Having passed the halfway point of my two-year term as your president, I continue to be amazed by the wonderful work being done by Executive Director LTG Joseph B. Berger III, USA (Ret.) and his staff, our Board of Trustees, and all our Inns throughout the country. Please allow me the privilege of sharing some highlights of our collective accomplishments.
On July 26, 2025, the Inns of Distinction Gala at the Supreme Court took place. It was a smashing success with Inns throughout the nation in attendance socializing and celebrating the awards given. The weekend also included leadership training and an event in honor of our Pegasus Scholars. Our staff planned a wonderful event that went off without a hitch.
Our Pegasus Scholarship fundraising continues to progress with the All-Inn and “25 for 35” campaign strategies. These options for participation have been provided to all Inns and appear on our website. We have raised more than $620,000 in donations with a goal of $1 million. Thank you for your generosity in supporting the Pegasus Scholarship Program.
On October 1, I participated in the 35th anniversary celebration of the Pegasus Scholarship Program in London, England. While this year’s focus was the Pegasus Scholarship anniversary, events also included the Opening of the Legal Year at Westminster Abbey and visits to various English Inns. Maintaining excellent relationships with our British counterparts has been and continues to be a high priority. Our awards and scholarships coordinator, Cindy Dennis, and our executive directors have invested decades in cultivating strong relationships with our friends across the pond. We are all the beneficiaries of their great work.
My dance card has also been very full visiting other Inns throughout California. This year alone I have visited the following Inns: Ball-Hunt-Schooley, Earl Warren, Judge Consuelo M. Callahan, Anthony M. Kennedy, Milton L. Schwartz -David F. Levy, Wray Ladine, Southwestern Law School, Hon. William B. Enright, and Bay Area Appellate.
On September 8, I attended the opening program of the new appellate Inn in San Francisco: the Bay Area Appellate American Inn of Court. President Leah Spero, Esquire, my former clerk, made this happen, and my colleague Judge Daniel A. Bress presented a blockbuster first program. The event was well-attended by judges from the California Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Superior Court, and federal courts, as well as practitioners and students. Chapter Relations Director Mike Ware traveled from Colorado to co-present the charter to the new Inn. In the past year, we have chartered a total of five new Inns—a laudable accomplishment we hope to continue in years to come. Our staff deserve mention for their support of existing Inns as well as new Inn expansion.
On September 10, I attended an event planned by Judge Michelle M. Pettit of the Enright Inn featuring Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Amy Coney Barrett. The format was a fireside chat with Chief Judge Mary H. Murguia of the Ninth Circuit, engaging the justice in a warm and informative conversation. It was an amazing opportunity for Inn members in attendance. Kudos to Judge Pettit and her Inn.
On September 25, I attended the 25th anniversary of the Wray Ladine Inn in Modesto, California.
I would be remiss if I did not compliment members of our board of trustees for their stellar work on two different projects: the rule of law and the California ethics projects. Judge Cheryl Ann Krause and attorneys Jameson Reece Jones, and Kim J. Askew formulated the Rule of Law statement now on our website and has been emailed to all Inn members. Justice Arthur G. Scotland and his committee of Deans Lonnie T. Brown Jr. and William C. Koch Jr. prepared a national response to a California Ethics Opinion draft that could have directly affected judicial participation in the Inns. Their response was signed by judicial luminaries and our board. The result was an amended draft and an opinion that resoundingly encourages judges to participate in the Inns, a very favorable result.
Lastly, I want to close on a personal note. I was privileged to present the 2025 American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the Ninth Circuit to Justice Patricia Bamattre-Manoukian. I have known Pattie for over 35 years. She truly epitomizes every value that we stand for in the Inns. She is also a Gold Star Mom; her family has made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. When she accepted the award, she addressed the audience at the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. Her speech was perhaps the best embodiment of our Inn values that I have ever witnessed. I was tearful but full of gratitude because it really reminded me of why we all do what we do in support of the Inns. Thank you.