[Ed. note: This article was written before the AJEI kick-off in Dallas in November. The editor gratefully acknowledges Kembra Smith, U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, Paula Nessel of the ABA; and Rebecca Greenan of the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University for providing additional background information about the AJC and AJEI.]

The Appellate Judges Conference (AJC) is a conference of the ABA's Judicial Division. It includes the following councils: CASA, the Council of Appellate Lawyers (CAL) and the Council of Chief Judges of Courts of Appeal (CCJCA).

The AJC Executive Committee officers are installed during the ABA's annual meeting in August, and the AJC bylaws provide that the Chair-Elect and Vice-Chair move up in succession. The current officers are as follows:

Appellate Judges Conference Executive Committee:

Chair	Judge Harris L. Hartz, U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
Chair-Elect	Justice Denise Johnson, Vermont Supreme Court
Vice-Chair	Chief Judge Rosemary Sackett, Iowa Court of Appeals
Secretary	Judge Patricia Timmons-Goodson, North Carolina Court of Appeals
Immediate Past Chair and Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates	Judge James Wynn, North Carolina Court of Appeals
Members-at-large	Judge Charles A. Johnson, Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals
	Judge Randy J. Holland, Delaware Supreme Court
	Judge Robert H. Henry, U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
	Judge Ron Gilman, U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
	Judge William G. Arnot III, Texas Court of Appeals, 11th District
	Judge Joseph R. Huddleston, Kentucky Court of Appeal
	Chief Justice Christopher Armstrong, Massachusetts Court of Appeals

Historically, the AJC relied upon the State Justice Institute (SJI) to cover nearly half the costs of the education programs for its member entities. These educational programs included: the "Spencer Grimes" educational seminar series for appellate judges, which comprised approximately three to five seminars each year; the biennial appellate judges institute; publications; and the annual educational seminars of CASA, CAL and the CCJCA.

About three years ago, federal funding by SJI was virtually eliminated. With the loss of SJI financial support, which also supported the funding of certain staff, the AJC leadership saw the financial crunch as an opportunity to reevaluate its educational programming - and the future of appellate judges' education programs. The goal was to become financially stable and improve the quality and direction of appellate judicial education programs.

The solution was found in Dallas. A new not-for-profit corporation called the Appellate Judges Education Institute (AJEI), affiliated with the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University, was formed. Principally governed by AJC leadership, AJEI would further the AJC goal of providing high quality education programs for appellate judges, court staff, and practitioners. Affiliation with SMU would take advantage of the law school's academic expertise in developing particular programs.

The current officers of the AJEI are:

Appellate Judges Educational Institute Board of Directors

President	Retired Texas Supreme Court Justice Craig Enoch, with the law firm of Winstead, Sechrest & Minick
	Dean John Attanasio, SMU Dedman School of Law
	Professor William V. Dorsaneo, III, SMU Dedman School of Law
Program Chair	retired Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Harry Lemmon
	William T. Robinson, III, ABA Treasurer-Elect
	Judge John Vittone, Chair of the ABA Justice Center and Administrative Law Judge for the U.S. Department of Labor
	Justice John Greaney, Massachusetts Supreme Court
(AJC Executive Committee Member)	Judge Harris L. Hartz, U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
(AJC Executive Committee Member)	Justice Denise Johnson, Vermont Supreme Court
(AJC Executive Committee Member)	Chief Judge Rosemary Sackett, Iowa Court of Appeals
(AJC Executive Committee Member)	Judge Patricia Timmons-Goodson, North Carolina Court of Appeals
(AJC Executive Committee Member)	Judge James Wynn, North Carolina Court of Appeals
(AJC Executive Committee Member)	Judge Randy J. Holland, Delaware Supreme Court
(AJC Executive Committee Member)	Judge Robert H. Henry, U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
(AJC Executive Committee Member)	Judge Ron Gilman, U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
(AJC Executive Committee Member)	Judge William G. Arnot III, Texas Court of Appeals, 11th District
(AJC Executive Committee Member)	Judge Joseph R. Huddleston, Kentucky Court of Appeal
(AJC Executive Committee Member)	Chief Justice Christopher Armstrong, Massachusetts Court of Appeals
(pending AJEI Bylaws change approval by the ABA Board of Governors)	Council of Chief Judges of the Courts of Appeals (CCJCA) Chair John Irwin, Nebraska Court of Appeals
(pending AJEI Bylaws change approval by the ABA Board of Governors)	Council of Appellate Lawyers (CAL) Chair Charles "Chuck"Cole, with the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson
(pending AJEI Bylaws change approval by the ABA Board of Governors)	CASA Chair Jack Fowler, Kansas Supreme Court

Under the Agreement with AJEI, the AJC would continue to operate as an entity of the ABA, subject to the rules and policies of the ABA. The ABA would continue to fund the governance of the AJC and its member entities. AJEI, in consultation with the AJC, would develop and conduct the education programs for the AJC and its member entities.

Toward that end, the AJEI had its "kickoff" program, titled the "Council of Appellate Lawyers and Appellate Judges Summit" on November 12-14, 2004, in Dallas. (N.B. The AJEI/AJC had earlier given CASA permission to hold a "stand-alone" conference in July 2004.) Results of the Dallas "summit" have yet to be announced, although preliminary planning is underway for an AJEI combined meeting in San Francisco in October 2005. The AJEI 2006 conference will be in Dallas.

In light of these announcements, CASA's Executive Board is reevaluating its 2005 Dallas conference site.

I am told, informally, that future AJEI "summit" conferences would be set up with plenary sessions for all attendees, and breakout sessions for the respective groups (CASA, CAL, and "the Chiefs"). Social activities (opening reception, T-shirt exchange, etc.) would continue.

Stay tuned.