by Liz Garcia (NM)
When I started as Clerk of the New Mexico Supreme Court in 2022, I received a call from Colette Bruggman (CA) about the importance of joining the NCACC. I recall seeing published NCACC member directories when I started and Mark Reynolds (NM) mentioning the collegiality of the NCACC. As a new clerk, I got caught up in my day-to-day appellate court responsibilities. To my great surprise, in 2023, Colette Bruggman (CA), Doug Shima (KS), and Polly Brock (retired CO), flew out to New Mexico to ask me to consider hosting the NCACC’s 2025 conference. As a new Clerk and new NCACC member, I admittedly was hesitant at first; however, I quickly recognized that the NCACC members have insight into the daily life of an appellate clerk and are dynamic human beings. I agreed to host the conference as Colette kindly agreed to co-host alongside me. With the conference now in the rearview mirror, I can finally say that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am eternally grateful for Colette’s persuasiveness, Doug’s enthusiasm and Polly’s graciousness and welcoming me to the NCACC.
The Albuquerque Conference was a success. We had 80 regular members in attendance. Of those, 22 were first-time attendees! Nine retired members joined us in Albuquerque to share their wisdom and their passion for the organization. A total of 39 guests, including 8 children, made the trip to Albuquerque. We were fortunate to have more than 26 different speakers during our educational sessions and Vendor Day companies, represented by over 24 professionals, fastidiously organized by Tristen Worthen (WA). The auction raised close to $10,000 for our Educational Fund – our heartfelt gratitude to Sherri Williamson and Deana Williamson (TX) as auction organizers, Claudia Jenks (TX) and Jenny Kitchings (SC) as auction emcees, Lisa and Tom Hall (FL, retired) as generous donors of an Italian villa, Jim Hivner (TN) as our charismatic auctioneer, and Victoria Hernandez (CA) as purchaser of the big-ticket Italian villa, and everyone else who generously donated or contributed.
Casey Forbes (WV) and the Program Committee, with special thanks to Past President Doug Shima (KS), put together an amazing set of educational sessions that taught us the important role of the judiciary in democracy and challenged us to uphold the integrity of the judiciary by fostering civility, collegiality, and a commitment to civics education (Judge Bernice Donald); that taught us building relationships at the federal, state, and tribal courts fosters mutual respect, understanding and collaboration (Judge Timothy Tymkovich, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit; Chief Justice David Thomson, New Mexico Supreme Court; Hon. JoAnn Jayne, Emeritus, Navajo Nation Supreme Court; Judge Tammi Lambert, Pro Tempore, Pueblo of San Ildefenso; and Professor Paul Spruhan, UNM School of Law, moderated by Chief Deputy Clerk Megan Scanlon of the Virginia Court of Appeals); that there is an evolution of the United States Supreme Court’s docket, including the rise of the emergency docket and key legal issues that may come soon before the Court (Jared Maag, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas and former Kansas Solicitor General); that access to Justice is a lens for everything we do: from how we design our courts to how we communicate and serve (Justice C. Shannon Bacon, New Mexico Supreme Court, Torri Jacobus, NM AOC Director of Equity & Justice, Grace Spulak, NCSC Senior Consultant, and Julie Ballinger, Southwest ADA Center Partner, ADA Expert & Disability Rights Trainer, moderated by Clerk John Tomasino of the Florida Supreme Court); that cyber-security must be a priority of appellate courts and the need for vigilance on preventing cybersecurity threats (Doug Shima (KS); Brian Cotta (CA-Moderator), and Megan Scanlon (VA); that artificial intelligence holds promise, pitfalls and ethical considerations for appellate courts (Professor David Rubenstein); that employment investigations need to be handled with impartiality, confidentiality, and thoroughness and offered guidance for handling sensitive workplace matters (Colette Bruggman (CA) and Patti Williams, Supervising Attorney at the Judicial Council of California’s Legal Services Office); that leaders need to be cognizant of a multigenerational workshop and how different generations perceive one another, the unique strengths each brings, and how to harness those strengths to build stronger, more collaborative teams (Chad Finke, Executive Office of the Alameda County Superior Court). We ended with the pivotal What’s Bugging You educational session, members only, led by Tracie Lindeman, Retired Clerk, Arizona Supreme Court.
The conference social events, organized by Kristen Edwards (NM), were a great way to mingle with each other, initiate collaborations, and enjoy the scenic beauty of Albuquerque. On Monday evening, thanks to the sponsorship of Thomson Reuters, we enjoyed the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, classical guitar by Javier Ortega, the culinary offerings of Scarpas, the dessert camper of Eat Cute Bakery, and the hosted bar by Albuquerque Bar Keeps (and yes, we had to have unique New Mexico themed desserts and beverages). On Tuesday, we travelled to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, the gateway of 19 Pueblos. Thanks to the sponsorship of LexisNexis, we enjoyed a catered dinner, the music of Andrew Thomas, flute player, and the traditional dancers of Sky City Buffalo Ramo Dance Group. Wednesday afternoon allowed people to have some free time, with several opting for the Joe Lane Memorial Golf Tournament at the Sandia Golf Club, won by Larry Morris (IN), Paul Tuttle (MA) and Steven Campbell, my spouse. Our first inaugural game night was a hit, led by our very own Doug Shima (KS); shout out to the Courting Disaster team for their trivia prowess.
My reflections of the 2025 NCACC Conference would not be complete without recognizing my family. Personal tragedy struck my family on December 24, 2024. Steven Campbell, my spouse, suffered a major heart attack while traveling to celebrate our daughter Izzy Campbell’s 21st birthday. My family experienced a miracle on Christmas Eve as Steven came through this heart attack with minimal heart damage. While I came close to withdrawing as the host of this conference, I stayed the course and am grateful. Upon much reflection, family and friends are the essence of life. I leaned in on my NCACC family and the New Mexico Supreme Court family for support during this conference.
To close, I want to express my appreciation and gratitude to my family, Steven, Izzy and Kaleigh for being in my corner; to Doug, Colette and Scott for your friendship and being the most incredible host team ever; for all the members who spent countless hours planning, organizing, and implementing the educational sessions, the vendor visits, and the social events. Special thanks to the NM Supreme Court team (Lysette Romero Cordova, for your leadership and for working on the beautiful NM design of the NCACC t-shirts/totes; Kristen Edwards, for your commitment to our Clerk’s Office in addition to successfully planning outstanding conference social events; Alyssa Segura, for ensuring our Rules Committees are supported; and Ann Keith, for planning NCACC events on our daily train commute); Barry Massey and Beth Wojahn from NM AOC, who produced a local conference video and prepared press releases; the NM AOC Court Education Institute team; Wilson Pacheco and Wayne Brehem, NM AOC IT who provided superb conference technical support; and Larry Royster (MI, aka Larry the Legend) and Katie Dickey (CA), for amazing conference support, and the New Mexico volunteers, who provided instrumental support behind the scenes.
It does take a village, and we could not have done it without our phenomenal team, including my fellow Executive Committee members, the Program Committee, the Convention Assistance Committee, the Vendor Chair, past hosts, and all the other committees and members who made magic happen. Thanks to all of you, I am humbled to have co-hosted this year’s conference in my beautiful home state and inspired to serve. Thank you for co-hosting and having faith in me, Colette. #Bestconferenceever