By Liz Garcia (NM), NCACC Executive Committee I was honored to represent the NCACC and the New Mexico Supreme Court at the 2026 National Association for Court Management (NACM) mid-year conference held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on March 17-19, 2026. We at the NCACC started a trend of hosting our 52nd annual conference in New Mexico. During…
By: Mary Beth Kuenzel (FL) Amy Wood, Psy.D., was the keynote speaker for this year’s virtual mid-year meeting of the National Conference of Appellate Court Clerks, and she brought a fresh and practical perspective to a familiar challenge: managing the stress of our work. Drawing on her book, Lawyer Like an Athlete, Dr. Wood invited us…
by Doug Shima (KS) Jennelle Jones has served as Chief Deputy Clerk of the Court for the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia for nearly two years. A lifelong West Virginian, Jennelle’s commitment to public service makes her perfectly suited in her role as Deputy Clerk. “I am a public servant at heart,” Jennelle says, “and can’t imagine…
by Doug Shima (KS) Paul D. Caver, Jr., was appointed Clerk of the Sixth Court of Appeals of Texas one month ago (WOW, Let’s Go Newbie!), stepping into the role after more than a decade of service with the court. Originally from Texarkana, Arkansas, Paul has a wide range of legal experiences including private practice,…
By: Aaron Nash (AZ) Arizona’s Judicial Branch established the Arizona State, Tribal and Federal Court Forum more than 30 years ago in 1994. The Forum provides unique opportunities for collaboration and cooperation between state, tribal, and federal court judges and representatives, including members of the public. Many of the represented courts hear appeals from lower…
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Welcome to the April 2026 issue of The Docket, the quarterly newsletter of the National Conference of Appellate Court Clerks. Below you’ll find great information about the upcoming annual meeting in Austin, Texas, important news about scholarships and award nomination deadlines, a recap of the excellent virtual mid-year speaker, and other great articles. 📰 NCACC News…
by Scott Mitchell (AL) Mark your calendars for 1:00 p.m. Eastern/10:00 a.m. Pacific on April 9th for a powerful professional and personal development opportunity during the NCACC’s Midyear Virtual Conference. Amy Wood, Psy. D., a licensed psychologist and certified executive coach, will present an engaging and dynamic presentation “Clerk Like an Athlete,” based on her book Lawyer…
by Scott Mitchell (AL) As we begin a new year, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as your NCACC president and to stay connected with colleagues across our nation. We are so much more than colleagues. As Frans LaBranche was fond of saying, we are like family. This past fall has been especially busy, and…
by John Tomasino (FL) For this issue’s technology article, I thought I’d give a quick behind-the-scenes look at how I used AI—specifically ChatGPT—to help prepare my presentation of the Morgan Thomas Award, draft the article you just read about Steve Circeo winning it, and, now, write this very article. So if you’re keeping track: I asked AI…