October 2024 President's Letter

Dear Members - 

This is the last of my monthly update messages to you.  I cannot believe this year has gone by so fast.  I am so grateful to all of you that have served this organization as board members, committee chairs, committee members and those who have made our incredible webinars possible this year.  It takes a village, and you all are the best village ever!  I cannot wait to see many of you in person at our Annual Meeting.  For those of you attending, in addition to the incredible events and educational programs, please attend your District Meetings at breakfast at 7:15 am on Friday morning. The district meetings are an important part of the conference. It’s a great way for you to meet members from your District you may not know. This year the odd number districts will be electing new District Directors. Becoming a District Director is a great way to get more involved. My first board position was as District Director for District 11.  I also encourage attendees to come to the Annual Business Meeting on Saturday morning.  I know these meetings are early, and it’s tempting to sleep in, but they are very important. During the Business Meeting, in addition to Board Reports, we will hear about our revised Strategic Plan, elect officers for next year, and vote on several bylaw amendments. 

As one of my last official trips on behalf of NAWJ, in September I attended the American Civil Bar Roundtable sponsored by the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). On the first day of the meeting, I spoke at the Roundtable Summit: The Effect of AI on the American Civil Trial Bar. The day long summit was incredibly informative.  There were panel discussions on topics involving the ethics of AI and its proper (or improper) use in court. On the second day I observed the Roundtable.  The Roundtable included representatives from over a dozen leaders of national trial lawyer associations. One of the primary issues they discussed was the importance of supporting and promoting the independence of the judiciary and the personal safety of judges and their families. It was truly heartening to hear how involved our attorney colleagues are supporting us in these efforts and actively working to advance those goals. 
 
As we look forward to our next amazing year, I wish the best for our new President Michelle Rick and her board.  This year has been the highlight of my professional life.  NAWJ means so much to me and I treasure every year I have spent involved in the mission to promote the judicial role of protecting the rights of individuals under the rule of law through strong, committed, diverse judicial leadership; fairness and equality in the courts; and equal access to justice. It has been an honor and privilege to serve you and I will continue to serve in any way that I can.
 
Thank you, again.

Hon. Karen R. Sage
President, National Association of Women Judges