Peter Bennett has been appointed Special Advisor to the American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on the American Judicial System.
The appointment was made by ABA President William C. Hubbard following the creation of the new committee by the ABA House of Delegates. The committee focuses on protecting fair and impartial courts, improving the administration of justice, ensuring adequate court funding, and defending against unfair attacks on the judicial branch. The committee supports efforts to increase public understanding about the role of the judiciary and the importance of fair courts within the American democracy.
The Standing Committee on the American Judicial System will expand upon the work of its predecessor entities, the ABA Standing Committee on Federal Judicial Improvements and the ABA Standing Committee on Judicial Independence, which Bennett chaired from 2011-2014.
The committee will also continue the work of the ABA Task Force on Preservation of the Justice System, which was co-chaired by Ted Olson and David Boies from 2010-2012, and by former ABA Presidents Stephen N. Zack and Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III from 2012-2014. Robinson will also serve as a Special Advisor to the committee.
Dean David F. Levi, who has been Dean of Duke Law School since 2007 and is the former Chief Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, will serve as Chair of the committee. Michael H. Reed, of Pepper Hamilton in Philadelphia, will serve as Chair of the subcommittee on federal courts, and Alan T. Dimond, of Greenberg Traurig in Miami, will serve as Chair of the subcommittee on state courts. The committee’s members include judges, lawyers, academics, court administrators, and bar association leaders, each of whom is appointed by the ABA President.
The committee works closely with state courts, state and local bar associations, and other ABA entities, including the ABA Governmental Affairs Office, to carry out its mission. The committee also maintains liaison with the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, the Judicial Conference of the United States, and the Federal Judicial Center, as well as organizations such as the National Center for State Courts, the American Judicature Society, the National Judicial College, and the Justice at Stake Campaign.
While serving as chair of the Standing Committee on Judicial Independence, Bennett oversaw projects to enhance public confidence in the judicial branch, minimize the threat of courthouse violence, and encourage states to adopt clearly articulated standards for judicial disqualification. Bennett was instrumental in drafting the amendments to the ABA Bylaws creating the Standing Committee on the American Judicial System, which reflects the ABA’s commitment to the courts. Bennett is pleased to play an advisory role as the new committee continues the good work of its predecessor entities and as it assumes the mantle as the primary entity within the ABA dedicated to advocating for the fair, efficient, and accountable administration of justice within the American judicial system.
Peter Bennett is nationally recognized as a leader representing management in the field of labor and employment law. He is very active in the American Bar Association, and is a past Chair of the Association’s 24,500 member Tort, Trial and Insurance Practice Section.
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