The Westin Resort Guam was buzzing today as the Pacific Judicial Council’s biennial conference packed the house, focusing on enhancing judicial training and education. The event kicked off with a keynote address on the use of Microsoft 365 and Copilot in legal practice.

From there, the audience, comprised of lawyers, judges, and other stakeholders providing service to the courts, engaged in a deep dive into administrative law, followed by an update on constitutional law and insights into recent legal cases, and discussions on the impact of the military build-up.

Nearly 150 lawyers and judicial officers, including around 50 judges from across Micronesia, were in attendance at today’s conference. Among them, associate Justice F. Phillip Carbullido, leading a panel on effective appellate advocacy, adding his expertise to the day’s rich agenda.

“I’m going to moderate a session with three judicial officers and four lawyers–both government and private practitioners, who really spend a lot of time before the Guam Supreme Court. So we're going to discuss how to write effective appellate briefs and, really, how you can be an effective advocate before the court in making your oral arguments," His Honor said.

Presenters at today’s conference included Chief Justice Robert Torres Jr., Dustin Hodges, Professor Kathleen Burch, Dr. Robert Underwood, and Dr. Lisalinda Natividad.