Read more About Morris K. Udall:
 »  University of Arizona Udall Manuscript Collection
 »  Morris K. Udall Foundation’s Short Biography

Located in Tucson, Arizona, the Morris K. Udall Inn of Court is a chapter of the American Inns of Court. You can read more about the history of our Inn (From a Power Point presentation given at the Inn on October 3, 2006).

American Inns of Court (AIC) are designed to improve the skills, professionalism and ethics of the bench and bar. An American Inn of Court is a diverse group of judges, lawyers, law professors, and law students. Each Inn meets approximately once a month to meet socially, have dinner, and present programs and discussions on matters of ethics, skills, and professionalism.

To encourage and help lawyers and judges rise to higher levels of excellence, professionalism, and ethical awareness, the American Inns of Court adopted the traditional English model of legal apprenticeship and modified it to fit the particular needs of the American legal system. American Inns of Court help lawyers to become more effective advocates and counselors with a keener ethical awareness. Younger members learn side-by-side with the most experienced judges and attorneys in their community.

An American Inn of Court is not a fraternal order, a social club, a course in continuing legal education, a lecture series, an apprenticeship system, or an adjunct of a law school’s program. While an American Inn of Court includes of some of these concepts, it is quite different in aim, scope, and effect.

American Inns of Court actively involve more than 20,000 state, federal and, administrative law judges, attorneys, legal scholars, and third-year law students. Membership is composed of the following categories: Masters of the Bench—judges, experienced lawyers, and law professors; Barristers—lawyers with some experience who do not meet the minimum requirements for Masters; Associates—lawyers who do not meet the minimum requirement for Barristers; and Pupils—third-year law students. The suggested number of active members in an Inn is around 80.

Most Inns concentrate on issues surrounding civil and criminal litigation practice, and include attorneys from a number of specialties. However, there are several Inns that specialize in criminal practice, federal litigation, tax law, administrative law, white-collar crime, bankruptcy, intellectual property, family law, or employment and labor law.

Every member is assigned to a “pupillage,” with each pupillage consisting of members from each membership category. Each pupillage conducts one program for the Inn each year. Pupillage members get together informally outside of monthly Inn meetings, allowing less-experienced attorneys to become more effective advocates and counselors by learning from more-experienced attorneys and judges. In addition, each less-experienced member is assigned to a more-experienced attorney or judge, who acts as a mentor and encourages conversations about the practice of law.