The 2025 Program Committee of the National Conference of Appellate Court Clerks has been working hard to prepare a strong program for the Albuquerque conference this summer! While speakers, times, and events are still subject to change, this update will provide a preview of the programming to come. We are excited to invite a wide variety of speakers and topics to the table to offer a distinct educational opportunity for all clerks around the country and beyond!

We will have educational sessions each day of the conference beginning on Sunday afternoon. This year, we have tried to incorporate perspectives from a variety of different courts. We will hear from an interdisciplinary panel composed of members of federal, state, and tribal courts. The panel will include the Honorable Chief Judge Kenneth J. Gonzales, United States District Court for the District of New Mexico (moderator), the Honorable Chief Justice David Thomson, Supreme Court of New Mexico, the Honorable Chief Justice JoAnn Jayne, Navajo Nation Supreme Court, and Paul Spruhan, Assistant Attorney General, Litigation Unit, Navajo Nation Department of Justice.

We will also hear from a panel on access to justice led by our own Elizabeth Garcia (NM) with panelists including the Honorable C. Shannon Bacon, Supreme Court of New Mexico, Tori A. Jacobus, Director of Statewide Equity, Inclusion and Justice, NM AOC, Grace Spulak, NCSC Principal Court Management Consultant, Court Services Division, and Julie Ballinger, Southwest ADA Center.

Several of the presentations this year will focus on the workplace. Colette Bruggman (CA) and Patti Williams, Supervising Attorney, Judicial Council of California Legal Services Office, CA, will present on employment investigations. Chad Finke, Court Executive Officer, Alameda County, CA, will speak to a multigenerational workforce and leadership, and there will also be a talk on court security. 

No NCACC conference would be complete without a segment or two on technology. NCACC president Doug Shima (KS), Megan Scanlon (VA), and Brian Cotta (CA) will provide a panel discussion on cyber attacks and cyber security, and Professor David Rubenstein, Professor of Law, Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas, will present on the subject of artificial intelligence. 

But our work is not done. We still have speakers to confirm and many other details to work out. Stay tuned! We can’t wait to see everyone in Albuquerque!