Works with the FMJA Executive Director to organize the Annual Convention held every summer in conjunction with the Federal Judicial Center. 

 

Provides oversight and advice on all financial aspects of the FMJA, including, but not limited to, investment policy, monthly financial statement review, yearly taxes, and budget.

Helen Adams
Shari Bedker
Benjamin Cheesbro
Allison Goddard
Sunil Harjani
Shiva Hodges
Robert Numbers
Susan Schwab


Oversees publication, revision and maintenance of the Quarterly Bulletin as well as provide communications to FMJA membership on relevant topics.

Helen Adams (Chair)
Caroline Gentry (Co-Chair)

Susan Bazis
Kayla McClusky
Jill McCook
Robert Numbers
Alice Senechal
Edwin Torres


 

Provides periodic review of the current by-laws and recommend updates/edits to the Board for consideration.

Nancy Joseph- Chair
Nicole Mitchell
David Keesler
Kristen Mix
Ramon Reyes

Provides resources to the community, including schools on the U.S. Judicial System in conjunction with the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and FMJA. Provides resources to U.S. Magistrate Judges who are interested in educating their local communities.

 Kimberly Priest-Johnson – Co-chair
Omar Aboulhosn – Co-chair

Kellie Barr
Jacqueline Beccara
Hope Thai Cannon
Sara Cave
Charmaine Claxton
Gordon Gallagher
James Gates
Derek Gilliland
Ron Hedges
Michael E. Hegarty
Stephen Jackson
Teresa James
Peter Kang
Lauren Louis
John Love
Carleton Metcalf
Ruth Montenegro
Alistair Newbern
Michael Newman
Robert Numbers
Scott Oravec
Thomas M. Parker
Kelly Pate
Tu Pham
Jennifer Rozzini
Talesha Saint Marc
Alice Senechal
Rukhsanah Singh
Christine Stetson
Daniel Stewart
Robert W. Trumble
Brenda Weksler
James Wicks


Promotes and educates on the importance of diversity on the bench to the judiciary, bar and community.  The committee also reviews and recommends nominees for the Diversity Award to the Executive Committee.  Other activities of the committee have included a video project of interviews of diverse magistrate judges, panels of diverse magistrate judges addressing the bar on their path to the bench, and Robes in the Schools.

Sarah Cave- Co-Chair
Julie Sneed – Co-Chair

Jerusha T. Adams
Linda Anderson
Penny Augustin-Birch
Deborah Barnes
Alan Baverman
Gwynn Birzer
Sonja Bivins
Celeste Bremer
Leo Brisbois
Sanket Bulsara
S. Kato Crews
Therese Wiley Dancks
Lee Dunst
Mark Falk
Theresa Fricke
Sunil Harjani
Marcia Henry
Barbara Holmes
Patrick Hunt
Nancy Joseph
Sallie Kim
Peggy Kuo
Shaniek Maynard
Nadia Medrano
Janis van Meerveld
Robin Meriweather
Sheila Oberto
Thomas Parker
Diana Song Quiroga
Ramon Reyes
Jason Allen Robertson
Karen Roby
Lupe Rodriguez
Telesha Saint Marc
Michael Seng
Rukhsanah Singh
Karen Stevenson
Ignacio Torteya
Brian Tsuchida
Alicia Valle
Kate Vaughan
Joe Webster
Brenda Weksler
Kandis Westmore

As established by the bylaws, this committee includes the President, President-Elect, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Immediate past President of the FMJA. The Executive Committee oversees all decision-making regarding matters pertaining to the organization and its operation.

Nancy Joseph – President
Shiva Hodges- President-Elect
Ignacio Torteya – Vice-President
Helen Adams -Treasurer
Katharine Parker – Secretary
Nicole Mitchell – Immediate Past Chair

Edits and publishes the Federal Courts Law Review, which was founded in 1997.  The editorial board, composed of U.S. Magistrate Judges and law school professors, uniquely combines the insight of the federal judiciary with the perspective of law school academics. 

Michael J. Frank – Editor-in-Chief
Mary Pat Thynge – Executive Editor
Richard A. Lanzillo – Articles Editor & First Circuit Representative

Circuit Editors:

John Anderson (4th)
Jennifer Boal (1st)
Jeffrey Gilbert (7th)
G. Michael Harvey (D.C.)
Teresa J. James (10th)
Gary R. Jones (11th)
Collin Lindsay (6th)
Jeremiah McCarthy (2nd)
David D. Noce (8th)
Christine A. Nowak (5th)
Karen Stevenson (9th)

At Large Editors: 

Alison Bachus
Hope Cannon
Robert Collings
William Garfinkel
Douglas E. Miller
Katharine H. Parker
Karen Roby
David T. Schultz


Professors:

Valerie Couch
Joel Friedman
Ira Robbins
Thomas D. Rowe, Jr.

