American College of Business Court Judges

A group of judges accustomed to the intricacies of and challenges inherent in working with complex business cases founded the American College of Business Court Judges (ACBCJ) in October 2005. The ACBCJ develops education programs and seminars to equip business court judges from across the country with the knowledge and skills necessary to deal efficiently and professionally with the increasingly complex issues they confront during their public service. The Antonin Scalia Law School’s Law & Economics Center is proud to assist the ACBCJ with the planning and execution of its events.

Additionally, the ACBCJ offers:

    • Access to business court judges who have been instrumental in establishing and/or expanding the business courts in their states;
    • Access to judges who have drafted and promulgated rules, procedures and forms for use in business courts;
    • Access to business court judges with experience in presiding over complex commercial matters and with the functioning of business courts;
    • Access to leaders in the American Bar Association Business Law Section who have spearheaded the business court movement and who regularly consult with and monitor the progress of business courts around the country;
    • Access to top-notch educational programs geared toward facilitating the work of business courts.

Applications for membership to the ACBCJ are accepted on a rolling basis, and are always welcome. To apply for annual membership, please download the application here and mail the completed form to ACBCJ Treasurer, Judge Heather Welch, at the address on the form.

The Eighteenth Meeting of the American College of Business Court Judges will be held from Wednesday, April 24 – Friday, April 26, 2024 in Reno, Nevada.

Current ACBCJ Officers

Office Term Name State
President 2023-2024 Mark R. Denton NV
President-Elect 2023-2024 Christopher Yates MI
Vice President 2023-2024 Heather Welch IN
Vice President 2023-2024 Jerry Abrams MN
Treasurer 2023-2024 Mary Johnston DE
Secretary 2023-2024 Elihu Berle CA
Director Seat A 2022-2024 James Gale NC
Director Seat B 2022-2024 Brian Stern RI
Director Seat C 2023-2024 John Telleen IA
Director Seat D 2023-2024 Louis Nixon IL
Director Seat E 2022-2024 Ann Martin TN
Director Seat F 2022-2024 Abigail LeGrow DE
Liaison to National Center for State Courts 2023-2024 Jerry Abrams MN

Past Presidents Included on ACBCJ Board
Timothy Driscoll
Gail A. Andler
Leonard B. Austin
Allen S. Goldberg
Betsy Gonzalez
Joseph C. Iannazzone
Clifton Newman
Denise Owens
Donald F. Parsons, Jr.
Steven I. Platt
Stephen Schuster
Ben F. Tennille
Sean D. Wallace
Christine A. Ward
Ira Warshawsky