The Pound Civil Justice Institute

2002 Forum

The 2002 Forum for
State Court Judges

State Courts and Federal Authority:
A Threat to Judicial Independence?

Atlanta, Georgia, Saturday, July 20, 2002
Mariott Marquis, 8:00am-5:30pm

FORUM PAPERS

Paper #1: Trends in Federalism and What They Mean for the State Courts, by Georgene M. Vairo

Paper #2: Issues State Courts Face When Considering Federal Preemption of State Court Procedures: An Analysis For State Judges, by Wendy E. Parmet

Presenters:

Professor Georgine Vairo, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
Professor Wendy Parmet, Northeastern University School of Law

Confirmed Panelists:

Hon. John Carroll, Dean, Cumberland Law School, former federal judge
Hon. Gerald W. VandeWalle, Chief Justice, North Dakota Supreme Court, President, Conference of Chief Justices
Hon. Stanley Feldman, Justice, Arizona Supreme Court Justice
Todd A. Smith, ATLA Secretary, Roscoe Pound Institute Trustee
Kenneth A. Suggs, ATLA Treasurer, Roscoe Pound Fellow

Moderator:

Mark S. Mandell, President, Pound Institute

Luncheon speaker:

Hon. Frank J. Williams, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Rhode Island

The 2001 forum topic was:

The Jury as Fact Finder and
Community Presence in Civil Justice

For members of the judiciary, the papers and materials that were distributed at the 2001 forum are available free of charge. Simply submit you request for materials on court stationary to: The Pound Institute - 1050 31st Street, N.W. - Washington, DC 20007.

Through the Forum for State Court Judges, the Pound Institute brings together state Supreme Court and Intermediate Appellate Court judges, trial lawyers, and law professors for a lively, open exchange of theories and experiences on civil justice issues affecting state courts.

The Forum plays a major role in initiating positive dialogue with the judiciary. This open channel of communication allows the legal community to learn what concerns state judges, and provides a platform for lawyers to present to the judges the concerns of the trial bar on critical issues affecting citizen's rights and redress.

Recent Forums have fostered wide-ranging and positive debates of benefit to America's civil justice system. Four recent Forums have focused on:

Secrecy Practices in the Courts.
2000 Forum for State Court Judges, Chicago, IL
Controversies Surrounding Discovery and Its Effect on the Courts.
1999 Forum for State Court Judges, San Francisco, CA
Assaults on the Judiciary: Attacking the 'Great Bulwark of Public Liberty.'
1998 Forum for State Court Judges, Washington, DC
Scientific Evidence in the Courts: Concepts and Controversies
1997 Forum for State Court Judges, San Diego, California
Possible State Court Responses to the ALI's Proposed Restatement of Products Liability.
1996 Forum for State Court Judges, Boston, Massachusetts
Preserving Access to Justice: The Impact on State Courts of the Proposed Long-Range Plan for the Federal Courts.
1995 Forum for State Court Judges, New York, New York

The 2001 forum topic was:

The Jury as Fact Finder and Community Presence in Civil Justice

The Jury as Fact Finder and
Community Presence in Civil Justice