procedure and policies to identify potential Fellows that may have been not considered by a State or Province Committee. They are currently investigating and discussing a significant number of potential candidates that come under the purview of the committee. In such investigations, the committee commonly contacts the chair of the State or Province Committee at the candidates’ location to be sure that the candidate had not been previously considered or was not on the radar screen of that committee.

Attorney Client Relationships: The committee has worked with the Communications Committee to complete a review of the white paper on new and recurring developments in the area of attorney client privilege. Those efforts have provided helpful approaches in uniform formatting and citation style and will be used as a template for future white paper revisions.

Canada–U.S.: The committee has prepared a survey to see if there would be interest within the Fellowship for tips on the topic of “clients and Fellows traveling across the Canadian-US border.”

Communications: The committee has updated and revamped the eBulletin to general acclaim, and still seeks input for improvement. The committee edits proposed white papers submitted by various committees. 

Complex Litigation: The committee is planning a publication addressing authenticating and admitting digital evidence with a target publication date of December 2018.

Federal Civil Procedure: Proposed amendments to Rule 30(b)(6) were presented in a subcommittee report the result of the work of David Balser, Fred Buck, Bill Glahn, Butch Barr and Tom Green. In addition, subcommittees have been created to address whether the FRCP should be amended to address procedures for Social Security appeals, multi-district litigation and litigation financing. 

Federal Criminal Procedure: The committee is working to draft a position paper concerning America’s nationally-recognized crisis of mass incarceration. Fellow Larry Hammond, who has recently co-authored a comprehensive article on the subject, will take the lead. The committee also plans to update the well-received and widely distributed 2008 FCPC white paper entitled Recommended Practices for Companies and Their Counsel in Conducting Internal Investigations.

Federal Rules Of Evidence: The committee collaborated with the Federal Judicial Center to help survey the bar at the request of the Judicial Council Advisory Committee regarding important changes in the Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(1)(A) with far reaching implications.   

Griffin Bell Award for Courageous Advocacy: The committee has nominated Fellow Andy Savage as recipient of the award and he will be honored at the 2018 Annual Meeting in New Orleans. The committee is also working to identify qualified individuals who may be appropriate for future review and investigation.

Heritage: Interaction with and encouragement of state and province biographies has proceeded. Video interviews of senior Fellows are underway. 

International: A trial practice workshop is planned in the British Virgin Islands. Originally planned for January 2018, it was postponed due to the tragic damage caused by hurricanes. Another program in Guam is being planned for 2020. 

Judiciary: The committee has encouraged its members to seek appointment to the Rules of Court or Special Committees dealing with Rules of Court in each of their states. To date, 7 of the 14 committee members have been appointed to such committees and 3 other members are in contact with Supreme Court Justices in their states to discuss possible involvement. A major focus of the committee has been to seek to update Civil Trial Rules consistent with guidelines articulated by the College, the Federal Civil Rules 2015 Amendments and the Council of Chief Justice’s 2016 Call to Action. The committee has developed a publicly available online folder that contains various articles, White Papers, sample rules and other helpful materials for states considering the upgrade of their Civil Rules and Practices.

Legal Ethics and Professionalism Committee: The committee has completed a reactivation of the College’s professionalism vignettes initiative, and they have distributed vignettes to a database of over 200 state and local bar associations, Inns of Court, law schools, law firms and law-related organizations. This is an in-the-can program on professionalism that can be used or distributed in many settings. The vignettes can found on the College YouTube channel.

Outreach: The committee has encouraged the presentation of programs by State and Province committees, and was pleased to report that 45 programs were presented in 2017. The programs ranged from all day to one-hour seminars and included private practitioners, public interest lawyers and judges. A list of the programs can be found on the College website. Another resource is the CLE and Training Program Materials on the College website.

National Moot Court Competition: In addition to successfully running yet another National Moot Court Competition (NMCC), the committee worked with the New York City Bar to include footage of interviews from NMCC-experienced Fellows filmed during the Spring Meeting in Phoenix. The video promoting the NMCC as a nationwide event can be viewed here.

National Trial Competition: The 2017-2018 National Trial Competition final rounds begins this week. A strong turnout is expected. 

Sandra Day O’Connor Jurist Award: The Award to Justice Pariente was bestowed at the Spring Meeting. Justice Pariente provided a sincere and deeply moving acceptance speech. 

Special Problems in the Administration of Justice (Canada): The committee has been very active in seeking implementation of the case management model encouraging a unified approach to case management. The committee finalized its a submission to the Canadian Judicial Council in areas related to judicial independence.

