College Installs New President, New Regents at 2024 Annual Meeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF TRIAL LAWYERS

INSTALLS RICHARD H. DEANE, JR. AS ITS 75^TH PRESIDENT

NEWPORT BEACH, CA. (September 30, 2024) – The American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), one of the premier professional organizations comprised of preeminent trial lawyers from the U.S. and Canada, has installed Richard H. Deane, Jr. of Jones Day as its 75^th President.

Mr. Deane was installed as President at the College’s 2024 Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. Approximately 900 Fellows and guests from across North America gathered in Nashville to discuss issues important to the profession and to induct 88 new Fellows.

“It is an incredible honor to serve as the 75^th President of the American College of Trial Lawyers. I am excited to continue the important work of the College and fulfill the tenets of our Mission: supporting an independent judiciary, the rule of law, trial by jury, and access to justice,” said Mr. Deane, who is based in Atlanta, Georgia. “There are also several College initiatives that I am eager to build on, such as our Trial Advocacy Programs and our partnership with the National Constitution Center, among others.”

Currently Of Counsel at Jones Day, Mr. Deane previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta. He served as an AUSA in the Criminal Division of that office. Rick rose through the ranks of the U.S. Attorney’s office, becoming Chief of the General Crimes Section and later Chief of the Criminal Division of that office. In 1994, Rick was appointed as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Georgia and was later appointed United States Attorney for the district by President Bill Clinton, also serving under President George W. Bush.

Mr. Deane graduated with honors from the University of Georgia and went on to attend law school at UGA as an Earl Warren Fellow. Upon graduation from UGA, Rick attended the University of Michigan, School of Law where he obtained an LLM, focusing on constitutional history.

During the Annual Meeting the College elected the following Officers who will serve until the 2025 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC: President-Elect John A. Day of Law Offices of John Day, P.C. (Nashville, TN), Treasurer Sandra A. Forbes of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (Toronto, ON), Secretary Catherine M. Recker of Welsh & Recker, P.C. (Philadelphia, PA) and as Immediate Past President William J. Murphy of Zuckerman Spaeder LLP (Baltimore, MD). The College also elected three new members to its Board of Regents at its meeting. The new Regents, who join 12 existing Regents, include Carolyn J. Fairless of Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell LLP (Denver, CO), Terri L. Mascherin of Jenner & Block LLP (Chicago, IL) and David E. Ross of Ross Aronstam & Moritz LLP (Oxford, MS).

To read the full press release, click on the link below.

ACTL 2024 New Officers Press Release