Bar Inaugurates White, Presents Annual Awards
Melvin White, a senior trial partner at McDermott Will & Emery LLP, became the 36th president of the District of Columbia Bar in a ceremony concluding the Bar’s Annual Business Meeting and Awards Dinner on June 21. The event, which also honored outstanding individuals and programs within the legal community, was held at the Regency Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.

In his inaugural address, White praised the leadership of Past President John C. Cruden and outgoing president James J. Sandman and said that “in the coming year, we will build on John and Jim’s good work by focusing on inclusion, and that is, how best to utilize our vast and varied human resources into the service of the community, our clients, the Bar, and the legal profession.”

The presentation of awards preceded White’s inauguration. This year’s recipients were the Workplace Street Law Project of the Labor and Employment Law Section (Best Section Community Outreach Project); the Taxation Section (Best Section); a tie between James vanR. Springer of the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia and Duncan N. Stevens of Miller & Chevalier Chartered (Pro Bono Lawyer); a tie between DLA Piper US LLP and LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae LLP (Law Firm Pro Bono); and the Small Business Initiative, Community Economic Development Project of the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program (Best Bar Project).

James W. Klein, chief of the Appellate Division of the Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia, received the William J. Brennan Jr. Award in recognition of his work toward furthering the public interest and equal justice. The Frederick B. Abramson Award, which recognizes the most significant contribution made in the past year to the D.C. Bar and its individual members, went to the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program’s Senior Lawyer Public Interest Project.

The evening began with the President’s Reception in honor of White. The event, which accounts for one-third of the Pro Bono Program’s annual budget, raised more than $600,000 for the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program and surpassed the record set at last year’s reception.

Sandman thanked all the donors and reception attendants. He stressed the need to continue the hard work of supporting pro bono, both financially and through contributions of time and legal expertise.

John W. Nields Jr., chair of the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Committee, provided an update of the committee’s activities and plans for the upcoming year. In addition to continuing its current efforts, the committee has plans to expand its services. For example, the Pro Bono Program is developing an outreach program to wounded servicemembers and their families at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Bethesda Naval Hospital.

Finally, White echoed remarks made by Nields and Sandman, reaffirming his commitment to continue and enlarge pro bono projects during his tenure as D.C. Bar president. White was particularly pleased by the Bar membership’s approval of a measure permitting Bar leadership and officers to lobby on behalf of public funding for civil legal services.—K.A.

D.C. Court of Appeals Seeks Candidates for Criminal Justice Act Panel
Attorneys interested in joining the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals are encouraged to submit applications. Completed applications for prospective members must be submitted to the Clerk’s Office no later than August 13. Current CJA Panel members wishing to remain must return their completed application updates no later than August 3.

Applications and application updates are available at the court’s Web site, www.dcappeals.gov/dccourts/appeals
/cja.jsp, or from the Clerk’s Office, located at 500 Indiana Avenue NW, sixth floor.

Candidates should read Miscellaneous Order No. M-217-03, regarding the continuing legal education requirements of CJA Panel attorneys; the 2006 Notice to CJA Counsel Concerning the Annual CLE Requirement; and the memorandum, “Obligations of Counsel.” These and other documents relating to the CJA Panel are available on the court’s Web site.

Approval for inclusion on the CJA Panel constitutes the applicant’s commitment to fulfilling the membership obligations described in these documents.—J.R.

Local Firms Called to Greater Pro Bono Challenge
The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program held a breakfast meeting on June 19 with the leaders of the top 50 to 100 largest law firms in the District and the chief judges of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The firms were encouraged to join the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Initiative, a pledge to dedicate between 3 percent and 5 percent of their annual billable hours to pro bono. The challenge first was extended to the top 50 largest D.C. firms in 2001.

The breakfast was convened by the Pro Bono Program, the four chief judges, and the D.C. Access to Justice Commission.

D.C. Bar President James Sandman opened by observing that firms already had agreed to join the initiative. He also praised the efforts of Esther Lardent of the Pro Bono Institute at the Georgetown University Law Center for her tireless efforts on behalf of pro bono.

Chief Judge Eric T. Washington of the D.C. Court of Appeals spoke next, pointing out that there is “no more critical issue facing the fair administration of justice in the District of Columbia” than competent legal representation for everyone who needs it. Washington noted there is always a pressing need for lawyers to represent poor people.

Chief Judge Douglas Ginsburg of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit agreed, emphasizing that the community desperately needs affordable legal assistance. He observed that the 31 newly hired legal services attorneys provided by funding from the D.C. Bar Foundation and the D.C. City Council will serve as “scouts” for more pro bono opportunities. Providing civil legal representation is “more of a challenge than an accomplished fact,” Ginsburg said.

