By:  John M. Fitzgerald

In her acceptance speech at the 1954 Academy Awards, Audrey Hepburn told the audience, “I want to say thank you to everybody who in these past months and years have helped, guided and given me so much. I'm truly, truly grateful and terribly happy.”

I have very little in common with Audrey Hepburn, but as my term as ALA President reaches its conclusion, my feelings can be described much the same way.  The past year has had its share of challenges.  This marks the first, and hopefully last, bar year in which in-person meetings were not feasible.  But our officers, directors, committee co-chairs and members responded admirably.  We held a record number of events remotely, our members volunteered countless hours for our first-ever virtual Moot Court, and our members stuck with us notwithstanding a dramatic change to the way in which we meet and hold events.

Thank you for giving me this wonderful opportunity.  Serving as the President of the Appellate Lawyers Association has been a great honor and a joy.  I offer my best wishes to our new President, Scott Howie, and I am confident that he will be a great leader for our association.

At this moment, as we emerge from a once-in-a-century pandemic, I feel very proud to be a member of the ALA.  I am confident that the new slate of officers and directors will do outstanding things in the months and years ahead, and I look forward to seeing all of you at future ALA events