Bryan A. Garner is an American lawyer, grammarian, and lexicographer. He also writes on jurisprudence. He is the author of over 25 books, the best-known of which are Garner’s Modern English Usage (5th ed. 2022) and Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts (2012)—coauthored with Justice Antonin Scalia—as well as five unabridged editions of Black’s Law Dictionary. He serves as Distinguished Research Professor of Law at Southern Methodist University. He also teaches from time to time at the University of Texas School of Law, Texas A&M School of Law, and Texas Tech School of Law.

In 2009, he was named Legal-Writing and Reference-Book Author of the Decade at a Burton Awards ceremony at the Library of Congress. He has received many other awards, including the Benjamin Franklin Book Award, the Scribes Book Award, the Bernie Siegan Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Center for Plain Language. His work has played a central role in our understanding of modern judging, advocacy, grammar, English usage, legal lexicography, and the common-law system of precedent. His books are frequently cited by American courts of all levels, including the United States Supreme Court.

Justice Lidia S. Stiglich was appointed to the Nevada Supreme Court. Justice In 2016. Stiglich earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Hastings  College of Law, and is a member of the State Bars of Nevada and California. She is a member of the Clark County  Bar Association, Washoe County Bar Association, the Northern Nevada Women Lawyers Association and the National Association of Women Judges. She serves as a member of the Nevada Supreme Court’s Indigent Defense Commission and the Commission on Statewide Rules of Criminal Procedure.

Prior to appointment to the Supreme Court, Justice Stiglich was the presiding judge of the Second Judicial District Court in Washoe County, Nevada. During her time with the Second Judicial District court, she presided over both civil and criminal cases, served as the court’s Probate Judge, and co-founded the Youth Offender Drug Court.

Before her judicial appointments, Justice Stiglich practiced law for nearly two decades. She was the founder and managing partner of the law firm Stiglich & Hinckley, LLP. She also advised Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki on legal matters related to economic development, tourism and cultural affairs as his special counsel.

Justice Stiglich has served as a faculty member at numerous educational institutions, including the National Judicial College; the University of Nevada, Reno; the John F. Kennedy School of Law; the Golden Gate University School of Law; and the New College of the Law.

Penny White is professor emerita of the University of Tennessee College of Law, and before that, was the Elvin E. Overton Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Tennessee College of Law, where she directed the Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution and previously directed the UT Legal Clinic. She also serves as a Visiting Faculty member of the Harvard Law School. Professor White teaches evidence, trial practice, pretrial litigation, negotiations, and clinic and lectures around the country at legal and judicial education programs on each of these areas as well as about criminal procedure, capital punishment jurisprudence, and attorney and judicial ethics and professionalism issues. Before beginning her teaching career, Professor White served as a judge at every level of the court system in Tennessee. While at UT, she has received the university’s Jefferson Prize for excellence in research and creative activity and has been recognized twice as the law school’s outstanding teacher. In 2019, the university named her the SEC Outstanding Professor. Professor White has published numerous articles on evidence, criminal procedure, and ethics and has authored several bench books for state court judges. She is most proud of her book on the defense of capital cases, for which she was awarded the Ritchie Award by the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and of her article in the Harvard Law Review “Relinquished Responsibilities,” addressing the failure of state judges to adhere to important restrictions on political behavior. Professor White has taught at the National Judicial College for more than 25 years and has received the NJC’s Advancement of Justice Award and the V. Robert Payant Award for Teaching Excellence.

Judge Thomas A. Zonay is the Chief Superior Judge for the State of Vermont. He was appointed to the bench by Governor James Douglas in 2007 and appointed as Chief Judge in 2021. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he was an attorney in private practice and before that he was a police officer in Woodstock, VT. Judge Zonay received a bachelor 's degree in Food Industry from Delaware Valley College and a Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School. Judge Zonay currently serves on the Vermont Sentencing Commission (Chair), the Vermont Coordinated Justice Reform Advisory Council (Chair), the Vermont Judiciary Commission on Mental Health and the Courts (Chair of the Education Committee), the Act 180 Post-Adjudication Reparative Program Working Group (Chair), the Vermont Judiciary Change Advisory Board (Co-chair), the Vermont Judiciary Standard Practices Committee, the Vermont Judiciary Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Vermont Prison Research and Innovation Network Executive Committee, the Vermont Treatment Docket Executive Oversite Committee, the Vermont Juvenile Justice Stakeholders Group, the Vermont Judicial Workload Study Advisory Executive Committee, the Vermont FTAP Management Team, the Vermont Justice Reinvestment Initiative Domestic Violence Executive Working Group, the Vermont Justice for Children Task Force, and the Act 250 Steering Committee. He also serves as a member on the Vermont Civil, Criminal, Family, and Probate Oversight Committees, as well as the Vermont Judicial Education Committee.

He has served on the Vermont Bar Association Board of Managers (President, 2005); was a director of the Vermont Bar Foundation; and is past president of the New England Bar Association. He is currently a member, and past president of, the Vermont Trial Judge's Association. At the time of his appointment to the bench, Judge Zonay was Chair of the Vermont Human Rights Commission and had previously served on other judicial and community boards and committees. He is also a U.S.C.G. licensed Master Captain. Judge Zonay is an alumnus of the National Judicial College, joined its faculty in 2012.