Peter Edelman, head of the D.C. Access to Justice Commission, outlined the commission’s history and activities. To diminish the gap between the rich and poor in the District, said Edelman, the legal and structural needs of the poor must be addressed.

Chief Judge Thomas Hogan of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia observed that while most poverty law cases will be heard by local courts, the federal courts also offer pro bono possibilities. Pro bono, said Hogan, is a professional obligation as well as the right thing to do.

Michael Nannes, chair at Dickstein Shapiro LLP, stressed three benefits from making pro bono a cornerstone of a firm’s work. First, it helps tap in to the firm’s talent pool; second, associates gain valuable experience; and third, pro bono makes sound business sense by keeping associates happy.

Chief Judge Rufus G. King of the D.C. Superior Court closed the breakfast remarks, asking for the assistance of local firms. In this case, he said, the “trickle-down” theory actually works—one really meaningful pro bono representation can energize the whole firm. There might even be opportunities to participate in historic legislation; the case of Clarence Gideon, the plaintiff in Gideon v. Wainwright, was originally a pro bono representation.—J.R.

LEAP Reception Recognizes Contributions of Area Lawyers and Firms
On May 23 member firms of the Lawyers’ Executive Advisory Partners (LEAP) Program were recognized for their financial support and pro bono legal services at a reception hosted by Sidley Austin LLP. LEAP was initiated by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP) to help the program with its daunting mission—eradicating homelessness in America.

The reception featured Georgetown University Law Center Professor and D.C. Access to Justice Commission Chair Peter Edelman speaking about the important role lawyers play in addressing the needs of low-income residents and the commission’s success in securing city funding for civil legal services.

“One of the things that’s very clear is that if we are going to build a system of legal services as good as it should be, we need two components: we need full-time lawyers [working for legal services providers] and we need pro bono lawyers,” Edelman said.

Edelman said the District of Columbia will soon see more full-time public service lawyers thanks to the work of the D.C. Access to Justice Commission, which successfully persuaded the Council of the District of Columbia to appropriate $3.2 million to fund civil legal services for fiscal year 2007 and the same amount for 2008. A portion of both allocations will allow for the hiring of an additional 31 lawyers in the legal services network.

As for the other component, Edelman said the city should be proud of the significant pro bono work done by Washington lawyers.

Following Edelman, NLCHP board member Jeffrey Simes, a partner at the New York office of Goodwin Procter LLP, related his experience working with homeless children in Long Island, New York, through a partnership between his firm and NLCHP.

“The lessons were many,” he said. “This project opened my eyes [to the fact] that you can unify your firm around such projects.”

Pro bono opportunities for LEAP members include work concerning children and youth, civil rights, domestic violence, housing, human rights, and income.

Lawyers or law firms interested in becoming a member of LEAP should contact Amy Warnick at 202-638-2535, ext. 206, or awarnick@nlchp.org. For more information on NLCHP, visit www.nlchp.org.—K.A.

D.C. Council Allocates $3.2 Million for Legal Services in 2008
For the second consecutive year the Council of the District of Columbia will allocate $3.2 million in its budget for civil legal services.

In June the council finalized legislation that will provide funding for fiscal year 2008 (beginning in October 2007); the council also allocated $3.2 million for civil legal services in fiscal year 2007 in response to a recommendation of the D.C. Access to Justice Commission.

The commission was created by the D.C. Court of Appeals in 2005 to address the lack of civil legal services for low-income District residents.

“By continuing public funding for civil legal services in fiscal year 2008, the District government has renewed its commitment to help those most in need. The funding will support about 30 lawyers in the legal services network, which translates into significantly more assistance for our city’s most vulnerable residents,” said Peter Edelman, who chairs the 17-member committee.

The funds will be distributed as grants by the D.C. Bar Foundation, as it was for fiscal year 2007 when it supported the creation of a shared legal interpreter bank, the hiring of additional legal services lawyers working in housing matters and in underserved communities, and the District of Columbia Poverty Lawyer Loan Assistance Repayment Program Act of 2006.

For more information on the D.C. Access to Justice Commission, visit www.dcaccesstojustice.org or contact Executive Director Sunil Mansukhani at 202-344-4441 or info@dcaccesstojustice.org. To find out more about the 2007 grants made by the Bar Foundation, visit www.dcbarfoundation.org.—K.A.

