Get involved in the inns of court

In the 1980s, Chief Justice Warren E. Burger and others, all admirers of the English Inns of Court, created the American Inns of Court to model in a unique way the professional associations for barristers in London and Wales that date to the 14th century.

Four inns comprise the English Inns of Court: Lincoln’s Inn, Inner Temple, Middle Temple and Gray’s Inn. Each occupies its own building, including chambers that barristers can rent, and each provides a major law library, student education, continuing education for barristers, lunch and dinner, and legal and cultural events. (Middle Temple Hall was opened by Queen Elizabeth I in 1576 and saw the first known performance of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” in 1602.) Members of the inns include judges, barristers and students. Senior members — known as masters of the bench — are elected to be the governing body. The Temple Church, which belongs jointly to the Inner and Middle temples, was consecrated in 1185 and is one of London’s finest venues for choral music.

Throughout the United States today, there are more than 350 American Inns of Court, with headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. Their purpose is to promote excellence, professionalism, ethics, civility and collegiality in the practice of law and to serve as a resource for mentoring and education.

Most inns meet monthly in the evening. Membership consists of associates (less-experienced lawyers), barristers (mid-career lawyers) and masters of the bench (judges and seasoned lawyers). While independent of each other, the inns operate under the auspices of the American Inns of Court Foundation. Leadership includes a president, usually a judge; a lawyer who serves as counselor; and an executive committee, including a chair of membership and other special committees, as the needs of a particular inn require.

A typical evening gathering of the inn includes a social hour, followed by a fine dinner and a program. Programs involve masters of the bench leading the presentation, with more junior members participating. The programs vary from aspects of trial practice, arbitration and mediation to the topics of ethics, professionalism and issues of interest in all phases of law practice. Appellate practice is also the subject of programs, as is almost every conceivable topic of interest to bench and bar.

Recently the J. Dudley Digges American Inn of Court, which meets monthly in Baltimore at the Hopkins Club, presented a program on expert witnesses. Approximately 40 members and guests attended. The program began with an example of a direct examination of an expert witness with follow-up comments by the presenters, and robust comments and questions from the inn members. Then one of the presenters discussed the applicable rules in federal and state courts and case law relating to expert disclosures, as well as requirements for experts testifying in court. Written materials were provided.

Other programs of the J. Dudley Digges American Inn of Court have focused on the use of social media to learn about jurors; appellate practice, with judges of the appellate courts participating; and pretrial discovery.

Here is a list of inns of court in Maryland:

The James C. Cawood, Jr. American Inn of Court, Annapolis
www.innsofcourt.org/inns/cawoodinn
President: Wayne Willoughby, Esq.,[email protected]
Vice president: David V. Diggs, Esq., [email protected]
The inn convenes the first Thursday of the month at 5:45 p.m. at the Annapolis DoubleTree. Recent programs: Reenactments of historic trials

The Montgomery County Maryland American Inn of Court, Montgomery County
www.innsofcourt.org/inns/montgomerycomdinn
President: Michael Campbell, Esq., [email protected]
President elect: Judge Sherri D. Koch, [email protected]
The inn convenes the second Tuesday of the month at the Circuit Court in Rockville; dinner is served in the courthouse cafeteria. A recent program: Motion practice from the judge’s viewpoint

The Hon. James Macgill American Inn of Court, Howard County
www.innsofcourt.org/inns/jmacgillinn
President: Katherine S. Bagley, Esq. [email protected]
The inn convenes on the second Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. at Kings Contrivance Restaurant (former home of Judge Macgill). A recent program was a presentation on implicit bias in the law by Deputy Public Defender Natasha Dartigue.

The American Inn of Court of Southern Maryland, Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties
www.innsofcourt.org/inns/southernmdinn
President: Judge E. Gregory Wells, [email protected]
The inn convenes for its dinner meeting the third Tuesday of the month at various local restaurants. A recent program: District Court practice and peace orders

The J. Dudley Digges Inn of Court, Baltimore
President: Judge Marina Lolley Sabett, [email protected]
Secretary: Brian Brown, Esq., [email protected]
The inn convenes the third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Hopkins Club.

I heartily recommend joining an inn in your neck of the woods. If you are a new admittee or a less-experienced lawyer, you will have the opportunity not only to meet other junior lawyers, but also to share ideas and learn and perhaps acquire a mentor. If you are a more experienced or seasoned lawyer or judge, there are senior lawyers and judges in the inns. Here is your opportunity to socialize with other members of the bench and bar. You can also help in presenting programs and perhaps serve as a mentor.

Each of the inn leaders would welcome your contacting them to explore an affiliation. Don’t wait. Contact them today.