About

Mr. Apperson is currently Chairperson of the International Institute for Justice Excellence in The Hague, Netherlands. He most recently served as Vice President for International Relations at the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) from 2010–2024. While at NCSC—an organization whose mission is to improve justice administration in the courts of the United States and courts throughout the world—he supervised eighteen offices globally. He is a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Mr. Apperson co-founded the International Association for Court Administration in 2004 and served as President and CEO of the organization. He served as a Clerk of Court for U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts for the Western District of Kentucky from 1985–2010, and as an Attorney Advisor to the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts from 1982–1985. While on sabbatical in 2006, he served as Chief of Court Management for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. Mr. Apperson also served as president of the Federal Court Clerks Association and the National Conference of Bankruptcy Clerks. He has an honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force.

During Mr. Apperson’s time with NCSC, the United Nations, and the Federal Courts, he contributed to judicial governance transitions in several countries and supported Judicial Conference Committees of the United States Courts in various advisory positions.

1. Assisted in development of strategic plans for the Ministry of Justice for Mongolia to establish a reformed Judicial Council and Administrative Office. Oversaw a court assessment project in Iraq and collaborated with the Supreme Court of Jamaica on a new strategic plan.
2. Collaborated with the National Judicial Council of Brazil and governments in Mexico to establish restorative justice and court management capacity programs.
3. Supported National Judicial Council of Nigeria’s national case management project and helped form the International Consortium for open-source case management systems, including Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, Namibia, Guyana, Argentina, and Barbados.
4. Introduced technology reform policy proposals to the Plenary Council of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. 
5. Addressed the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan twice at annual Judicial Conference on court governance and court management.
6. Served the Judicial Conference of the U.S. as a member of advisory committees on budget, technology, finance, multi-district litigation, and case management.
7. Met with members of judicial councils in the Philippines, Kenya, Bulgaria, South Africa, Honduras, Argentina, Mongolia, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Mexico regarding court management improvement. 
8. Assisted with a finance and budget transition report for the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago. 
9. Served on the formational Expert Workgroup for the UNODC Global Judicial Integrity project.
10. Served on UNDP Istanbul Principles Expert Workgroup on transparency and public trust.
11. Officiated a ceremony for UNICTY legacy recognition at the International Court of Justice. 
12. Assisted in the implementation of the new constitution for Morocco.
13. Has spoken on numerous international topics related to court management and justice reform, including at the recent World Congress of Constitutional Courts.