D.C. Bar Election Results
(Winners in italic) President-Elect: Devarieste Curry, 3,269; Robert J. Spagnoletti, 3,774. Secretary: Rebecca M. McNeill, 3,335; Cynthia G. Wright, 3,100. Treasurer: Thomas Mugavero, 2,778; Don A. Resnikoff, 3,433. Board of Governors: Anthony P. Bisceglie, 1,618; Judy Conti, 3,269; David Florin, 2,402; Nathalie Gilfoyle, 3,699; Theodore Charles Hirt, 2,334; Ellen M. Jakovic, 3,748; Charles R. Lowery Jr., 3,659; Stephen J. Price, 2,258; Christina Guerola Sarchio, 3,309; Anthony Tu-Sekine, 2,305. ABA House of Delegates: Barbara Berish Brown, 2,799; Tracy-Gene G. Durkin, 2,255; John Payton, 4,177; Mark H. Tuohey III, 3,366. ABA House of Delegates Under-35 Seat: Ryan P. Phair, 1,653; Elizabeth A. Scully, 4,458.

Abramson Foundation Awards Scholarships to Area High School Students
The Frederick B. Abramson Memorial Foundation honored its 2007 scholarship recipients at its annual Scholarship Awards Luncheon on June 21.

Since 1992 the foundation has awarded college scholarships to low-income high school students in the District of Columbia who have exhibited high academic achievement and a commitment to community service.

For 2007, $68,000 in scholarships was distributed to 24 area students.

The scholarship recipients include: Samrawit Belew, Taneea Byrd, Gilbert Castillo, Brittany Coote, Jessica Davis, Amanda Fernandez, Berta Gonzalez, Roxy Guandiqué, Brandy Harrison, Toya Harrison, Nicole Jackson, Anh Le, Jamaal Morgan, Adela Paiz, Samantha Palmer, Shakeria Reed, Hedy Romero, Charles Smith, Daniela Uribe, Ashley Walton, Christina White, Michael Yeldell, Cheng Zhang, and Mingfei Zhang.

Romero and White also were the recipients of named scholarships, which are given by individuals, law firms, corporations, or foundations. Romero received the Adler Scholarship Award and White received the Cochran Firm, D.C. Scholarship Award.

This year’s luncheon was hosted by WTOP radio’s Mark Plotkin of the Politics Program and featured keynote speakers and 2006 scholarship recipients Allison de Groot and James Yarborough, who passed along the lessons they’ve learned from their time at college.

The foundation is named after the late Frederick B. Abramson, a D.C. attorney who served as D.C. Bar president (1985-86) and as bar counsel to the Board on Professional Responsibility of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals,

To find out more information on the foundation, visit www.abramsonfoundation.org.—K.A.

Bar Seeks Candidates for Committee, Commission, and Board Vacancies
The D.C. Bar Board of Governors is seeking candidates for fall appointment to 10 of the Bar’s standing committees, as well as to the District of Columbia Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure, the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission, and the board of the Neighborhood Legal Services Program (NLSP).

The following standing committees of the Bar are recruiting members: Community Economic Development Project Advisory Committee, Continuing Legal Education Committee, Governance Integration Advisory Committee, Lawyer Assistance Program (formerly Lawyer Counseling), Membership Committee, Practice Management Service Committee, Pro Bono Committee, Publications Committee, Regulations/Rules/Board Procedures Committee, and Rules of Professional Conduct Review Committee.

The Bar also is accepting candidate résumés for the seven-member Committee on Nominations. This committee is appointed each year in accordance with the Bar’s bylaws and is responsible for nominating candidates for the Bar’s officer and Board of Governors positions for the next Bar election. Any active member of the Bar who is not an officer or member of the Board of Governors, and who has not served on the Committee on Nominations during the past three years, is eligible to apply.

Candidates interested in appointment consideration to the D.C. Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure or the D.C. Judicial Nominations Commission must be U.S. citizens, D.C. residents for at least 90 days prior to appointment, and active members of the D.C. Bar, practicing law for five years preceding appointment. Candidates may not be D.C. government or federal employees. In addition, lawyer members must have qualifications prescribed for appointed judges of D.C. courts.

The Board of Governors also is accepting résumés from D.C. Bar members interested in serving on the board of directors of the NLSP. Candidates must be licensed attorneys who are supportive of the Legal Services Corporation Act and have an interest in, and knowledge of, the delivery of quality legal services to the poor. The NLSP board is required to attempt to reflect the diversity of the NLSP client population in its recommendations to the Bar’s Board of Governors.

Some of the committees have positions designated for nonlawyer members as well as incumbents who are eligible for reappointment.

Individuals interested in being considered for any of these openings should submit a résumé and letter stating the committee, commission, or board on which they would like to serve, to D.C. Bar Executive Office, 1250 H Street NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005-5937. Résumés must be received by September 4.—J.R.

Bar Foundation Awards Grants to Legal Services Providers
This year has been a good one for legal services providers in the District. The District of Columbia government transferred $3.2 million in public funding to the D.C. Bar Foundation, which subsequently, in April, distributed public funding in grants totaling $2.89 million. In June the D.C. Bar Foundation made awards of $2.1 million in publicly funded grants to 29 different programs providing civil legal services, which is the largest amount the foundation has awarded in its annual grant-making process since it was established in 1977.

