By Tristen Worthen (WA)
Austin is officially in the rear-view mirror—and what a ride it was. Our conference delivered four days of ideas, practical tools, and forward-looking conversations that left everyone energized (and with plenty of take-home resources to put to work immediately).
We kicked things off with a lively, story-rich tour of Austin’s history and culture through the eyes of Joe Nick Patoski—former cab driver, longtime Texas Monthly writer, and current host of Texas Music Hour of Power. It was the perfect welcome: equal parts informative and unmistakably Austin.
Monday: Leadership, ethics, and a look inside the Supreme Court
Monday opened strong with our Opperman Speaker, Julie Schniers, who brought the room to life with “Learning to Lean In” and the challenge to lead with legacy in mind. From there, we shifted into a powerhouse “Experts” panel featuring Tim Gudas (NH), Greg Hilton (MD), Jenny Kitchings (SC), and moderator Seth Rodenbeck (AL), offering grounded insights from across jurisdictions.
After lunch, Joseph D. Steinfield led an ethics session—“A Clerk’s Conscience and the Impeachment of a Chief Justice”—using the New Hampshire Chief Justice impeachment as a real-world case study on legal ethics, clerk responsibilities, and judicial process. The day closed with Scott Harris, U.S. Supreme Court Clerk, who gave us a fascinating window into the Supreme Court Clerk’s Office and its procedures.
Tuesday: Crisis response, accessibility, tech, and AI
Tuesday began with Mark Weaver on Crisis Communications for Appellate Clerks, emphasizing the core rule for preserving public trust: respond first, fast, and accurately. Next, Jason Boberts (SC) and John Yee (CA) walked us through the enormous—and essential—work of revamping public-facing digital content to comply with DOJ accessibility requirements.
We also enjoyed strong vendor support with showcases and booths highlighting the latest in court technology.
The Honorable Scott U. Schlegel (Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals) closed the day with “AI & the Justice System: Shaping Tomorrow’s Legal Landscape,” covering AI’s expanding role in law, the ethical and professional responsibility issues it raises, and the growing threat of deepfakes—especially their impact on evidence, authenticity, credibility, and trust.
Wednesday: Serving SRLs and communicating decisions in new ways
Wednesday opened with an interactive session from Katherine Alteneder Mills and Zoe Dolan: “Preparing for Success: Appellate Courts, Self-Represented Litigants, and the AI Transition.” They focused on practical strategies courts can use right now to better support self-represented litigants.
Alberto Rodriguez shared how Arizona’s Supreme Court is using avatars and carefully scripted decision summaries to provide cost-effective, reliable public information—an innovative approach aimed at strengthening public confidence and trust.
Final day: Data that drives decisions
On the final day, Morgan Novitt (National Center of State Courts) presented “Court Statistics: Where We’ve Been, Where We Are, and Where We’re Going,” grounding the week’s big themes in measurement, trends, and what courts can learn from the numbers.
The takeaway: modernize with confidence
Across every session, the conference delivered what clerks and court leaders need most: practical tools—checklists, timelines, standards, and scripts—that make modernization doable. Whether you left with a crisis card, an SRL-AI governance outline, or a CourTools dashboard sketch, the message was consistent:
Courts can evolve without compromising judicial values. The work starts now—and it starts with us.