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Fellows,
Summer is upon us, and with it comes a welcome change of pace, even for those of us whose calendars do not slow down quite as much as we would like. As our country begins looking ahead to the celebration of its 250th anniversary, I have found myself thinking about institutions, service, leadership, learning and the rule of law. Those values are woven through the history of our country, and they are also central to the work of the Academy and to the work each of you does every day for families across the country.
June is also an especially important month in the history of family law. On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. The Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment requires states to license marriages between two people of the same sex and to recognize same-sex marriages lawfully performed in other states.
For family lawyers, Obergefell was not an abstract constitutional decision. It affected real families in deeply practical and profoundly human ways. Marriage brings legal status, dignity, stability, parenting rights, inheritance rights, healthcare decision-making authority, tax consequences, property rights and countless protections that family lawyers understand perhaps better than anyone. The decision affirmed that same-sex couples and their families are entitled to the same legal recognition and protection as other married couples. It remains a historic moment in the continuing development of family law as a field grounded in equality, dignity and the protection of families.
That commitment to learning, reflection, and professional growth also defines the Academy. Academy Fellows are, by nature, lifelong learners and avid readers. We read cases, statutes, rules, briefs, financial records, expert reports and, hopefully, a few good books along the way. There is no better time than summer to find a good book, whether for professional development, personal reflection or simple enjoyment.
I have been getting a jump on my own summer reading. I recently finished “Platform Decay,” the latest book in Martha Wells' fabulous and fun Murderbot Diaries series. I also read “Duty, Honor, Country & Life” by retired Admiral William H. McRaven and “The Greatest Sentence Ever Written” by Walter Isaacson as part of my own preparation for the celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the United States. Each, in a very different way, has reminded me of the importance of courage, service, curiosity, humor and the power of words.
I always enjoy learning what other AAML Fellows are reading. If you have a great summer book on your nightstand or in your beach bag, whether it is history, biography, fiction, leadership, law or something completely different, please drop me an email at tomsasser@sasserlaw.com and let me know. I would love to hear what is inspiring, challenging or entertaining AAML Fellows this summer.
The Academy Calendar: Connection, Education and the Work Ahead
The summer months also bring several important Academy programs and milestones. I mention them not simply as calendar items, but because each reflects a different part of the Academy's mission: bringing Fellows together, advancing excellence in family law, mentoring the next generation and strengthening the national family law bar.
Excitement is building for the AAML National Family Law Conference in Las Vegas, which will be held later this month, from June 25-27. The educational program is phenomenal, the registration numbers are outstanding and the Academy continues to build what we intend to become the preeminent annual national family law program for lawyers seeking advanced education in family law. The strength of the response confirms that there is a real appetite across the profession for the kind of high-level, practical and sophisticated programming the Academy is uniquely positioned to provide.
For Fellows attending, I look forward to seeing you there. For those who have not yet registered, there is still time to do so. I also encourage you to think beyond your own attendance. Please consider sending other lawyers from your firm and encouraging excellent family lawyers in your community to attend. The Conference is an opportunity for the Academy to share its educational mission more broadly and to introduce other talented lawyers to the professionalism, collegiality and excellence that define AAML.
In mid-June, registration will also launch for the 2026 AAML Annual Meeting, which will take place Nov. 4-7. Our 2025 Annual Meeting was the largest in Academy history, and based on the energy we are already seeing, we expect the 2026 Annual Meeting to be even bigger. The Annual Meeting remains the quintessential gathering of the Fellowship — a time for education, committee work, chapter leadership, friendship, celebration and renewed shared purpose. When registration opens, I encourage you to register and book your hotel room early. With the level of interest anticipated, both registration and hotel availability will be in high demand.
Looking ahead to the fall, it is also time to get your associates registered for the 2026 AAML Institute for Family Law Associates, which will take place Sept. 25-28, at the Pendry Hotel in Chicago. This program is exclusively for associates sponsored by AAML Fellows, and it offers two CLE tracks: an introductory program for associates with one to five years of experience and an advanced program for associates who have, or are ready to, first-chair cases.
The Institute is a one-of-a-kind, immersive training experience designed to help associates deepen their substantive family law knowledge, strengthen practical practice-management skills, build confidence and learn in a hands-on environment. Participants receive instruction and personalized mentorship from some of the most respected AAML Fellows in the country. Just as importantly, the program builds lasting professional relationships — not only among the associates who attend but also between those associates and the Fellows who teach and mentor them.
This program is personally important to me. One of the most fulfilling experiences I have had as a Fellow has been teaching and mentoring young family lawyers through the Institute. Watching talented associates grow, gain confidence and continue to seek guidance long after the program ends is one of the best examples of what the Academy does at its very best. Many of my students and mentees are now Fellows of the Academy. This is truly a premier Academy program — one that makes even the best associates better and, in turn, makes our firms and our profession better.
As summer begins, I am grateful for the extraordinary work being done throughout the Academy and for the commitment of Fellows across the country. I look forward to seeing many of you in Las Vegas later this month, hearing what you are reading this summer and continuing together the important work of advancing excellence in family law.
Warm regards,
Thomas J. Sasser
President
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
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