I am a Project Specialist in the California Central Bankruptcy Court. I began my career with the federal judiciary over 24 years ago. The 2016 NCBC Conference in Washington D.C. was the fourth NCBC conference I have attended, and my third conference as a Michigan State University (MSU) student. I am also a member of the NCBC Impact Editorial Committee and the NCBC Outreach Committee.
The 2016 NCBC Conference had me at hello. It was thrilling to attend the conference in Washington D.C., or as I affectionately refer to it, our Mothership. It was also wonderful that the event was jointly held with District Court’s FCCA because learning alongside our fellow clerks from District Court always provides an added dimension to the networking opportunities.
As usual, the conference was packed with dynamic speakers and informational breakout sessions. The highlights of the conference included the opening remarks from James C. Duff, Director if the Administrative Office, Scott Harris, Clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court, and Dana K. Chipman, Director of the Federal Judicial Center. Another top hit was the conference dinner at The Newseum. But as usual, the most beneficial takeaway for me was meeting, mingling, and mind-bending with so many knowledgeable and diverse clerks from our national court family. I returned home after the conference just bursting with information, overflowing with ideas, and resonating with renewed professional invigoration.
This year’s MSU course offerings were also stellar. So much information was packed into such a short amount of time. It was truly worth the cross-country trip JUST to attend MSU classes. The Resources, Budget & Finance and The Role of District and Bankruptcy Courts sessions answered all of my questions and filled in many gaps in my long career with the courts. The session titled “Courthouses: An Introduction to Space and Facilities” was also well-timed as one of the projects I am currently assigned to is related to the reduction of court spaces many of our district’s divisions. George Prentice’s “It’s More than Rock and Roll” was just the icing on the cake. What a fun and effective method for teaching the virtues of teamwork and collaboration. I was happy to learn I am a guitar player in my “band” - and that I no longer have to be shy to ask for MORE COWBELL from my team!
The 2016 NCBC Conference had me at hello. It was thrilling to attend the conference in Washington D.C., or as I affectionately refer to it, our Mothership. It was also wonderful that the event was jointly held with District Court’s FCCA because learning alongside our fellow clerks from District Court always provides an added dimension to the networking opportunities.
As usual, the conference was packed with dynamic speakers and informational breakout sessions. The highlights of the conference included the opening remarks from James C. Duff, Director if the Administrative Office, Scott Harris, Clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court, and Dana K. Chipman, Director of the Federal Judicial Center. Another top hit was the conference dinner at The Newseum. But as usual, the most beneficial takeaway for me was meeting, mingling, and mind-bending with so many knowledgeable and diverse clerks from our national court family. I returned home after the conference just bursting with information, overflowing with ideas, and resonating with renewed professional invigoration.
This year’s MSU course offerings were also stellar. So much information was packed into such a short amount of time. It was truly worth the cross-country trip JUST to attend MSU classes. The Resources, Budget & Finance and The Role of District and Bankruptcy Courts sessions answered all of my questions and filled in many gaps in my long career with the courts. The session titled “Courthouses: An Introduction to Space and Facilities” was also well-timed as one of the projects I am currently assigned to is related to the reduction of court spaces many of our district’s divisions. George Prentice’s “It’s More than Rock and Roll” was just the icing on the cake. What a fun and effective method for teaching the virtues of teamwork and collaboration. I was happy to learn I am a guitar player in my “band” - and that I no longer have to be shy to ask for MORE COWBELL from my team!