Professional fellowship is a key benefit of Academy membership. The national Academy meets twice yearly. Each November at the annual session in Chicago, there are committee meetings, educational programs, elections of officers and board members, and social events. Each March, the Academy holds its midyear meeting at various locations throughout the United States.

Continuing Education . . .

The Academy has achieved national recognition by pioneering in-depth studies of such issues as child custody, taxation, estate planning and property valuation. Through in-depth programs, the Academy has developed effective procedures for resolving custody, support and enforcement matters. Experts from various fields are frequently called upon as guest speakers and panelists to provide a cross-fertilization of ideas that enhance the skill and broaden the perspective of the family law practitioner.

Local Activities . . .

The Academy's thirty-three state chapters, representing Fellows throughout the U.S., conduct local and statewide seminars designed to develop a better understanding of family law and matrimonial practice at the local level.

Academy Fellows regularly volunteer their skills in the family law area for civic, legislative, educational and social groups and for the media. Academy Fellows have been in the forefront in developing and promoting legislation in many states and in Congress, resulting in a revolution in divorce laws in the past twenty years. Often, the Academy offers suggestions about proposed state and federal legislation, which reflects the experience of those who generally focus their practices on family law.