ABA judicial leaders to meet with European counterparts in France

Eight administrative law judges with the American Bar Association’s Judicial Division will travel to France next week for the first joint meeting of administrative law judges from the United States and Europe.

The judges will meet May 10 to 13 in Paris and Versailles as part of the annual conference of the Association of European Administrative Law Judges. The U.S. judges are leaders with the National Conference of the Administrative Law Judiciary.

In May 2022, the two groups signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a partnership to enhance the status and competence of the administrative judiciary and to promote the quality, efficiency and delivery of justice. They are working to create exchange programs, joint studies, research and training for administrative law judges.

In France, the American judges will visit administrative courts in Paris and Versailles, and will attend meetings and seminars on topics of joint interest.

Judge Patricia Miles of the California Public Utilities Commission, who chairs the National Conference of the Administrative Law Judiciary, will give a presentation on the American. administrative judiciary and the role of the ABA and the NCALJ. Judge Mimi Tsankov, president of the U.S. National Association of Immigration Judges, will discuss the need for judicial independence among U.S. immigration judges.

Also attending from the United States will be Judge John Allen of Illinois, Judge Lorraine Lee of Washington state, Judge Julian Mann of North Carolina, Judge Janet McEneaney of New York, Judge Jennifer Russell of California and Judge David Welch of the District of Columbia.

The two groups hope to identify common challenges and solutions in the future. The European judges are expected to attend the 2023 ABA Annual Meeting in Denver in August as guests of the U.S. judges.