SIDEBAR IDAHO CHAPTER FEDERAL BAR ASSOCIATION QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER December, 2016
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SIDEBAR IDAHO CHAPTER FEDERAL BAR ASSOCIATION QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER December, 2016 Sidebar Idaho Chapter Federal Bar Association Quarterly Newsletter A MESSAGE FROM J. WALTER SINCLAIR, PRESIDENT Student Chapter is up and running. The many connections with members of the Chapter elected its first Board of six National Organization. We are looking representatives this fall. The Board has forward to including these FBA law students participated in phone calls with members of in our events. the National Office to prepare and make plans for the new chapter. A few of I am pleased to report that the Tri-State the Board members attended the Tri-State meeting in Sun Valley was a spectacular Conference in Sun Valley. The Chapter will success. GreatIssue programming, Date great speakers invite a speaker to the law school next and outstanding networking. Please hold semester as part of a program for students October 5-7, 2017 for the next Tri-State to be interested in federal clerkships. The held in Jackson, Wyoming, which should be Concordia Chapter is currently in the an equally great meeting. At this year’s process of electing its Board and its Tri-State meeting (as well as at the Boise What a great year for the Idaho Chapter of formation is in the works. Bench/Bar conference) the FBA awarded its the FBA. I want to thank the many people Exemplary Service Award to Dan Williams. who actively participated in making our And to top it off, Dan has worked tirelessly for the FBA on our Chapter vibrant this year. We held our last FBA President Tri-State conference program and has Membership meeting on October 17th at the Hon. Michael attended all of the Tri-State programs since Federal Courthouse. Please join us for the Newman recently its inception in 2005. He is also active in Bar next meeting if your schedule allows, at 4:00 appointed Marcus and its CLE programs. We honored him for p.m. in the Clearwater Room in the Federal Johnson, National his efforts to improve the quality of practice Courthouse on February 14, 2017 (conference Representative in Idaho’s federal courts, for his call access will be available upon request). from the University demonstrated professionalism, collegiality, of Idaho Law mentoring, and for providing quality legal It is very rewarding to see our membership Student Chapter, representation. numbers growing. One of the driving factors to the National for this, as I mentioned previously, is Ashley Law Student Our 2016 Brown Bag CLE programs were received very well this year -- thank you John Akers, law clerk for Judge N. Randy Smith Division Board. Fig 1Marcus Johnson who serves on the National Board of the Marcus will serve National Law Student Zarian, April Linscott and DeAnne Casperson FBA’s Law Student Division and has worked as the Board's Chapter, Chair, Outreach for organizing those for 2016; and thank you with us this fall to establish student chapters Outreach Committee Tyler Anderson for agreeing to taking on the of the FBA at Concordia, Gonzaga and the Committee Chair FBA Brown Bag CLE program chair for 2017. University of Idaho law schools. Thanks to and Director of law schools in Idaho and I would also like to thank several other her efforts The University of Idaho Law Washington. His membership on the Board will be wonderful for Idaho, as he now has people: Mary Hobson for being the FBA Pro SIDEBAR IDAHO CHAPTER FEDERAL BAR ASSOCIATION 2 QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER | DECEMBER, 2016 Bono Liaison with the Federal Court; Dana District of Idaho Court Unit Executive management, administrative, and Herberholz for being our Government Elizabeth “Libby” Smith has been critical program support services to Relations liaison and working to prioritize the named a 2016 Director’s Award federal courts. Judicial Conference replacement of Judge Lodge as well as Recipient for Outstanding Leadership by committees, with Court input, advise the advancing our position on a third District the Administrative Office of the U. S. Administrative Office as it develops the Judge in Idaho; Amy Lombardo for agreeing to be the Civics Education liaison and work Court’s Director James Duff. Each year annual judiciary budget for approval by with the National, the Idaho State Bar and Director James Duff presents the Congress and the President. A primary the Attorneys for Civic Education on Director’s Award for Outstanding responsibility of the Administrative improving the knowledge of our citizens Leadership to managerial-level Office is to provide staff support and about the Constitution and the importance employees who demonstrates counsel to the Judicial Conference and of the Judiciary in the United States’ form of exemplary stewardship of court its committees. We appreciate the work government; and Katie Ball for agreeing to resources, including advancing Court of Director Duff, Libby Smith, and others be our SOLACE liaison (SOLACE stands for programs that make a nationwide for their continued efforts on