384/Maryland Manual
authority to activate any commission in the event
of an existing or foreseeable judicial vacancy.
This change was intended both to expedite the
filling of judicial vacancies and to provide staff
support for the nominating commissions. On Oc-
tober 4, 1977, Acting Governor Lee issued an Ex-
ecutive Order making some changes in Commis-
sion procedures, but generally confirming the
1974 Order.
The 1977 Executive Order directs that certain
members of each Judicial Nominating Commis-
sion should be lawyers elected by fellow lawyers
of the State in an election conducted by the Ad-
ministrative Office of the Courts pursuant to rules
governing such elections promulgated by the
Court of Appeals. "The other members of each Ju-
dicial Nominating Committee are lay members
appointed by the Governor from the general pub-
lic with a chairperson for each selection commis-
sion also appointed by the Governor who may be
either a lawyer or a lay member.
The Appellate Judicial Nominating Commis-
sion is composed of thirteen members from each
of the six Appellate Judicial Circuits. The six
elected members must be lawyers; the six lay
members are appointed. The chairperson, who
may be either a lawyer or lay member, is
appointed from the State at large.
There are eight Trial Court Judicial Nominating
Commissions, one for each of the eight Judicial
Circuits in the State. Each of the Trial Court Com-
missions is composed of thirteen members, six of
whom are lawyers and six of whom are lay
members. Each of the six lawyer members is
elected from the particular Judicial Circuit in
which he maintains a principal office. "The six
appointed lay members from each Judicial Circuit
must be residents and registered voters of that cir-
cuit and there must be at least one representative
from each county if the Judicial Circuit is com-
posed of more than one county. The chairperson of
each commission, appointed from the Judicial Cir-
cuit in which he resides, must be a registered voter
and may be either a lawyer or iay member.
"The terms of the members of the Appellate Com-
mission and the Trial Court Commissions are for
four years. The terms of the present members ex-
pire in January 1979.
The function of the Appellate Nominating
Commission and the Trial Court Nominating
Commissions is to consider and pass upon the
qualifications of proposed judicial appointees and
to nominate to the Governor those fully qualified
for vacant judicial offices to be filled by him on

Judicial Units, Boards and Commissions
the Court of Appeals, the Court of Special
Appeals, the County Circuit Courts, the Supreme
Bench of Baltimore City, and the District Court.
The Executive Order binds the Governor to ap-
point from the list of nominees.
THE MARYLAND JUDICIAL CONFER-
ENCE
Chairperson: Robert C. Murphy, Chief Judge,
Court of Appeals
William H. Adkins 11, Executive Secretary
Courts of Appeal Building
Annapolis 21401 Telephone: 269-2141
The Maryland Judicial Conference was infor-
mally organized in 1945. It was formally
established in 1969 when the Court of Appeals
promulgated Maryland Rule 1226.
"The Conference consists of all judges of the
Court of Appeals, Court of Special Appeals, the
Circuit Courts for the counties, the Supreme
Bench of Baltimore City, and the District Court.
The Administrative Office of the Courts serves as
secretariat for the Conference and all committees
appointed by it. The Chief Judge of the Court of
Appeals is Chairperson of the Conference and
appoints all committees except the Executive Com-
mittee, which is elected by the Conference.
The Conference meets annually in plenary ses-
sion. It conducts educational activities for the
judges and considers "the status of judicial busi-
ness in various courts," devises "means for reliev-
ing congestion of dockets where it may be neces-
sary," considers "improvements of practice and
procedure in the courts," considers and
recommends legislation and exchanges "ideas with
respect to the improvement of the administration
of justice and the judicial system in Maryland."
ATTORNEY GRIEVANCE COMMIS-
SION
Chairperson: George D. Solter, Jr., 1979
William A. Franch, 1981; William Wells Beckett,
1982; James J. Cromwell, 1979; R. Taylor
McLean, 1979; Raymond S. Smethrust, Jr„
1980; Walter E. Black, Jr., 1982.
L. Hollingsworth Pittman, Executive Director and
Bar Counsel
District Court Building
Annapolis 21401 Telephone: 269-2791