Jessica Escobar is a seasoned interpreter, translator, and educator with extensive experience in languages, teaching, and event management. She has worked as a Certified Court Interpreter, Instructor, and Translator for various institutions and organizations, including the Second Judicial District Court of the State of Nevada, Truckee Meadows Community College, and the University of Nevada, Reno. Jessica holds a Master's degree in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology and French from the University of Nevada, Reno. She is proficient in four languages: English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language.

Marshal Seth Palmer has been working in federal law enforcement for 13 years—three years with the United States Border Patrol in Arizona and 10 years in the United States Marshals Service. He began work with the US Marshals in Idaho, moved to Puerto Rico when promoted to supervisor, was then selected for supervisor in Las Vegas, before making the lateral move to his current position as the Judicial Security Inspector about a year and a half ago. Marshal Palmer has worked in many areas with the US Marshals Service, including Taskforce, Court Operations, Sex Offender Investigations, and Security and Protections. He is also a certified firearms instructor for the United States Marshals. Marshal Palmer joined The National Judicial College faculty in 2020.

Gabe Paul graduated from Indiana University in 1995 with a B.A. in Communications and History and with a J.D. from the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University in 1999. He served in the private sector before joining the State of Indiana as a Staff Attorney for the Indiana Department of Transportation in 2006. From 2013-2021, Judge Paul was appointed as the Director and Chief ALJ of the State Employees’ Appeals Commission, which heard grievances concerning state employees. In 2021, Governor Holcomb appointed Judge Paul to his current position as the Chair of the Indiana Unemployment Insurance Review Board, which hears unemployment insurance appeals from lower-level agency ALJs and serves as the final agency authority for such appeals. He was reappointed in September 2024. Judge Paul has also served as a past president of the Indiana Association of Administrative Law Judges and has served on the Board of Directors of NAALJ since 2019. He the immediate past president of NAALJ.

Evan McGinley is Chief Administrative Law Judge at Illinois Department of Public Health.

Carrie Ingram has served as the Chief Administrative Law Judge at the Office of Administrative Law Proceedings since July 2023. Prior to joining OALP, Carrie was the Director of Dispute Resolution for the Indiana Education Employment Relations Board where she was in charge of all dispute resolution in Indiana between school corporations and teachers unions. Prior to that, Carrie served as an ALJ for the Department of Workforce Development and Department of Child Services. Carrie was a 2018 Fellow of the National

Administrative Law Foundation where she researched and published an article on Chevron Deference. Carrie presented her research at the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary’s 2018 Annual Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida. Since then, Carrie has been a regular attendee and speaker at conferences held by NAALJ and its Indiana affiliate. She is currently NAALJ’s president elect.

Dr. Melissa Piasecki is an emeritus professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and is a former acting dean and executive associate dean at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. Dr. Piasecki received her M.D. from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri and completed psychiatry residency training at the University of Vermont in Burlington. Additional specialty training through a Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship was completed at the University of Hawaii. Dr. Piasecki is board certified in general psychiatry and forensic psychiatry. Her interests include forensic psychiatry, medical education, neurobiology of substance abuse disorders, and judicial education. She has served as a consultant to the Department of Justice and to Federal monitors. Dr. Piasecki is an alumna of The National Judicial College and has served as faculty since 2005.

Founder and CEO of Learned Hand AI.

Katherine Kwan MacDonald joined the California Public Utilities Commission as an Administrative Law Judge in 2009 and currently serves as Assistant Chief Administrative Law Judge.  In addition to supervising Administrative Law Judges and Retired Annuitants, she has subject matter responsibility for citation appeals, telecommunications policy and licensing, utility mergers and acquisitions, and confidentiality issues for the division.  She leads the Judicial Internship program and Division Training programs.  Judge MacDonald has extensive experience adjudicating a wide variety of proceedings in adjudicatory matters, enforcement proceedings, telecommunications, energy matters, water, and transportation matters.  She is an experienced certified neutral and actively serves in the Commission’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Program. 

Prior to beginning her career in public service, Judge MacDonald practiced as a litigator, practicing general civil litigation with a focus in professional liability defense, employment, and tax matters. She also served as an advisor to elected Board Member Johan Klehs prior to becoming a hearing officer at the California State Board of Equalization.  Judge MacDonald graduated with a bachelor’s degree in History and Art History from the University of California at Los Angeles. She earned her J.D. from Whittier Law School in 1995.  In 2000, Judge MacDonald earned her LLM in Taxation from Golden Gate Law School. Judge MacDonald became a certified neutral at Hastings College of Law in 2010.  Judge MacDonald joined the faculty of the National Judicial College in 2018.

Saralinda Kiser has been teaching Communication for the University of Nevada, Reno for over 20 years, currently serving as the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Communication Studies. Professor Kiser specializes in courses related to applied communication competencies, including Communication and Conflict, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Issues in Interpersonal Communication, Interpersonal Listening, and Oral Communication. She directed  the Fundamentals of Human Communication course program for 9 years. Professor Kiser’s current scholarly interests center on interpersonal conflict, applied pedagogy, and communication competence. She holds an M.A. in Interpersonal Communication and a certificate in Advanced Conflict Resolution. Saralinda’s personal history includes a previous career in live theatre, where she performed and directed nearly 100 plays, wrote 21 original scripts, and served as the Artistic Director for Actory Theatre Arts and the Administrative Director for Nevada Children's Theatre. She joined the faculty of The National Judicial College in 2021.