Technical Consultant:

Andy Johnson-Laird

Webmaster:

John Facciola


The History and Archives Committee preserves information and artifacts about the FMJA and its members. At the Annual Meeting, it presents memorials, in the form of an In Memoriam bulletin, about Magistrate Judges who have passed away and distributes and presents resolutions to each Magistrate Judge’s family. The Committee prepares a Trivia Quiz for occasional inclusion in the newsletter or website and presentation at the Annual Meeting dinner as a way to foster collegiality and encourage membership in FMJA.  The Committee preserves any archival material forwarded to it by members 

(primarily by sending it on to the Executive Director). The Committee obtains oral histories of FMJA members or those who have shaped the MJ system by collecting existing interviews and by video recording at the Annual Meeting and through other virtual platforms. Since 2018, the Committee has prepared short bios of new FMJA members to share at the MJ Summer workshop and Annual meeting to welcome them and provide points of common interest to encourage dialogue.  

Joi Peake – Co-chair
Barbara McAuliffe – Co-chair

Deborah Barnes
Celeste Bremer
Debora Grasham
Stephen Jackson
Bob Johnston
Stephen W. Smith

Organizes a bi-annual trip to an international location to explore and experience different parts of the world. Typically includes visits to Courts for exchange of best practices and ideas.

James M. Hopkins – Co-chair
Suzanne Mitchell – Co-chair
Deborah Smith – Co-chair

Jan M. Adler
Helena Barch-Kuchta
Stacie Beckerman
Sally Berens
Susan Bivins
Jennifer Boal
Stanley A. Boone
Kathleen Burke
Donald Cabell
Regina Cannon
Wallace Capel
Sara Cave
Ben Cheesbro
Craig Denney
Stephen Doyle
Lee Dunst
Cynthia Eddy
Laura Fashing
Mario Garcia
Caroline Gentry
Allison Goddard
Shiva Hodges
Daniel Irick
Stephen Jackson
Elizabeth Jenkins
Nancy Joseph
Peter Kang
William Kelly
Sharon King
Colin Lindsay
Lauren Louis
Frank Maas
Eric Markovich
Mildred Methvin
Elizabeth Pascal
Anthony Patti
Diana Song Quiroga
Hal Ray
Lupe Rodriguez
Suzanne Segal
Ignacio Torteya

 

Organizes a bi-annual trip to an international location to explore and experience different parts of the world. Typically includes visits to Courts for exchange of best practices and ideas.

James M. Hopkins – Co-chair
Suzanne Mitchell – Co-chair
Deborah Smith – Co-chair

Jan M. Adler
Helena Barch-Kuchta
Stacie Beckerman
Sally Berens
Susan Bivins
Jennifer Boal
Stanley A. Boone
Kathleen Burke
Donald Cabell
Regina Cannon
Wallace Capel
Sara Cave
Ben Cheesbro
Craig Denney
Stephen Doyle
Lee Dunst
Cynthia Eddy
Laura Fashing
Mario Garcia
Caroline Gentry
Allison Goddard
Shiva Hodges
Daniel Irick
Stephen Jackson
Elizabeth Jenkins
Nancy Joseph
Peter Kang
William Kelly
Sharon King
Colin Lindsay
Lauren Louis
Frank Maas
Eric Markovich
Mildred Methvin
Elizabeth Pascal
Raymond Patricco
Anthony Patti
Diana Song Quiroga
Hal Ray
Lupe Rodriguez
Suzanne Segal
Ignacio Torteya

 

Monitors legislation that affects members of the judiciary, particularly U.S. Magistrate Judges.  Works in conjunction with sister organizations, Federal Judges Association and National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

Robert Numbers – Co-Chair
Zia Faruqui – Co-Chair
Alan Baverman (former Chair)
Michael Berg
Hope Cannon
Robert Collings
John Conroy
Patricia L. Dodge
Thomas Ferraro
Barbara Holmes
Jill McCook
Robert Norway
Joseph Perez-Montes
Karen Roby
Diane Vescovo

 

The MJSTAR Committee was formed in late 2020 for the purpose of addressing issues relating to the use of MJSTAR to assess Magistrate Judge workloads in all judicial districts, in light of the emphasis on MJSTAR data in decision-making by the Judicial Conference Committee on the Administration of the Magistrate Judge System.

