News and Notes on the D.C. Bar Legal Community
By Kathryn Alfisi and Steven J. Stauffer

D.C. Bar Inaugurates Spagnoletti, Bestows Honors at Annual Dinner
Robert J. Spagnoletti was sworn in as the 37th president of the D.C. Bar at its Annual Business Meeting and Awards Dinner on June 26 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.

Invoking the old proverb “the right man comes along at the right time,” outgoing President Melvin White welcomed Spagnoletti during the ceremonial passing of the gavel. Spagnoletti was introduced by John R. Fisher, an associate judge at the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and a longtime friend, and sworn in by Chief Judge Eric T. Washington, also of the Court of Appeals.

In his first act as Bar president, Spagnoletti made a confession: “I went to law school for all the wrong reasons,” he told a laughing crowd, explaining that everything he knew about becoming a lawyer, he learned from television. “In my mind, being a lawyer meant you should be center stage, everyone focusing on you.”

Years spent as a government and private lawyer, however, taught him that he had it all wrong, Spagnoletti added. A partner at Schertler & Onorato, L.L.P. since 2006,
Spagnoletti previously served the District of Columbia as its first attorney general, beginning in 2003 when the position was still known as corporation counsel. In the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, he said, he truly learned the power of the law—the power to help the powerless.

Spagnoletti’s father and siblings, as well as his partner, Bernard, and sons, Hunter and Anthony, were on hand as he discussed some of the goals he hopes to accomplish during his tenure as president. “By the end of my year as president, I hope to deliver to the Board of Governors a written strategic plan that will help guide us into the future,” Spagnoletti said. “It might not be the sexiest initiative, but it is an important one.”

During the awards portion of the program, several members of the Bar’s community were recognized for their efforts over the past year. The D.C. Bar Best Section Community Outreach Project Award was presented to the Government Contracts and Litigation Section’s Government Procurement Training Program. Two sections tied for Best Section Award: the Corporation, Finance and Securities Law Section and Litigation Section. The Pro Bono Lawyer Award category also resulted in a tie between David L. Cleveland of Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services and Seth M. Galanter of Morrison & Foerster LLP.

Dickstein Shapiro LLP received the Pro Bono Law Firm Award. The Table of Affected Legal Ethics Opinions, a joint project of the Legal Ethics Committee and the Rules of Professional Conduct Review Committee, was recognized as the Best Bar Project.

The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program’s Community Economic Development Project Advisory Committee was honored with the Frederick B. Abramson Award for its Project 990.

The final honor of the evening, the Thurgood Marshall Award, was presented to John Payton, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. The award is presented biennially to a Bar member who demonstrates excellence, dedication, and commitment to public interest law.

Taking the podium, Payton spoke highly of Marshall, invoking the words of the legendary civil rights attorney during the 1987 celebration of the Constitution: “While the Union survived the Civil War, the Constitution did not. In its place arose a new, more promising basis for justice and equality—the Fourteenth Amendment.”

The evening began with the Presidents’ Reception which, in addition to honoring Spagnoletti, also raised one-third of this year’s budget for the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program.

D.C. Bar Pro Bono Committee Chair John W. Nields Jr. and Program Director Maureen Thornton Syracuse thanked the attendees for their support and talked about the program’s past, current, and upcoming projects.

“As we look forward to the next 15 years, our goal will remain to change and grow as needed to bring the pro bono resources of this wonderful Washington legal community to the people living in poverty in the District, while hopefully making their lives better,” Syracuse said. “With your help, I think we’ll be able to do it.”

Spagnoletti echoed similar sentiments and praised the work of the program. “I’m delighted to start this very special evening with this event that benefits the Pro Bono Program and focuses our attention on unmet legal needs,” Spagnoletti said. “We should all take great pride in our Bar’s longstanding history of providing pro bono services, but we have to remain aware of how much still needs to be done.”—K.A. and S.S.

Keenan Becomes President-Elect
The Bar’s active membership elected Kim M. Keenan as president-elect of the D.C. Bar for the 2008–2009 term. Keenan will serve in that post for one year before becoming president and will continue in office a third year as immediate past president. Keenan, as well as all other newly elected officers, board members, and delegates, took office June 26 during the Bar’s Annual Business Meeting and Awards Dinner.

Keenan garnered 57 percent of the ballots in the Bar’s annual election, which ended June 6. She faced William E. Davis, a partner at Ross, Marsh & Foster.

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to serve as president-elect of this great Bar. Our president has set the goals for the upcoming Bar year, and we are already planning to make them a reality,” Keenan said. “I also look forward to working with [each member] to support the membership and enhance the profession.”

Keenan’s practice focuses on complex medical malpractice litigation and litigation consulting. An incumbent member of the D.C. Bar Board of Governors, Keenan also is chair of the Bar’s Landlord-Tenant Task Force Implementation Committee and a member of the Bar’s Dues Ceiling Committee. She is a former member of the Bar’s Budget, Continuing Legal Education, Nominations, Personnel, and Screening committees. She also is a past president of the National Bar Association and the Washington Bar Association, and past treasurer of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia. A graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and the University of Virginia School of Law, Keenan teaches trial advocacy and civil procedure and has done law-related radio and television commentary.

Also elected to one-year terms were Javier G. Salinas of Ernst & Young LLP as secretary, and Lena Robins of Foley & Lardner LLP as treasurer.

Elected to three-year terms on the Bar’s Board of Governors were Amy L. Bess of Sonnenschein, Nash & Rosenthal LLP; Ankur J. Goel of McDermott Will & Emery LLP; Rebecca M. McNeill of Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP; Laura A. Possessky of Gura & Possessky PLLC; and Benjamin F. Wilson of Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.

Elected to two-year terms in the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates were John C. Cruden of the U.S. Department of Justice, Karen M. Lockwood of Howrey LLP, and Marna S. Tucker of Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP. As the next highest vote getter, Lucy L. Thomson of Computer Sciences Corporation was elected to complete an unexpired one-year term created as a result of a vacancy in the Bar’s current delegation.

Of the 65,301 ballots mailed, 7,296 were cast for an 11.2 percent turnout, according to the Bar’s Election Board (see box titled “D.C. Bar 2008 Election Results” for a complete breakdown).

D.C. Bar 2008 Election Results (Winners in italic) President-Elect: William E. Davis, 3,133; Kim M. Keenan, 4,163. Secretary: Javier G. Salinas, 3,429; Edward G. