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.

Political and Legislative

This committee is responsible for oversees AACJ’s lobbying efforts. 

Co-chairs: Kathy Brody and Nate Wade

Finance

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

Chair: Steven Scharboneau

Amicus and Rules 

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.

Co-chairs: David Euchner and Mikel Steinfeld

Ethics 

Chair: Louis Fidel

Membership and Member Services

This committee is responsible for membership retention and recruitment, creating and conducting a program to attract new members.

Chair: Alex Benezra and Kevin Heade

Planning

This committee is responsible for developing future goals that can be considered at the annual Board meeting.

Chair: Armando Nava

Communications

This committee is responsible for maintaining communications with AACJ members.

Chair: Sarah Mayhew

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 of Indigent Defense and Capital Representation: Kevin Heade and John Canby

Seminars

This committee designs the program and obtains the speakers for our annual seminars. Chair(s) oversees all seminars. Each seminar has a chair or co-chairs.

chair: Gary Kula