behalf of "Support of Lawyers/Legal Personnel—All impact and improve service to the Idaho’s Courts. Concern Encouraged” SOLACE provides a way for the FBA legal community to reach public. This year he has selected Libby out in small, but meaningful and Smith, who exemplifies these qualities GOVERNMENT RELATIONS compassionate ways, to FBA members and and is well-deserving of this recognition. those related to them in the legal community The Election who experience a death, or some Since becoming Clerk in 2009, Ms. Smith Aftermath by catastrophic event, illness, sickness, injury, or has worked tirelessly for the District of Bruce Moyer, other personal crisis). Idaho’s consolidated District and Counsel for Government Finally, thank you to Susie Headlee who, as Bankruptcy Courts, one of only six our Executive Director, makes all of what we consolidated clerk’s offices in the Relations and do happen. Her counsel, direction and country. As past Chair of the Judiciary’s West Allen, assistance this year was outstanding and the District Clerk’s Advisory Group where Chair, basis of all of our successes. And thanks to she spearheaded strategic planning Government all of you for your help this year, we hope to initiatives, which efforts culminated in Relations see you at an FBA sponsored event in the national training programs for court unit Committee near future. executives. She is a past member of the As the significant results of Election Day I hope you were able to attend our holiday Judiciary’s Information Technology reception at the Crane Creek Country Club. Advisory Council and the inaugural are absorbed by the nation, the wheels As always, this was a very nice event, well Bankruptcy Technology Working Group. of Presidential transition turn and attended by members and our new FBA She currently serves as the clerk Donald Trump prepares to become the students as well as our Judges -- thank you representative to the Ninth Circuit 45th President of the United States. For for participating and making this a great Conference Executive Committee and the first time since 2005, the same event. ADR Committee and is the District Court political party – the Republican Party – will control the White House, the House If you have ideas of other activities you Clerk Observer to the Judicial Council. would like to see the FBA involved in, please Ms. Smith’s innovations and creativity of Representatives and the Senate. That let us know how we can better serve you. have provided many cost containment control extends in constitutionally- efforts including cross training of staff governed ways to appointments of the CLERK OF COURT LIBBY SMITH across the District. Ms. Smith has also unelected third branch and most RECEIVES DIRECTOR’S AWARD served on many local outreach programs prominently, the Supreme Court. including the Idaho Legal History Elections have far-reaching Society, where she serves on the Oral consequences, and the Presidential History Committee. Additionally, she is election results extinguished any an Honorary Member of the Idaho remaining chance of President Obama’s Chapter of the Federal Bar Association nominee – Merrick Garland – to fill the where she works closely with the Pro vacancy on the Supreme Court created Bono Program to ensure all Idahoans in by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. federal court have access to justice. Senate Republicans had stalled consideration of Garland’s nomination Under Director Duff’s leadership, the since President Obama named him in Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts March. While media speculation will operates within the judicial branch mount in the coming weeks over the providing a broad range of legislative, Fi Elizabeth A. “Libby” Smith filling of the Scalia vacancy, a more legal, financial, technology, Court Unit Executive, District of Idaho immediate question over judicial SIDEBAR IDAHO CHAPTER FEDERAL BAR ASSOCIATION 3 QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER | DECEMBER, 2016 vacancies will involve what action the College of Law team for the 2017 Dean Senate will take, if any, on twenty Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence pending district court nominations Competition, conducted each Spring at during the lame-duck session, which Brooklyn Law School in New York City, begins on November 14. New York. Also, Congressional decision-making on This competition draws over 30 law current funding of the federal school teams to participate in an government remains to be appellate moot court competition accomplished during the brief lame- addressing an issue at the forefront of duck session, which is expected to evidence law. The Competition provides conclude by mid-December. Details on The Firefighters Toy Brigade and the law students from across the nation the these developments are provided below. Idaho Chapter will also collect donations opportunity to write and argue an of toiletries and/or monetary appellate brief that addresses The Federal Judiciary website reported contributions to assist families staying at evidentiary issues in a contemporary the following vacancies as of November the Ronald McDonald House and the context.