Kristen Mix – Chair
Kimberly Priest-Johnson – Chair Task Force 2
Mark Falk -Co-chair Task Force 3
Shiva Hodges – Co-chair Task Force 3

Stacie Beckerman
Gwynne Birzer
Stephanie Bowman
Celeste Bremer
Peter Bray
Hope Cannon
Stephen Dries
Robin Meriwether
Barbara McAuliffe
Karoline Mehalchik
Nicole Mitchell
Suzanne Mitchell
Michelle Peterson
Irma Ramirez
Amanda Arnold Sansone
Pamela Sargent
Matt Stinnett
Mary Alice Theiler
Jennifer Thurston
Cynthia Wyrick

Chaired by the Immediate Past President, the committee solicits interest in serving as an officer, primarily as Secretary. Confirms and recommends that the remainder of the Officers each year are willing and able to continue.

Nicole Mitchell-Chair
Deborah Smith
Linda Anderson
Douglas Arpert
Alan Baverman
Karen Roby

Provides resources to part-time U.S. Magistrate Judges as well as information to the Board about any concerns/questions specifically related to part-time U.S. Magistrate Judges.

Scott Oravec – Chair
Kim Berg
Andrew Hallman
Heather Kennedy


Provides resources to retired/recalled U.S. Magistrate Judges as well as information to the Board about any concerns/questions specifically related to retired/recalled U.S. Magistrate judges.

Holly Fitzsimmons – Chair

William Baughman
David Bernthal
Joe Brown
Robert Colling
James Gates
Aaron E. Goodstein
Frank Maas
Mildred Methvin
Gudrun Rice


Evaluates and reports on Rules affecting U.S. Magistrate Judges proposed by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

Katharine Parker – Co-Chair
James Wicks – Co-Chair

Alison Bachus
Deborah Barnes
Alan Baverman
Jenny Boal
Stanley Boone
Ben Cheesbro
Annie Christoff
Donna Currault
Judith Dein
Patricia Dodge
William Duffin
Marcia Henry
Barbara D. Holmes
Philip Lammens
John Larkins
Douglas Miller
Robert Numbers
Debra Poplin
Jennifer Rozzoni
Dave Sanders
Alice Senechal
Matthew Stinnett
Mary Pat Thynge
Robert W. Trumblel

Provides information regarding safety and security for U.S. Magistrate Judges, their families and staff, whether it be physical or electronic safety.

Donald Cabell – Chair

Helen Adams
Sally Berens
Elizabeth Preston Deavers
Dena Hanovice Palermo
Autumn Speath


This committee provides support and encouragement to members.

Mike Aloi, Co-Chair
Karen Scott, Co-Chair

Skip Arbuckle
David Bernthal
Sonja Bivins
Sallie Kim
Kendra Klump
Peggy Kuo
Nadia Medrano
Ruth Miller
Louisa Porter
Christine Stetson
Daniel Stewart

Judge Dena Palermo and Judge Bill Matthewman, Co-Chairs

The Title Committee provides information to the community about the proper use of the title of U.S. Magistrate Judge, including contacting the press, local bar associations, websites, and others who use the incorrect title. This year, President Nicole Mitchell is working with the Committee to take some of our work to the next level. We are already working with the AO to correct mistitling in AO forms, at each district level, and on CM/ECF. We are asking our members to review their local forms, local rules, and local court website for any mistitling that requires correction. Each judge can work with their clerk’s office to have correction made or notify the Title Committee. Finally, we encourage our members to write articles regarding the U.S. Magistrate Judge position for publication in the FMJA Bulletin or other periodicals.

Dena Palermo – Co-Chair
William Matthewman – Co-Chair

Omar Aboulhosn
Jared Bennett
Stanley Boone
Stephanie Bowman
Brent Brennenstuhl
Cheryl Eifert
James Metcalf
Michael Nelson
Hank Perkin
Michele Peterson

The Technology Committee, in addition to addressing website issues, will also address other technology issues affecting magistrate judges (e.g. MJSTAR, videoconferencing technology) as well as emerging issues such as AI use in briefs filed before us.

Daniel Irick – Chair

Patty Barksdale
Gwynne Birzer
Joe Brown
Holly Fitzsimmons
Caroline Gentry
Kelly Mahoney
Eric Markovich
Michelle Peterson
Lisette Reid