Welcome to the Academy of Court-Appointed Masters (ACAM) Website.

David Herr Elected President of the Academy of Court-Appointed Masters

ACAM Bench Book

New judicial bench book helps judges, lawyers and parties understand special master work

The Academy of Court-Appointed Masters (ACAM) has developed the ACAM Bench Book to illustrate how to use masters and other judicial adjuncts to effectively and efficiently handle legal matters. This new bench book provides judges, lawyers and parties the information that will help them decide whether and when to appoint a special master, how to effectively draft appointment orders and how to anticipate and address ethical issues and practical concerns that arise in special master work.

 

The ACAM Bench Book includes three main sections. The first section summarizes the various roles that judicial adjuncts can serve. The second section explains the rules that govern appointment orders and provides a checklist of items to include in appointment orders. The third section covers ethical issues and practical concerns and provides a checklist for judges to review with their adjuncts early in the appointment. The ACAM Bench Book also includes sample appointment orders, listings of court decisions relevant to the use of judicial adjuncts, and a bibliography containing academic articles and other resources about the use of judicial adjuncts.

 

“Special masters perform major functions in the civil justice system,” said Francis McGovern, president of the Academy of Court-Appointed Masters. “As cases become more complex and judicial budgets tighten, appointments of special masters are becoming more common. This new bench book is a comprehensive resource and will allow courts to make the best decisions about appointing special masters and other judicial adjuncts.”

 

The ACAM Bench Book is available free-of-charge by clicking here. You can download your own copy, 3-hole punch it, and place it in a binder. We encourage you to tell the judges in your area about its availability and usefulness.

Also on this site, you will find very useful information regarding:

How masters can help courts, lawyers, and parties obtain civil justice. The various roles special masters ably serve in federal and state courts. How masters substantially reduce litigation expenses for parties. Sample appointment orders lawyer may submit and judges may enter. How masters readily assist judges fulfill their judicial obligations while saving judges and court personnel substantial amounts of time.

ACAM is an independent organization of experienced masters who serve in both federal and state courts. Our mission is to provide judges, lawyers, parties, and other masters with helpful information regarding the use of masters. Membership is open to any master who has been appointed by a federal or state court judge.

We invite you to use our website and send us any comments or suggestions you have about court-appointed masters.