Dear Esteemed Colleagues of the American College of Legal Medine,
I hope this letter finds you well. With the holidays fast approaching, including the end of 2025, I thought that it would be appropriate to reflect on some recent ACLM events that are now in the rearview mirror.
ACLM Mid-Year Meeting October 17 and 18, 2025 held in Pittsburgh, PA, in partnership with the Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law
The ACLM Mid-year Meeting this year was held in partnership with the Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law on the campus of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. Many of our ACLM members presented cutting edge lectures and included a Forensic theme that ignited thought provoking discussions. I received many wonderful text messages and comments from attendees, some of which were “The conference was a home run”, and “Superb meeting”, to mention a few. CLE, CME, Dental CE, Nursing CE and Coroners CE were available to attendees, with in-person attendance as well as a virtual option. A fun, interesting, and informative experience was had by all.
The ACLM members who presented lectures were: Dr. Jack Snyder, Dr. Roger Metcalf, Dr. John Daller (moderator), and Student Member Justine Newman. Also pictured are Ben Wecht, Program Administrator, Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law and Program Co-Chair, Sierra Kepner, Wecht Institute, Dr. Marissa Feeney, and Dr. Jennifer Unis Sullivan, ACLM President and Program Co-Chair. ACLM Fellow, Dr. Michael Kaner lectured but is not pictured.
ACLM Members Networking
Dr. Jack Snyder lecturing about Ancestry Databases
2025 Mid-Year Meeting of the Board of Governors
The ACLM EC and Board of Governors met in Pittsburgh at the 2025 Mid-Year Meeting to discuss many topics important to the College. We have had a very active year to date, with an Amicus Brief being drafted under the Amicus Committee Chair, Dr. Santos Ruiz-Cordero, great progress with the JLM under the direction of Dr. Amir Pasha, Editor-in-Chief, membership continuing to grow with Dr. Christopher Meredith and Mary Kelly working together with the Membership and Credentialing Committee, and AMA news from the ACLM Delegate to AMA, Dr. Ellia Ciammaichella, which will be discussed later in this letter.
2025 National Health Law Moot Court Competition at Southern Illinois University
The ACLM once again sponsored and was represented at the 2025 National Health Law Moot Court Competition at Southern Illinois University (SIU) Simmons Law School which took place October 31 – November 1, 2025. The student advocates did an amazing job with First place going to the University of Tulsa College of Law, Second Place going to the University of California College of Law, San Francisco, and the Third Place team was from the University of Minnesota Law School. The winning brief and a scholarly article authored by SIU faculty that explores the legal issues presented and their broader implications for health law and society will be published in the Journal of Legal Medicine (JLM). The final round judges along with myself were Eugene Basanta, Past Dean of SIU Simmons Law School and ACLM Honorary Fellow, and Hannah Brenner Johnson, Dean of SIU Simmons Law School. Congratulations to all who participated, especially the winners!
Message from the ACLM Delegate to AMA, Ellia Ciammaichella, DO, JD, FCLM and Interim Alternate Delegate, Stanley Fronczak, MD, JD, FCLM
Dear Colleagues,
Our delegation will be at the American Medical Association Interim Meeting in National Harbor, MD (Nov 13-18), and we want you with us!
If you plan to attend, please join us at the new Legal Medicine Caucus hosted by ACLM!
We’re hosting the Legal Medicine Caucus meeting on Sunday, November 16th, from 5:00 to 6:00 PM in Chesapeake F. Let’s discuss where medicine meets law.
To stay in the loop, contact your delegation chair, Ellia Ciammaichella (ellia@ciammaichella.com), to join our GroupMe group!
See you in National Harbor!
Australasian College of Legal Medicine 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting
The Australasian College of Legal Medicine had their 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting and Awards Dinner November 8 and 9, 2025 in Singapore. Dr. Amir Pasha, Secretary of the ACLM, and Editor-in-Chief of the JLM, represented the ACLM at the conference. His topic was “Beyond Dobbs: The Current State of Reproductive Rights in the U.S.”. We are very honored to have had Dr. Pasha represent the ACLM in Singapore. Congratulations, Dr. Pasha!
Looking Ahead to an Amazing 2026 with the ACLM
The ACLM has much to look forward to in 2026. March 6 to 8, 2026 the ACLM Annual Conference is set to take place in sunny Pheonix, AZ, under the direction of Dr. Amir Pasha, Conference Chair, and Dr. Nicholas Pantomitros, Dental Conference Chair. Save the Date because you don’t want to miss the interesting lectures, or the unique networking events, such as the President’s Reception at the Musical Instrument Museum. Registration will be opening soon so keep a look out for more information. Looking forward to seeing you all there!
Happy Thanksgiving, and have a safe and wonderful Holiday.
Yours respectfully,
Jennifer Unis Sullivan, DMD, JD, FCLM
55th President of the American College of Legal Medicine