Judicial Independence Committee

In This Section

MANDATE: To monitor developments related to the importance of an independent judiciary; to coordinate, publicize and track the College’s timely response to threats to the judiciary or attacks on judges; to promote the college’s support of fair and impartial courts at the state, province and federal level; and to recommend initiatives, as appropriate, to engage the College and Fellows in educating the public regarding the judiciary’s rule in protecting the rule of law.

President Rodney Acker on the College's Support of Judicial Independence

Recent Public Statements from the College

Guidelines for Issuing Public Statements

The Judicial Independence Committee has published a set of guidelines to follow when issuing a statement on behalf of the College condemning personal attacks on judges or justices. Those guidelines can be found by clicking the document link below.

ACTL Guidelines for a Response to Attacks on Judges and Justices

Supporting Judicial Independence

In 2006, the College issued a White Paper titled, "Judicial Independence: A Cornerstone of Democracy Which Must Be Defended," which described the historical framework for the principle of judicial independence in this country and addressed the role of the College when threats to judicial independence manifest themselves.

In 2019, the Task Force on Judicial Independence issued a sequel to that paper titled, "The Need to Promote and Defend Fair and Impartial Courts," which further summarized the increasing threats to judicial independence.

Both papers can be accessed using the document links below.

2019 - The Need to Promote Fair and Impartial Courts

2006 - JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE: A CORNERSTONE OF DEMOCRACY WHICH MUST BE DEFENDED

Fair and Impartial Courts - NAWJ Public Education Collaboration

Our Fair and Impartial Courts public education collaboration with the National Association of Women Judges is up and running. If you are not logged in, you will need to log in at the top of this page to access all the information you need to get involved in this critically important project.

Committee Members

Matthew E. Fishbein

Chair

Larry H. Krantz

Vice Chair

Krantz & Berman LLP

New York, NY

L. Randall Bishop

Member

L. Randall Bishop, AAL

Kalispell, MT

Charles P. Boring

Member

Robbins Alloy Belinfante Littlefield LLC

Atlanta, GA

Daniel T. Brier

Member

Myers Brier & Kelly, LLP

Scranton, PA

Pleasant S. Brodnax III

Member

Law Office of Pleasant S. Brodnax, III

Washington, DC

P. Clarkson Collins, Jr.

Member

Morris James LLP

Wilmington, DE

W. Neil Eggleston

Member

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Washington, DC

Nancy Gertner

Member

Harvard Law School

Cambridge, MA

Susan M. Holden

Member

Sieben Carey, P.A.

Minneapolis, MN

Mark Holscher

Member

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Los Angeles, CA

David R. Johnson

Member

Burns White, LLC

Pittsburgh, PA

Frank Marrocco

Member

Stockwoods LLP

Toronto, ON

Roberto Martinez

Member

Colson Hicks Eidson

Coral Gables, FL

A. Howard Matz

Member

Bird Marella Rhow Lincenberg Drooks & Nessim LLP

Los Angeles, CA

Martha McCarthy

Member

McCarthy Hansen & Company LLP

Toronto, ON

Joseph S. Miller

Member

Starnes Davis Florie LLP

Birmingham, AL

Carolyn S. Ostby

Member

Natalie A. Tarantino

Member

Snohomish County Public Defender

Everett, WA

William W. Taylor III

Member

Zuckerman Spaeder LLP

Washington, DC

Kent E. Thomson

Member

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

Toronto, ON

Kathleen M. Trafford

Member

William A. Waddell, Jr.

Member

Friday Eldredge & Clark LLP

Little Rock, AR

T. John Ward

Member

Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC

Longview, TX

Mary Virginia York

Member

Holland & Hart LLP

Boise, ID

Blair C. Yorke-Slader, K.C.

Member

Bennett Jones LLP

Calgary, AB

John Robbins Wester

Immediate Past Chair

Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.

Charlotte, NC

Catherine M. Recker

Regent

Welsh & Recker, P.C.

Philadelphia, PA