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 or lmontgomery@ncsc.dni.us 

Peter J. Beshar Joins Lawyers Committee
 of National Court Reform Organization

Williamsburg, VA (March 29, 2004) – Peter J. Beshar, a litigation partner with the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, has joined the National Center for State Courts’ Lawyers Committee, which involves prominent practicing attorneys in the National Center’s work and programs. Committee members serve in a leadership role with a commitment to support the National Center’s mission to actively participate in outreach and support to the bench, bar and the legal community, and to encourage support for the National Center’s programs and initiatives. Inaugural meetings were held recently in Washington, D.C. and in San Francisco in conjunction with the midyear meeting of the Conference of Chief Justices.

Beshar specializes in securities litigation, and serves has the Co-Chair of the firm’s Securities Litigation Practice Group. He currently represents a number of issuers, underwriters, and accounting firms in securities litigation matters. In addition, Beshar has conducted independent investigations for audit committees of Fortune 500 companies and defended numerous SEC, NASD, and NYSE investigations.

Beshar is a frequent commentator on CNN Moneyline, CNNfn, and Reuters. He previously served as the Special Assistant to Cyrus Vance in the peace negotiations over the former Yugoslavia and as the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the New York State Attorney General’s Task Force on Illegal Guns. 

The National Center for State Courts, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., is a non-profit court reform organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. The National Center, founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and former Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, provides education, training, and technology, management, and research services to the nation’s state courts. The National Center also is taking the lead on several key issues facing the justice system. For example, it has established a major civil justice initiative, a multi-year project that is examining best practices in civil case management and how complex litigation procedures can be improved. Other national initiatives being driven by the National Center include judicial selection reform and increasing citizen participation in jury service.

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