Special Problems in the Administration of Justice (U.S.): The committee has worked extensively on veteran issues, including supporting a federal appellate action and filing of briefs seeking to overturn decisions of the Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims. This appeal is pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The preparation and filing of these excellent briefs has been a major effort by the committee. The committee has also continued to monitor legislative developments focused on veterans’ affairs.

Teaching of Trial and Appellate Advocacy: After a successful one-day Bootcamp Trial Advocacy Program in Baltimore this past November and another similarly successful program on the topic of social media searches of jurors before, during and after trial at the Spring Meeting in Phoenix, the committee is planning a program on jury consultants and focus groups in late spring in New Orleans. The committee is also exploring new ideas for appellate advocacy teaching and law school trial practice programs.

Updates from State & Province Committees

Alabama: A panel of Alabama Fellows and various judges participated in four mandatory professional training programs in 2017. This program uses the ACTL Ethics Vignettes and the ACTL Code of Conduct during a panel discussion. The Alabama School of Law held the Region 6 National Trial Competition in Feb. 2018. The Bi-Annual Jere F. White, Jr. Trial Advocacy Institute will be held in Nov. 2018 in Birmingham. This program trains attendees on trial skills, beginning with voir dire and running through closing argument.

Alaska: A second CLE in 9 months will focus on victims of domestic abuse, led by Fellow Matt Peterson. 

Alberta: Fellow Kevin Mott organized a panel of Fellows to speak to the Alberta Crown Prosecutors’ Convention last fall. It was warmly received, and a similar outreach is planned for 2018. The Committee is authoring a draft paper concerning the Special Problems in the Administration of Justice — Canada Committee.

Arizona: Arizona Fellows will sponsor a day long CLE entitled “It’s All About Evidence” for the trial bar on May 4, 2018. The Arizona Chapter continues to sponsor the Jenckes competition pitting closing argument competition between ASU and U of A. 

Atlantic Provinces: The Atlantic Provinces Committee will be co-sponsoring the Region 12 Second Annual Trial Skills Program in Boston on May 14, 2018.

California-Southern: The State Committee showed strong participation in the 68th Annual National Moot Court Competition at USC Law School in Nov. 2017. The well-attended Black Tie Annual dinner will again occur on the first Friday in May. 

California-Northern: The State Dinner included a guest appearance by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and a memorial tribute to Past President Charlie Renfrew. The Southwestern Regional Meeting with the Nevada Chapter is planned for Squaw Creek, Lake Tahoe. 

Colorado: The annual winter dinner was Feb. 22, with the summer party to follow on Jul. 21. 

Connecticut: Connecticut Fellows will participate in a Connecticut Legal Service training in late spring 2018 as well as co-sponsor the Region Twelve Trial Skills Program in May 2018 in Boston.

Delaware: The State Committee has begun discussions with the Teaching of Trial and Appellate Advocacy Committee with the goal of hosting a trial practice seminar and inviting members from the adjoining states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

District of Columbia: In Apr. 2018 the District of Columbia State Committee is planning a panel discussion on “Fake News and the First Amendment” at the Washington College of law. In Jun. 2018 the committee will be hosting the Annual D.C. Trial Techniques CLE Training Session.

Florida: In conjunction with Florida Legal Services, Inc., Florida Fellows have participated in six training sessions for legal services and legal aid/public interest lawyers in Florida over the past several years. The committee is working to assist in an Appellate Training Program created by the National Access to Justice Committee with the cooperation of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. The committee publishes a Florida newsletter twice a year to all Florida Fellows advising them of activities in the College and the accomplishment of Florida Fellows. State Committee meetings are held in various venues throughout the state and include social dinners with local Fellows the evening before. In furthering the diversity focus of the committee, it is asking targeted Fellows to arrange meetings with local federal and state court chief judges to assist in identifying minority and female candidates that may not be known to the State Committee.

Hawaii: The State Committee continues to engage with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii to bolster the Access to Justice initiative. 

Idaho: The regional round of the National Moot Court Competition was held in Boise in Nov. 2017. Another current project involves training for advocates and judges in the tribal courts. This is being coordinated by Vice Chair Gary Cooper.

Indiana: The State Committee is engaged in discussion with Indiana University’s McKinney School of Law to produce and conduct a symposium on trial practice and tactics

Iowa: The annual gathering is set for Aug. 24-26 in Iowa City, Iowa. 

Kansas: The State Committee will present a CLE for public service attorneys later in 2018. 