“The generosity of our legal community, and the responsiveness of area banks to our D.C. IOLTA Preferred Bank Initiative, has enabled the foundation, once again, to increase our funding for legal services,” says D.C. Bar Foundation President Robert N. Weiner.

“We are pleased that legal services organizations can implement more of the creative, effective, plans they have for eliminating barriers to justice and for bringing legal help to the people who need it most.”

Among the grantees are the Whitman-Walker Clinic Legal Services Program, which received $125,000; the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, which received $100,000 for general support and $75,000 for its Appellate Litigation Project; and the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, which received $120,000 for general support and $45,000 for its Homeless Access to Employment Project.

A portion of the money went toward the foundation’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program, which helps relieve some of the financial burden facing poverty lawyers in the District.

Cross-cutting grants were made to the D.C. Consortium of Legal Service Providers, probono.net/dc and LawHelp.org/dc, and a call center collaborative grant.

Weiner says although there has been progress made in meeting the unmet legal needs of low-income District residents, much more needs to be done to close the gap between legal needs and available resources.

“We hope lawyers and law firms in D.C. will continue to recognize their unique obligation to fund legal services for the poor and will help us and the legal services providers we fund in protecting the basic human rights of the most vulnerable among us.”

For more information about the grants, contact Katherine Garrett at 202-467-3750, ext. 56, or garrett@dcbarfound
ation.org, or visit www.dcbarfoundation.org.—K.A.

Director of AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly Celebrates 30 Years
Jan Allen May, the director of AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly (LCE), was honored at a surprise reception at the Brickfield Conference Center on June 28. May began his career as a staff attorney at AARP on June 22, 1977.

Following the introduction and welcoming remarks by Mimi Castaldi, director of the D.C. office of AARP, May was recognized by government dignitaries, coworkers, and members of other legal services organizations.

“This is a really big deal,” said Christopher W. Hansen, AARP’s group executive officer for state and national initiatives. Pointing to May’s past achievements, including receipt of the Jerrold Scoutt Prize from the D.C. Bar Foundation, Hanson stated “you’re to be commended for all you’re doing.”

Robin Talbert, executive director of the AARP Foundation, and Dawn Sweeney, president of AARP Services, echoed those comments, asserting that May had fundamentally affected the practice of poverty law and made a real impact in the lives of individuals. Jonathan Smith, executive director of the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, congratulated and thanked May for his service and hard work.

Bill Novelli, the chief executive officer of AARP, sent videotaped remarks praising May and his work on behalf of the organization.

Dr. Clarence Brown, director of the D.C. Office on Aging, read a proclamation from D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, recognizing May’s efforts on behalf of the elderly and disabled in the District.

A clearly overwhelmed May thanked the audience and speakers, and said that it was his honor to be of service to others. He supported the ethic of lawyer volunteering and stressed the vital importance that volunteers have in carrying out LCE’s work. “Your support has meant very much to me,” he said.—J.R.

Victoria Rowell: An Actress and Advocate
Actress Victoria Rowell, best known for her work on The Young and the Restless and Diagnosis Murder, appeared at the D.C. Superior Court on May 22 to speak before an audience that included foster children, foster parents, social workers, and court-appointed special advocates about her personal experiences growing up in foster care. Rowell, who was in the District as part of a book tour, gave a reading from her recently published memoir, The Women Who Raised Me, which honors the key women who fostered, mentored, and helped her achieve personal and professional success.—K.A.

Bar Members Must Complete Practice Course
New members of the District of Columbia Bar are reminded that they have 12 months from the date of admission to complete the required course on District of Columbia practice offered by the D.C. Bar’s Continuing Legal Education Program.

D.C. Bar members who have been inactive, retired, or voluntarily resigned for five years or more are also required to complete the course if they are seeking to switch or be reinstated to active member status. In addition, members who have been suspended for five years or more for nonpayment of dues or late fees are required to take the course to be reinstated.

New members who do not complete the mandatory course requirement within 12 months of admission receive a noncompliance notice and a final 60-day window in which to comply. After that date, the Bar automatically suspends individuals who have not attended and forwards their names to the clerks of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and to the Office of Bar Counsel.

Suspensions become a permanent part of members’ records. To be reinstated one must complete the course and pay a $50 fee.

The course is $190. The next course dates are August 7, September 11, October 13, November 6, and December 11. Advanced registration is encouraged.

For more information or to register online, visit www.dcbar.org/mandatorycourse.

Julie Reynolds and Kathryn Alfisi are staff writers with the D.C. Bar. They can be reached by e-mail at jreynolds@dcbar.org and kalfisi@dcbar.org.