The National Association of Appellate Court Attorneys, Inc. or NAACA, is an organization composed of attorneys employed by state and federal appellate courts across the country. NAACA is incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and has been granted section 501(c)(3) non-profit status by the Internal Revenue Service. NAACA's mission is to provide educational, networking, and professional development opportunities for staff attorneys, judges' law clerks, and other attorneys employed by appellate courts.

 

NAACA was formed in the summer of 2005 by four former members of the Council of Appellate Staff Attorneys. Those attorneys (Gina Policano, John Tucker, Melissa Wood, and Mark Zanchelli) had all been active members of CASA, and wanted to preserve the tradition of annual independent summer seminars for appellate court attorneys that had been provided by CASA in the past but that, for reasons beyond the control of CASA's leadership, would not be offered again in the forseeable future. The founders of NAACA incorporated the organization and affiliated with the University of Richmond School of Law, with the generous assistance of the law school's then Dean, Rodney Smolla. We hired Mary Ellen Donaghy, formerly CASA's ABA liaison, to be NAACA's executive director, obtained tax exempt status, and started on the long process necessary to get the organization up and running. With the support and hard work of many court attorneys, our organization has blossomed. NAACA has successfully hosted educational conferences in Richmond (2006), New Orleans (2007), Portland, Oregon (2008), Annapolis (2009), Louisville (2010), San Diego (2011) and Washington DC (2012).

 

NAACA has selected Santa Fe for the site of the 2013 conference. The dates will be July 15-18.   We are in the process of selecting the site for the 2014 conference. NAACA welcomes financial donations. Anyone with ideas for NAACA's growth and development is encouraged to contact a member of the Board of Directors; contact information is available on this website.

 

Mary Ellen Donaghy, Executive Director

NAACA, Law School,

Univ. of Richmond, VA 23173

804-289-8204; fax: 804-289-8992