I am pleased to report that our Mid-Year Meeting in Nashville, which built upon the success of the Fall Meeting in Washington, went extremely well and attracted a large turnout of Section members and friends. This was primarily due to the much appreciated efforts of our Meeting Co-Chairs, Ira Leonard and Harold Levinson, who arranged an impressive program on "Regulation of Health Care" and a series of enjoyable social events. These activities were, of course, complemented by our Council meetings, which featured reports from our committees and discussions of issues facing the ABA.

One highlight of the Council meetings was the report by Chair-Elect Ron Cass on the comments on S.981, The Regulatory Improvement Act of 1998, which were prepared by our Section's Ad Hoc Committee on Regulatory Reform. In expressing the ABA's support for S.981 to the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, the comments commended the bill (1) for helping to increase uniformity of already existing regulatory rulemaking analyses for major rules in a manner designed to promote improvements, (2) for providing for systematic review of agency rules, and (3) for codifying Executive Branch oversight functions in the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Analysis. These and other points were reiterated and expanded upon on February 24, 1998, when I had the privilege of testifying on behalf of the ABA before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. Our Ad Hoc Committee is now preparing a Resolution for consideration by the Council, and thereafter the House of Delegates, on Risk Assessment and Peer Review, two subjects on which neither our Section nor the ABA has yet adopted a position.

Now, we look forward to the Spring Meeting, which will be held in Scottsdale, Arizona on April 23-26, 1998. Our meeting Co-Chairs, Professor Sidney Shapiro of the University of Kansas Law School and Professor Jonathan Rose of Arizona State University Law School have organized two programs and a number of social events designed to attract section members, spouses, children and other guests.

The first program, on Friday afternoon, is entitled "International Harmonization of Regulations." It will review the impact of international agreements on Executive Branch rulemaking and discuss the flexibility, or lack thereof, which results from detailed provisions of international trade agreements. The second program, on Saturday morning, is entitled "Who Speaks for Administrative Reform After the Administrative Conference of the United States." It will explore the void left by the 1995 Congressional decision not to fund ACUS, and the role which the Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice, and other organizations, might play in the continuing effort to improve the administrative process.

To encourage greater attendance, we are planning exciting recreational and social activities for spouses, children and guests who accompany section members. Accordingly, in addition to golf, tennis and swimming, we will be hosting a reception on Friday evening and a continental breakfast on Saturday morning for spouses, children and guests. In addition, we have arranged for a poolside reception and dinner on Friday evening and a cook-out on Saturday evening. Dress for both events will be casual.

We cordially invite you to join us... and to enjoy Arizona in April.