NAACA

National Association of Appellate Court Attorneys

Who We Are

The National Association of Appellate Court Attorneys, Inc., or NAACA, is an organization comprised 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.

History

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 foreseeable 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 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.

The Future

NAACA has selected Louisville, Kentucky for the site of the 2010 conference. The dates will be July 19-24. We are in the process of selecting the site for the 2011 conference. We continue to recruit members, and have revised the bylaws which were approved by the membership on July 9, 2006. A triannual electronic newsletter and a membership directory are available to members on this website. 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 through the link above.

Contact Us

Director: Mary Ellen Donaghy

Address: NAACA, University of Richmond Law School, 19 Richmond Way, University of Richmond, VA 23173

Phone: 804-289-8204