Kentucky: The Kentucky Fellows will have their State Committee meeting on Wed., Jun. 13, 2018 in Lexington. Following the Committee meeting, the annual Kentucky Fellows cocktail reception and dinner will be held at Distilled Restaurant at Gratz Park Inn in Lexington. The committee is in the planning stage of setting up a trial skills program with the University of Kentucky College of Law, the University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law, and the Northern Kentucky University Chase School of Law. Planning includes using this as a training program for legal aid lawyers and for law students at these Colleges.

Maine: The State Committee will be hosting the Region 12 Spring Meeting in Portland, Maine on Jun. 22-23, 2018. Maine lobster eating will be only the first course of a great event! Also, Maine Fellow Karen Wolf is 1 of 4 lawyers selected to teach the American system of trial lawyering and civility at the 150th anniversary of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court -- an event recently postponed until later in the spring by hurricanes.

Manitoba/Saskatchewan: Fellow Blair Graham will be presented an award at the Western Canadian Moot Court Championships. 

Maryland: The State Committee’s signature project, the “Masters in Trial Practice” course, is being taught on a weekly basis beginning in January for the benefit of University of Maryland and University of Baltimore third year students. Two Maryland Fellows volunteer to teach each class, which meets every other week throughout the semester.

Massachusetts: The State Committee will host and co-sponsor the 2nd Annual Region 12 Trial Skills Program on May 14, 2018 in Boston at Suffolk University Law School.  This year’s program will be a joint project of Fellows from Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, the Atlantic Provinces and Puerto Rico. The Lawyers Weekly newspapers for Massachusetts and Rhode Island reaching over 20,000 lawyers will handle the publicity. This year the program will focus on direct examination and give young lawyers an opportunity to get on their feet in small groups in the programs first half before they watch the Fellow faculty give demonstration directs in the second part of the 3-hour program. A reception will follow.

Michigan: Various committee members recently served as judges at the Regional Tournament of the National Trial Competition at the University of Akron Law School. On Apr. 14, 2018, a Spring Black Tie Dinner is planned for Fellows in Detroit.

Minnesota: Sandra Day O’Connor Jurist Committee Chair Sally Ferguson served as a judge at the regional finals of the National Trial Competition in Fargo, ND. 

Mississippi: The State Committee made a presentation on courtroom demeanor and control to the Mississippi Trial and Appellate Judges Fall Conference in Oct. 2017.

Missouri: Fellow Charlie Weiss with the assistance of Lou Leonatti, has encouraged support of the Missouri Public Defender’s Project. Outreach for the purpose of educating the judiciary about the College is underway. The entire Missouri Supreme Court was invited to the Missouri Annual Retreat in Branson. 

Montana: Montana is hosting the Regional Meeting in 2018 in Whitefish, Montana. The Honorable Sidney Thomas, Chief Judge of the Ninth Circuit, is a confirmed speaker. 

Nevada: A High School Statewide Mock Trial Competition was organized in conjunction with the Nevada Bar Foundation. The Southwestern Regional Meeting is being held in conjunction with the Northern California State Committee.

New Jersey: The State Committee will be hosting its highly successful, bi-annual Trial Advocacy program on Jul. 12-13, 2018. 

New Mexico: The Fellows have been actively involved in preparations for the Regional National Mock Trial Competition to be held in Albuquerque. 

New York – Upstate: The State Committee is working with the Erie County Bar Association to present a lunchtime CLE in May 2018.

North Carolina: In Nov. 2017, North Carolina Fellows presented trial skills CLE for legal aid attorneys from across North Carolina. The committee has provided copies of the College’s Code of Pretrial and Trial Conduct to the deans of all the law schools in North Carolina and made the offer for North Carolina Fellows to speak to the law schools. In Dec. 2017, North Carolina Fellows adopted a public statement regarding the issue of judicial independence. This statement arose out of a proposed legislative measure that would shorten the terms of all judges in North Carolina to two years. A presentation and discussion regarding diversity issues was part of the North Carolina Annual Meeting in Mar. 2018.

North Dakota: The State Committee was active in participating in the National Trial Competition at Fargo. More than 400 helped.

Ohio: Ohio Fellows presented a full day seminar and case preparation trial skills and ethical issues in Nov. 2017. The seminar concluded with a two-hour segment on ethics utilizing the College’s ethics video vignettes. In Dec. 2017, four Fellows presented a seminar on professional conduct, which again involved a selection of the ACTL videos. Ohio Fellows will assist the Ohio Supreme Court in the training of new magistrates via mock trials in Mar. 2018.

