April 2026 Bench and Bar Newsletter

By Kimberly Duda

Don't miss the 2026 Annual Meeting at the Ritz-Carlton in St. Louis!

By Hon. Michael S. Jordan

A response to a previous article published in this newsletter, highlighting the necessity for conversations about justice for all. 

By Michael G. Cortina

We all likely remember taking the usual classes in law school—Torts, Contracts, Criminal Law—but very few courses focused on the practical skills of lawyering. Some schools had more courses that were skills-based, but most classes focused on teaching students legal concepts and principles. The times, they are a changin’. The next generation of attorneys may enter practice with a stronger skillset thanks to the new Bar Exam. 

By Pamela S. Menaker

The U.S. Judicial Conference’s Committee on Codes of Conduct has released a new advisory opinion that explicitly provides that federal judges are now permitted to publicly defend their judicial independence and the rule of law, so long as they avoid partisan politics and preserve impartiality. For advocates of judicial independence, the opinion should come as a welcome affirmation of the judiciary’s important role in our judicial system.

A compilation denoting newly appointed circuit judges, associate judges, and appellate justices; retired judges; and deceased judges.