President’s Message

Dear Friends,

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the Federal Court Clerks Association. The FCCA was formed in 1922 by a small groups of clerks who wanted to improve collaboration among clerks and the governing organization of the judiciary, and to promote excellence in the work of clerks and deputy clerks. The FCCA continues these objectives today. It is the oldest and largest professional organization open to all federal judiciary employees. If you have not joined or renewed your membership, please do so today. The larger the membership, the stronger the FCCA, the more programs and assistance that can be provided to members.

As a completely volunteer organization, the organization is what the members make of it. We have been fortunate in the last few years to have had record numbers of members volunteer their time to achieve the goals of the FCCA. Through the work of these volunteers, we are well on our way to achieving many goals we set in 2011. We have implemented a new procedure for handling the annual conference so that the FCCA board, instead of the host court, is responsible for organizing the conference. We are in the process of retaining MemberClicks to host our web site so that we will have better functionality (messaging, social media, reporting, etc.), more easily changeable menus and differentiated access for members and nonmembers. We have established a Publications Committee to provide more ideas for articles in the FCCA Journal and for other communication media, such as the FCCA web site. We have updated the FCCA Bylaws and will be presenting the revisions to the membership at the annual meeting in Las Vegas for their approval.

Speaking of Las Vegas, the 84th Annual FCCA Conference is in Las Vegas, May 20-24, 2012. You do not want to miss this conference. The educational program is top-notch with nationally-known keynote speakers, senior management of the Administrative Office and Federal Judicial Center, professional trainers and expert court personnel covering current topics. We will also highlight programs developed in the courts, including a presentation by Jim Woodward and Jim Bechtold on pro se litigation and a presentation on Emegency Preparedness by personnel from Central California. A new feature this year will be a Technology and Knowledge Fair to share and learn about new developments both by the courts and by the private sector that can make us more efficient. With the AO working on a new work measurement formula that will reward efficient practices, it is more important than ever to share our best practices and technologies.

While funding for training is tight, training is of the essence in difficult times. In tough economic times, it is more important than ever to hone skills and learn new skills to do more with less and to be flexible as jobs change. This conference will be well worth the minimal cost to attend. The registration fee is $350. The conference is being held at the Golden Nugget hotel in Las Vegas where the room rates Sunday-Thursday are the astounding low price of $55 per night. The 2012 Annual FCCA Conference in Las Vegas is definitely one you can’t afford to miss. See you there!

-- President Pat McNutt