Pennsylvania: After successful Fellow participation (Linda Dale Hoffa, Robert Livermore, John McShea, Patrick Egan, Bill Ricci, Leigh Skipper, Joe Crawford, Nancy Gellman) this past November in a trial skills CLE training program at Temple University together with a CLE on trial advocacy with ethical implications (led by Catherine Recker, Charles Hehmeyer and Joe Crawford also this past November), Regent Bob Welsh is working with a number of Pennsylvania Fellows and professors at Villanova Law School on a training session for prosecutors slated for the fall of 2018.

Québec: The committee has proactively begun a series of outreach meetings as the first step in creating new outreach programming. Québec Province Committee Vice Chair Bernard Amyot met with the law faculty dean of McGill University as well as the law faculty dean for Université de Montréal. Province Committee Chair Suzanne Pringle and Bernard Amyot will also be meeting with the Director of the Quebec Bar School. Fellow Marc-Andre Fabien has met with the Chief Justice of the Court of Quebec, Justice Lucie Rondeau; he will soon also meet with the Chief Justices of the Appeal Court and the Superior Court for Quebec. In the meantime Quebec Fellows continue their collaboration with the Young Bar Association, providing speakers and judges for the Association's events.

South Carolina: The State Committee recently sponsored and conducted a free CLE on civility and professionalism for the Young Lawyers Division of the South Carolina Bar. There were approximately 100 attendees and 19 South Carolina Fellows participated. Approximately 50 South Carolina Fellows participated in the Access to Justice Program, mentoring younger attorneys.

Tennessee: Tennessee Fellows participated as judges in the Region 7 National Moot Court Competition and they will also be participating as judges in the Region 11 National Trial Competition at the University of Tennessee College of Law in Feb. 2018. Tennessee Fellows will participate with the Nashville Bar Association in presenting a CLE in Apr. on trial practice skills and techniques.

Texas: Texas Fellows put on a mock trial in Houston last fall, which included Past President David Beck. It was well attended and a big hit. They are also active in judging student competitions.

Utah: The State Committee will present a CLE at the University of Utah Law School in 2018, with proceeds donated to And Justice For All. Former Regent Stephen Nebeker was honored for a lifetime of service to the Utah legal community. 

Virginia: The State Committee is planning a CLE program at the Apr. 2018 Virginia Fellows Meeting. This program will include invited federal and state judges to maintain our connection with the judiciary. There is coordination with the Virginia State Bar to present programs on trial skills for public interest lawyers. Virginia Fellows were well represented among the volunteers that judged and evaluated the Region 4 portion of the National Trial Competition held Feb. 9-11, 2018 at the American University Washington College of Law. Additionally, Fellows recently participated as judges for the National Moot Court Competition regional rounds held in Richmond.

Wisconsin: The State Committee helped to recruit judges and participants for the National Trial Competition Regional Tournament in Fargo, North Dakota.

The College recognizes extraordinary individuals and their important contributions to the law through three 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 [email protected] or directly to the committee chair indicated below.

Massachusetts, January 26: President-Elect Jeff Leon met with approximately 90 fellows from Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Fellow Enrique Mendoza-Mendes addressed the gathering to discuss the impact of the hurricanes on the legal system in Puerto Rico. The guest speaker for the evening was Ken Feinberg, who shared a lively presentation on his experiences a Special Master of the U.S. Government’s September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. New Hampshire Federal District Court Chief Judge Joseph Laplante was presented with the Golden Gavel award as an outstanding judge that is honored for practicing the “golden rule” in his courtroom.

New York, National Moot Court Competition, January 30-February 1: The Franklins headed to the Big Apple to watch the final rounds of the National Moot Court Competition. At the Thursday evening reception, President Franklin provided remarks and talked about the John W. Davis Award that would be presented to the team with the best oral presentation. The Award has been presented since the mid-1950s in honor of Davis. He also pointed out that several competition participants also became Fellows of the College. The final round commenced, with President Franklin and Fellow Ann Donnelly serving as 2 of the 7 judges. After both teams presented their argument, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law was unanimously declared the winner, with the USC Gould School of Law as the runner-up.

