The Academy of Court-Appointed Masters (ACAM) announced that it is now offering a Training and Mentoring Program to help expand the special master community and improve the assistance special masters provide to the administration of justice.  

ACAM designed the Program in conjunction with retired Federal District Court Judge and Director of the Federal Judicial Center Jeremy Fogel and will be offering three major training sessions in 2022:

1. "Pathways to Becoming a Special Master." On March 4, 2022, ACAM will be presenting a nationwide virtual program that will help people learn about what it takes to become a special master; what judges look for when choosing special masters; and how the profession and training for it is about to change. Judge Fogel will be joined by Senior Judges Michael J. Davis and Donovan Frank of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota; Judge Susan M. Robiner (Presiding Judge of the Civil Division of Minnesota's Fourth Judicial District) and Professor Ocampo Raeder of Carleton College. Registration is $50 for those who join ACAM and $150 for others. Find out more and register here.
    
2. Special Master 101: On May 4, 2022, ACAM is planning a half-day live program at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia to provide basic training on what a special master needs to know. Join ACAM and you can come for the program and stay for ACAM's annual meeting, May 5-6—an education in itself. ACAM will be sending out details and registration information for the training and the annual meeting shortly.
    
3. The First-Ever Special Master Incubator Program. In Fall 2022, ACAM will bring new trainees together with more experienced masters and judges to create not just an education program but a mentoring pod—an ACAM Class of '22— that will work together to continue learning from each other and helping each other advance. Watch for details.

ACAM President David Tenner explained, "Expanding and diversifying special masters is critical to making special masters effective partners in the administration of justice, and the Training and Mentoring Program is one of three huge steps towards that end." He added, "This fall, ACAM opened its membership to people who have not previously served as special masters. We are now offering an innovative Training and Mentoring Program to help bring new and more diverse people into the profession and help bring the profession together. And we are working to partner with judges, court staff, bar and ADR organizations, law schools and others interested in the administration of justice to provide more valuable service and open up more opportunities in the profession."

ACAM Executive Director Merril Hirsh added, "People interested in joining ACAM or participating in these training sessions can sign up now at ACAM's website. We are thrilled to be doing something for the administration of justice and development of our profession that no one has ever done before."