THE Pacific Judicial Council, in conjunction with the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, will host the 2025 Joint Pacific Judicial Council Mid-Year Conference and Annual NMI District Court Conference from September 24 to 26, 2025, on Saipan.
The conference will convene judges, legal scholars, attorneys and court professionals from across the Pacific and U.S. mainland to explore emerging legal issues and strengthen regional judicial collaboration. It will underscore the judiciary’s role in adapting to legal and technological changes.
Advancing justice through education
The conference will feature presentations from judges of the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Ninth and Sixth Circuits, the United States District Court for New Hampshire, faculty from the Judicial Education Institute, UC Berkeley School of Law, and Yale Law School, as well as presentations from Pacific jurists. Sessions will address:
• Statutory and Constitutional Interpretation
• Judicial Code of Conduct and Judicial Disability issues
• Supreme Court Review
• Artificial Intelligence and the Law
• Pretrial Detention and Release Best Practices
“It is an honor for the Pacific Judicial Council to welcome distinguished jurists and scholars, whose insights on statutory constitutional interpretation and the role of courts in a changing world will enrich our dialogue,” said Guam Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert J. Torres, president of PJC. “The participation of such leading voices underscores our commitment to ensuring that judges across the Pacific are exposed to the very best in judicial education.”
Historic Ninth Circuit appellate arguments
To open the conference and, for the first time in over two decades, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will hold appellate arguments at the District Court in Gualo Rai on Wednesday, Sept. 24.
“This Ninth Circuit session is a rare opportunity for our community, and especially for our students, to witness the federal appellate process in action,” said Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the District Court for the NMI. “We are reserving seats for students from various schools because it’s vital that our youth see the judiciary at work and understand the role of courts. Experiences like this help deepen their civic awareness.”
About the PCJ
The Pacific Judicial Council is a regional body composed of member jurisdictions from American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of Palau. Its mission is to promote judicial education, cooperation, and interjurisdictional dialogue among Pacific Island courts.
For more information, contact Amanda Hayes at Amanda_Hayes@nmid.uscourts.gov (U.S. District Court) or Tracy D. Limes at Tracy.Limes@nmijudiciary.gov (NMI Supreme Court).