South Carolina, February 1-4: The Montage Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, South Carolina, served as the venue for the South Carolina Fellows State Meeting and black tie dinner. The Fellows retreat included a State Committee meeting, a business meeting for all Fellows and a panel discussion with author Robert Whitlow. President Sam Franklin and First Lady Betty joined the group of 30 fellows and guests, for both Friday and Saturday. A highlight was the announcement that South Carolina Fellow Andy Savage is to receive the Griffin Bell Award in New Orleans. The State is expected to have a good delegation to congratulate Andy. At dinner, 4 Fellows were honored who had passed away since the last meeting. Sharing accomplishments and the traits possessed by these Fellows that served to make them great trial lawyers was very rewarding. President Franklin encouraged continuing efforts to increase the numbers of young and diverse candidates for Fellowship.

New Jersey, February 3: Rat’s Restaurant hosted about 30 Fellows and guests for an enjoyable and special dinner for President-Elect Jeff Leon and his wife, Carol Best. The highlight was a tribute to Frank Dee, and the creation of an award in his name to honor an outstanding New Jersey advocate. Fellow Ray Brown was presented with the inaugural award.  Jeff addressed the group and emphasized again the importance of diversity and contributions to the Foundation. Fellows were encouraged to become involved in the work of the College. In accepting the Award, Brown, fresh from successfully defending Senator Menedez, commented how proud he is to be a Fellow, especially proud to be in a select group of “father-and-son Fellows.”

Mexico, February 8-11: Despite travel disruption causing an almost two day delay, the Franklins joined the Oklahoma Fellows and guests in San Pancho, Mexico for their annual meeting and getaway. The casa which served as their home for the duration of the trip was a pure paradise. The long weekend included ample leisure time as well as business meetings and multiple meals. The group was small in number, but large in entertainment. The word is that “what happened in San Pancho, stays in San Pancho!” At the business meeting there was a discussion about changing state committee membership terms from five years to three years to encourage more participation. Oklahoma may experiment with this option.

Gale Cup, Ontario, February 16-17: A visit to Niagara Falls was first on the agenda for President Franklin and Betty. President-Elect Leon and Carol hosted the Franklins in their home, making the visit even more special. After observing portions of three different moot court competitions, and a tour of the venue for the competition, Osgoode Hall, all four attended a reception and dinner in the same venue. Supreme Court Justice Suzanne Côté was the keynote speaker, directly addressing the young competitors, encouraging a continued interest in litigation. President Franklin presented the Dickson Medals, awarded to the best oralist in the preliminary and final rounds. These medals are named for Chief Justice Dickson, who served 6 years as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, retiring in 1990. His views were strongly influenced by his service in World War II, as he was seriously injured near the end of the war.

Utah, February 24: Dinner at Kim’s Chop Shop in Salt Lake City hosted 22 Fellows and their guests for the Utah annual meeting. Past President Fran Wikstrom and the Honorable Linda Jones welcomed the Franklins into their home. Regent Paul Hickey and wife, Jeanne, attended and a highlight of the evening was the introduction of Former Regent Steve Nebeker, the first Utah Regent. Steve, 89 years young, was joined by his wife, June, who was celebrating her 90th birthday that day. Steve shared remarks about his career as a lawyer and the importance of the College to that career.

North Carolina, March 15-18: Treasurer Doug Young represented the College at the North Carolina Fellows Meeting, which was held at the Belmond Charleston Place in Charleston. The half-day CLE program and business meeting on Friday was well attended, with approximately 40 Fellows along with their spouses or guests. Fellow Leslie Packer provided the annual update on recent North Carolina decisions, followed by a report from the North Carolina State Bar officers. 3 out of the 4 officers are Fellows. After a short break, Judge Robert Conrad from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina gave an interesting presentation on the Jeffersonian Courtroom (where the jury box is below the judge in the front of the courtroom, rather than on the side). The morning closed with a panel on civil motions that was based on a full-day presentation provided by the NC State Committee for legal aid lawyers. The Saturday session began with a presentation, titled the “Ethics of Using the Media,” from two Fellows who represented some of the defendants in the Duke Lacrosse rape trial. The other presentations included a discussion on the vanishing jury trial and a report on the gerrymandering litigation in North Carolina. The session closed with a discussion by Treasurer Young, Regent Susan Brewer, Fellows Tamura Coffey and Alan Duncan on the College’s efforts to support judicial independence, veterans and the continuing effort to identify diverse and younger candidates.

