NEWS RELEASE

The National Center for State Courts
300 Newport Avenue · Williamsburg, Virginia  23185

Contact:
Lorri Montgomery
Communications Manager
The National Center for State Courts
757.259.1525

General Motors’ Executive Vice President 
Joins Board of National Court Reform Organization

Williamsburg, VA (Sept. 10, 2002) –  Thomas A. Gottschalk, executive vice president of law and public policy of General Motors Corporation,  recently joined the Board of Directors for the National Center for State Courts, a non-profit organization that serves as a leader and a resource for the nation’s state courts. Gottschalk joined General Motors in 1994 as a senior vice president and general counsel. In his current position, which he accepted in 2001, Gottschalk retains the general counsel responsibility and is also responsible for the Office of the Secretary.

“We are very pleased that Mr. Gottschalk has agreed to join The National Center’s board,” said Roger K. Warren, president of The National Center. “As a leader in both the legal profession and the corporate community, he brings a wealth of experience in corporate governance, planning, and public policy to the table. Mr. Gottschalk cares deeply about the importance of the work of America’s state courts, and the mission of The National Center as the preeminent national court reform organization.”

Gottschalk is a member of General Motors Automotive Strategy Board and is the global process leader for Law and Public Policy. As a representative of GM, he also serves on the Civil Justice Reform Group and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Gottschalk also serves on the advisory committee of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association and is co-chair of The National Center’s General Counsel Committee, a leadership group of America’s general counsel.

Prior to joining GM, Gottschalk was a partner and member of the management committee of Kirkland & Ellis in Washington, D.C., where he was involved in trial and appellate practice, principally involving complex civil cases, class actions and federal agency suits. Gottschalk is a member of the bar associations for the District of Columbia, Michigan, and Illinois, the American Bar Association, and the Chicago Council of Lawyers.  

The National Center’s Board of Directors represents all levels and jurisdictions of state courts.  New members were announced in August at the board’s annual meeting.  Aside from Gottschalk, new board members include: Charles Riley Cloud, presiding judge, Norfolk, Va.; Hilda R. Gage, judge of the Michigan Court of Appeals; and Zelda M. DeBoyes, court administrator for Aurora, Colorado.  Judith S. Kaye, Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, serves as Chair of the Board; Ronald M. George, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California, is Chair-Elect. 

The National Center for State Courts, founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, is dedicated to improving the administration of justice and provides  research, education, and consulting services to the state courts. The National Center, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., also has taken the lead on several key issues facing the justice system. For example, it established the Civil Justice Reform Initiative, a multi-year project that is examining the best practices in civil case management and how complex litigation procedures can be improved. Other national initiatives being driven by The National Center include improving public trust and confidence in the courts, improving pro se litigation, and judicial selection reform.

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