Letter from the Chair, Brian Quinn


I am 51 years old. Lost my hair worrying over kids and work. Seen the good and bad of politics and campaigning. Back hurts most of the time. Gained 30 pounds over the last year and find that workouts take more work. That’s the kind of stuff that should make someone a realist and give up thoughts of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Yet I’m still searching for a magic wand I can wave to make it all better. I would hold it up, wish my wish, and commence waiting for the multitudes to begin singing Kumbaya. The trouble is, I don’t know where it is, that magic wand. The thing is so darn elusive. What this means is that I must confront all the hurdles before me without the help of magic. What of those hurdles? They are many and growing since we have a legislative session on the horizon. While your first thought may be that the session is many months away, I must tell you that planning for it begins now. The various legislative committees of the Judicial Section are already working, as those who attended the January and February '08 Regional conferences discovered. Yet foremost on the radar screen is the Texas Center’s continuing effort to support us judges and develop the best educational programs possible. Much goes into doing this, not the least of which is securing consistent funding. To that end, we continue to work with the Court of Criminal Appeals in assuring a ready stream of monies from Fund 540, the legislatively created fund earmarked for the education of judges, among other things. As you most likely know, the relationship between the Texas Center and the Court has had its peaks and valleys. That magic wand would come in handy there. But since it still eludes me, the best course of action at this time is to foster an open, frank, ongoing dialogue with the Court’s members. We have met with some success in that regard, thanks to the help of various judges and others. But I am waiting to see what the future holds. Patience and open-mindedness, tempered with experience, are my bywords at this moment, though I stand ready to act when needed. Continue Next Column>	Also, the Texas Judicial Foundation is off the ground. It’s been incorporated, bylaws have been adopted and, with the help of State Bar President Gib Walton, the first permanent board of directors has been selected. By the time you read this, the baton will have been passed to that board to finish the job. As I said months ago, the Texas Judicial Foundation was created as a source of additional monies for judicial education. The more options that exist, the less dependent we are upon any one. Oh yeah, if I had that magic wand, I’d surely use it like Dumbledoor did at the feast scenes in Harry Potter. That way everyone attending the Texas Center’s conferences would have whatever food and accommodations they want. Yet again, though, no wand. So I’ll continue to rely on the efforts of the Texas Center personnel. They are doing a good job given the size of the judiciary, the limited number of hotels that can accommodate such a large group, and the rising prices for hotel space. The funny thing about hurdles and other niggling problems is that they present opportunities to make things better. With the right people in place, we can overcome most anything, even without a wand. We have the right people; not just in the Texas Center’s staff, but in the many judges scattered throughout Texas. And really, I never learned the words to Kumbaya; I'd probably get bored with a magic wand that could wave away all those hurdles and missed opportunities. Talk to you later; I have work to do.

I am 51 years old. Lost my hair worrying over kids and work. Seen the good and bad of politics and campaigning. Back hurts most of the time. Gained 30 pounds over the last year and find that workouts take more work. That’s the kind of stuff that should make someone a realist and give up thoughts of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Yet I’m still searching for a magic wand I can wave to make it all better. I would hold it up, wish my wish, and commence waiting for the multitudes to begin singing Kumbaya. The trouble is, I don’t know where it is, that magic wand. The thing is so darn elusive. What this means is that I must confront all the hurdles before me without the help of magic.

What of those hurdles? They are many and growing since we have a legislative session on the horizon. While your first thought may be that the session is many months away, I must tell you that planning for it begins now. The various legislative committees of the Judicial Section are already working, as those who attended the January and February '08 Regional conferences discovered.

Yet foremost on the radar screen is the Texas Center’s continuing effort to support us judges and develop the best educational programs possible. Much goes into doing this, not the least of which is securing consistent funding. To that end, we continue to work with the Court of Criminal Appeals in assuring a ready stream of monies from Fund 540, the legislatively created fund earmarked for the education of judges, among other things.

As you most likely know, the relationship between the Texas Center and the Court has had its peaks and valleys. That magic wand would come in handy there. But since it still eludes me, the best course of action at this time is to foster an open, frank, ongoing dialogue with the Court’s members. We have met with some success in that regard, thanks to the help of various judges and others. But I am waiting to see what the future holds. Patience and open-mindedness, tempered with experience, are my bywords at this moment, though I stand ready to act when needed.

Continue Next Column>

Also, the Texas Judicial Foundation is off the ground. It’s been incorporated, bylaws have been adopted and, with the help of State Bar President Gib Walton, the first permanent board of directors has been selected. By the time you read this, the baton will have been passed to that board to finish the job. As I said months ago, the Texas Judicial Foundation was created as a source of additional monies for judicial education. The more options that exist, the less dependent we are upon any one.

Oh yeah, if I had that magic wand, I’d surely use it like Dumbledoor did at the feast scenes in Harry Potter. That way everyone attending the Texas Center’s conferences would have whatever food and accommodations they want. Yet again, though, no wand. So I’ll continue to rely on the efforts of the Texas Center personnel. They are doing a good job given the size of the judiciary, the limited number of hotels that can accommodate such a large group, and the rising prices for hotel space.

The funny thing about hurdles and other niggling problems is that they present opportunities to make things better. With the right people in place, we can overcome most anything, even without a wand. We have the right people; not just in the Texas Center’s staff, but in the many judges scattered throughout Texas. And really, I never learned the words to Kumbaya; I'd probably get bored with a magic wand that could wave away all those hurdles and missed opportunities.
Talk to you later; I have work to do.

Quinn Sig