Sopinka Cup, Ontario, March 16-17: The Franklins traveled to Ottawa for the Sopinka Cup Competition, which was held at the Ottawa Court House. President Franklin and President-Elect Jeff Leon attended the Friday afternoon round of the competition, with Past President David Scott observing part of the mock trial and a jury that included three Fellows, Bill Smart, Justice Heather Williams and Justice Peter Doody. Supreme Court of Canada Justice Suzanne Côté gave a private tour of the courthouse. Following the tour, a reception was held that included Justices Cote and Rosalie Abella along with the newest Justice Sheila Martin. Chateau Laurier was the site of the Saturday closing reception and dinner. Also in attendance was Justice Melanie Sopinka (daughter of John Sopinka). President Franklin assisted with the presentation of the awards. The winning team was from McGill University. After dinner, President Franklin expressed appreciation for being included in the competition and briefly explained the College’s mission and that the College established the competition after Justice Sopinka’s death in 1997. Justice Sheila Martin provided the keynote remarks, providing tips, in a very informal manner, for young lawyers beginning their careers as trial attorneys.

Québec, March 20: President Franklin and Betty traveled, by car, the two hours from Ontario to Montréal, few days before the Quebec Fellows Dinner. They were greeted to about a foot of snow. The cocktail reception and dinner at the Ritz Carlton had a turn-out of about 35 Fellows and an additional 20 spouses or guests. Attendees included Fellow Louis Charette, who gave the inductee response in Montréal, and 4 of the 5 Fellows who were recently inducted in Phoenix. Suzanne offered welcome remarks and encouraged everyone to plan to attend the Annual Meeting in New Orleans, where Jeff Leon will be installed as President and Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin will be honored. President Franklin gave his best effort to speak in French, having been tutored by his sister, a retired high school French teacher in northeast Alabama. He thanked Suzanne for her service, announced the winning Sopinka Cup team and congratulated the Québec Fellows on their good work. He then pointed out the two instances since Phoenix where the College has spoken on important issues in Canada: addressing the unfair criticism of the appointment of Justice Norris and the submission to the Canadian Judicial Counsel regarding when a complaint against a judge should be properly reopened. The keynote speaker was Mathieu Bouchard, who left private practice to work on Justin Trudeau’s campaign. As part of the Prime Minister Trudeau’s administration, he oversees all litigation in which the Canadian government is involved.

The following Fellows have been elevated to the bench in their respective jurisdictions.

Benjamin Lerner

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Judge

Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas

First Judicial District

A. Marvin Quattlebaum, Jr.

Greenville, South Carolina

Effective March 2018

U.S. District Court

District of South Carolina

The College extends congratulations to these Judicial Fellows. 

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 state or province 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.

Samuel Adams, Fellow Emeritus, Boston, Massachusetts, March 8, 2018

Saunders McKenzie Bridges, Florence, South Carolina, January 28, 2018

Joseph Warren Cabaniss, Fellow Emeritus, Charleston, South Carolina, January 12, 2018

John Joseph Cassidy, Jr., Fellow Emeritus, Naples, Florida, November 8, 2016

Francis Richard Croak, Fellow Emeritus, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, February 21, 2018

Kreag Donovan, Fellow Emeritus, Rochester, New York, November 19, 2017

E. Judge Elderkin, Fellow Emeritus, Walnut Creek, California, December 31, 2016

John Cottrill Feirich, Fellow Emeritus, Spokane, Washington, January 24, 2018

Albert E. Fey, Fellow Emeritus, New York, New York, June 30, 2014

Michael John Fitzgerald, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 6, 2018

Julian Denver Fleming, Jr., Fellow Emeritus, Atlanta, Georgia, July 29,2017

David Kenneth Floyd, Fellow Emeritus, Orchard Park, New York, February 1, 2018

James Watts Hudgens, Fellow Emeritus, Spartanburg, South Carolina, September 22, 2017

Carl W. Lee, Belleville, Illinois, December 30, 2017

Robert Gene Levy, Fellow Emeritus, Baltimore, Maryland, January 29, 2018

Thomas English McCutchen, Jr., Charleston, South Carolina, January 15, 2018

John Hess McElhaney, Fellow Emeritus, Dallas, Texas, January 27, 2018

Joseph William Moss, Fellow Emeritus, Greensboro, North Carolina, January 31, 2018

Frederic Solis Nathan, New York, New York, March 14, 2017

Duane Eugene Taber, Fellow Emeritus, Pasco, Washington, February 17, 2018

Charles Louis Tighe, Midland, Texas, January 12, 2018

Edward Nicholas Wehr, Fellow Emeritus, Bettendorf, Iowa, January 27, 2018

We also note the passing of the wives of two Past Presidents.

Jane Carolyn Mallory Morris, Richmond, Virginia, December 26, 2017

LeAnn Stout, Wichita, Kansas, March 6, 2018

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