Committees

AACJ Permanent Committees

AACJ's success in attaining its goals depends on the imaginative and diligent work of the volunteer members who serve on its permanent and ad hoc committees. Chairs of the committees cannot achieve these goals by themselves. We urge members who want to participate to contact the committee chair in their area of interest.

Member Services

Two of the most important functions of AACJ are centered in the Member Services Committee. AACJ Strike Force volunteers stand ready to represent members who are threatened with contempt or other sanctions because of their representation of their clients. In selected cases of statewide or national importance, AACJ appears as Amicus Curiae (friend of the court) in support of the fair administration of justice. AACJ was also instrumental in identifying counsel to bring a challenge in federal court to the Proposition 100 laws.  That lawsuit is ongoing and the plaintiffs have secured several important victories including obtaining certification of a class and surviving several motions to dismiss. 

Chair:  Kevin Wein (kwein@steptoe.com

Political

This committee is responsible for legislative and bench-bar relations. It oversees AACJ's lobbying effort and monitors policy changes in the courts. Its Rules Subcommittee advances member interests by proposing changes to the rules governing court proceedings and by submitting comments on behalf of AACJ on rules changes proposed by others.

Indigent and Capital Representation

This committee carries forward AACJ's fight for equitable treatment of indigent defendants. Because adequacy of representation is closely tied to reasonableness of compensation for counsel, AACJ attacks indigent representation contract systems that enforce disincentives to adequate representation. It also seeks to ensure that capital defendants are represented by competent counsel and provided with adequate resources through adoption of the ABA Standards for Capital Representation.

Chair: Mike Terribile, (mterribile@qwest.net)

Publications

The Publications Committee designs the program and obtains the speakers for two of our three annual seminars and publishes AACJ's quarterly magazine, The Defender.

The Defender

Chair: Steve Sherick (sherick@shericklaw.com)

Seminars

Chair: Kelly Smith, (smithkak@yahoo.com)

Co-chair: Tracy Friddle (friddlet@mail.maricopa.gov)

Web Site

Chair: Joe Keilp (joe@jktrial.com)  

Planning

Chaired by the President-Elect, the Planning Committee is responsible for formulating the long-range goals of the organization for presentation to the Board of Governors, for developing fund-raising and for creating and conducting a program to attract new members.

Chair: Steve Sherick (sherick@shericklaw.com)

Finance

The Finance Committee is chaired by the Treasurer and oversees general accounting, budget, financial management and financial planning.

Chair: Joe Keilp (joe@jktrial.com)