President's Message

Summer is here and that means the IALGJ Annual Meeting can only be a few months away. Please plan on joining us in New York City September 10 - 12, 2009 for what promises to be not only an educational experience, but a fun time.

Before I go any further, let me first thank the Board of Directors which was elected last September for giving me the opportunity to lead this organization. Second, let me publicly thank my immediate predecessor Gary Cohen (BC) for his hard work and leadership these past few years. Among other highlights of Gary’s tenure, was our first meeting outside of the continental U.S. when we met in conjunction with the American Judges Association and Canadian Judges Association in Vancouver, British Columbia. As we move forward, I hope that with your help we can play a greater role in judicial education and continue to increase our visibility. While I’m not a member of Facebook and do not send “tweets” on Twitter, I am hopeful that we can use technology to provide new ways for our members to consult with each other between annual meetings. Of course, I also hope to expand the number of judges who join our association.

I first joined the IALGJ in January 1997 when I was a newly-robed judge. Over the years, in addition to giving me a reason to travel to exciting cities for our annual meetings (Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, San Francisco, New York City, Vancouver, Boston, New Orleans, to name a few), I have truly enjoyed the camaraderie of my colleagues from around the United States and Canada. I have gained invaluable insights from them on how their home jurisdictions deal with various substantive and procedural legal issues. My colleagues have also proved a good source of advice on best practices for interacting with court administrators, colleagues, the public, media, litigants, staff, and others, particularly around issues of sexual orientation. There is no doubt in my mind that my interactions with other IALGJ members have made me a better jurist.

Membership

Qualified individuals are more than welcome to join the IALGJ by submitting a 2009 Membership Application. Please note a few changes in the form from past years, including a question as to whether you prefer to receive future mailings in hard copy, electronic format, or both. I have also added a check off for a By-laws Committee as it is my hope we can get a sufficient number of people to agree to take a look at whether our By-laws need updating and give us a report at our next annual meeting. Please consider volunteering for a committee. I hope you will promptly fill out your membership application and return it our Treasurer, Hon. Ted Weathers, with a check in the amount of U.S.$ 50.00 payable to IALGJ. His address is at the bottom of the application form. Feel free to copy the application and pass it along to others you believe might be interested in joining the association.

Education Committee

Mark Leban (FL) and Mary Celeste (CO) are currently co-chairing our Education Committee. Read Mark’s informative article on the Education Committee's collaboration with The Williams Institute, and please consider joining the Education Committee when you fill out your membership application.

Annual General Meeting

Mark your calendars! Our 2009 Annual General Meeting will be held on September 11, 2009 at NOON in the New York Marriott at Brooklyn Bridge. Read more

Let’s continue to work together to make the IALGJ a vital and productive association.

Judge Paul Feinman
President, IALGJ