NEWS RELEASE
www.ncsconline.org

Contact: 
Lorri Montgomery, Communications Manager
The National Center for State Courts
300 Newport Avenue
Williamsburg, VA 23185-4147 
757.259.1525
 lmontgomery@ncsc.dni.us 

Kansas City Judge Receives National Honor

Williamsburg, VA (Oct. 12, 2005) – The National Center for State Courts recently presented Kansas City Municipal Court Judge Michael R. McAdam its 2005 Distinguished Service Award. The award is presented annually to a state trial court judge who has made significant contributions to the field of judicial administration or to the work of the National Center for State Courts (NCSC).

“Judge McAdam’s strong leadership and his work has positively impacted the justice system, locally, statewide and nationally,” said NCSC President Mary McQueen, who presented the award to McAdam during the annual meeting of the American Judges Association (AJA) in Alaska . Judge McAdam served as President of the AJA from 2003-2004.

McAdam recently served as an expert panelist for the NCSC’s project, “Judicial Leadership to Reduce the Incidence of Impaired Driving,” and he has supported the NCSC’s Civil Justice Reform Initiative, most notably in his role as the 2004 AJA president in which he launched an initiative to support judicial independence. His work culminated in a Public Broadcasting System film production, which aired across the country earlier this year.

Judge McAdam was named to the Kansas City , Missouri Municipal Court bench in 1990 and served as presiding judge for two years.

The National Center , 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 Chief Justice of the United States 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, such as strengthening court security, improving judicial selection, increasing citizen participation in jury service.  

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