PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
THIS REPORT MARKS THE END OF THE 2022 PRESIDENTIAL
TERM REPRESENTING THE COLLEGE’S 72ND ANNIVERSARY
AS THE LEADING ORGANIZATION OF TRIAL LAWYERS IN
NORTH AMERICA. THIS YEAR HAS SEEN THE EBB AND
FLOW OF THE PANDEMIC, ECONOMIC CONCERNS, MASS
SHOOTINGS, WAR IN UKRAINE, AND ATTACKS ON THE RULE
OF LAW. THESE ISSUES HAVE PRESENTED CHALLENGES
FOR MANY AMERICAN AND CANADIAN FAMILIES, INCLUDING
MEMBERS OF OUR OWN COLLEGE FAMILY. THROUGH THE
EFFORTS OF OUR NATIONAL OFFICE STAFF, EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE, BOARD OF REGENTS, AND FORTY GENERAL AND
SIXTY-TWO STATE/PROVINCE COMMITTEES, THE WORK OF
THE COLLEGE HAS CONTINUED.
Our last two Presidents, Doug Young and Rodney Acker,
along with their spouses, Terry and Judy, dealt with
the worst of the pandemic. After the Tucson meeting
in March 2020, travel became difficult with in-person
meetings cancelled. College meetings were operated
on virtual platforms. The 2020 Annual Meeting was
conducted by President Young and President-Elect
Acker via Zoom from a studio in California. Shortly
thereafter, President Acker and I conducted the Leadership
Workshop from the same studio in California
with all Regents, Chairs, and staff participating remotely.
President Acker and I repeated the virtual platform
for the 2021 Spring Meeting, which had been
scheduled for Maui, Hawaii. Not only did Doug and
Rodney continue the important work of the College
remotely, in many ways it flourished under their leadership. I thank them and the leaders we
have served with on the Executive Committee (Past Presidents Sam Franklin and Jeff Leon,
President-Elect Susan Harriman, Treasurer Bill Murphy, Secretary Rick Deane, and Secretary
Designate John Day) for their selfless service to our beloved College. Fortunately, Rodney
was able to lead us at the Chicago meeting in the Fall of 2021, our first in-person national
meeting since March of 2020.
Recalling the final reports of my predecessors, we are struck by how many of them have used
“Gratitude” as the theme of their final reports. There is no better word to express our own feelings
about this past year. Brett and I are grateful to Doug, Rodney and the Executive Committee
members and their spouses who have been an extraordinary source of counsel, support, and
friendship. Despite the lack of in-person gatherings for about fifteen months in 2020 and 2021,
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