Worrying about funding for our education programs. Wondering whether to have a joint seminar with the judges. Sorting out our central purpose as an organization. It sounds like the challenges of 2004. But, not surprisingly, these were the critical issues facing CASA in its early years. Perhaps history has something to teach us now.

CASA began as a glimmer in the eye of some appellate judges who met in mid-summer in 1976 to discuss the creation of a national conference for appellate court staff counsel. Principal among them was Chief Justice James Duke Cameron of the Arizona Supreme Court, who presided over that first organizational meeting. From that gathering came the idea of creating a formal committee, which was originally called the "National Committee of Appellate Court Staff Counsel."

Col. Henry Hoppe was named as the organization's first chair. Among the priorities for the fledgling organization were to encourage the exchange of ideas among staff attorneys, to raise the profile-and the salaries-of staff attorneys, and to put to rest the notion that central staff attorneys were usurping judicial functions. Education was an important component as well, and at Justice Cameron's request, the ABA's Appellate Judges Conference agreed to include the newly formed committee in its educational program.

The next year, in Chicago, the National Committee of Appellate Court Staff Counsel (NCACSC) adopted bylaws and outlined objectives which included providing continuing legal education; evaluating appellate court staff functions and offering ways to improve staff's service to courts; developing national standards for the work of central staffs; enhancing the integrity of the appellate process; and promoting better understanding by members of the bar about the work of staff attorneys. The committee voted to hold its next educational program concurrently with the meeting of the Judicial Administration Division (JAD), but a consensus began to grow that the group should have an independent conference eventually.

By 1978, the NCASCS met in New York, still as part of the JAD conference. At that time, the group was planning a national salary survey of court staff and a newsletter to share ideas. In 1979, Mary Ellen Donaghy arrived on the scene. The seminar was held in conjunction with the Appellate Judges Conference seminar, with some joint sessions and some separate sessions. The NCASCS began focusing on the importance of small breakout groups in which attorneys representing courts of similar size and function could get together and exchange ideas. By 1980, more than 50 appellate court attorneys attended the seminar. Another significant development occurred that year. Up until then, the NCASCS had been included under the broad umbrella of the JAD, but Justice Cameron and other appellate judges decided that the staff attorneys had a natural bond with the Appellate Judges Conference, and so the committee formally became part of the AJC.

In 1981, the NCASCS held its first five-day seminar. The minutes of the business meeting for that year note that members were encouraged to seek out corporate, foundation, and other funding for future educational events, because JAD faced funding shortages. The next year brought a name change, and the group became the Committee of Appellate Staff Attorneys or CASA. The moniker was later changed to the Council of Appellate Staff Attorneys, but the acronym has stayed the same for 23 years. Also, by 1982 it was clear that CASA knew the value of building good relationships with its parent organization. A CASA member, Ric Schickele, was selected to attend the AJC's mid-year meeting "in an effort to continue the good will and liaison with the parent conference." The effort was successful, resulting in significant improvements to the CASA budget.

An increased budget allowed CASA to bring in outside speakers and lecturers for the seminar, although through the mid-1980s a majority of the presenters were CASA members conducting workshops on topics of mutual interest. By 1983, CASA had its first-ever stand-alone seminar. The membership grew to 117 by 1984. Eight years later, it hit an all-time high of 143.

During those early years, many CASA traditions were being formed. From the outset, attendees showed that they knew how to simultaneously work hard and play well. When money for social events was scarce, resourceful attendees found ways to turn hotel rooms into hospitality suites, and bathtubs into ice buckets. There are also legends, perhaps burnished through the years, about the forerunners to the annual dinner. One such dinner involved an obscure Greek restaurant in the city of Chicago in 1984, and some ouzo. "Hardly a man is still alive who remembers that famous day and year . . . ." Well, apparently, there are a few current attendees who were there, or at least who claim they were there. And always, despite the sometimes-rollicking nature of the social life, CASA seminars have been known for the remarkably high attendance rates among attendees, even in beautiful locations where distractions abounded.

The early days of CASA involved a struggle for money, a struggle for membership, and a struggle to define its organizational mission clearly. In many ways these are the same issues CASA faces today. Its history also shows the remarkable resiliency of an organization that has been both pragmatic and idealistic, fun loving and serious, self-defining yet dependent on its parent organization. The ability CASA demonstrated in the early years to adapt to changing conditions as it grew is a trait that will likely continue to serve it well.

With apologies to Longfellow and many thanks to Antje Curry and Ken Howe, whose 1996 booklet called "To CASA with Love" was immensely helpful for this article. Also special thanks to several present and former CASA members who were involved in the early days and whose personal recollections can be found elsewhere in this issue of CQ.

Continue to "Recollections by CASA Pioneers"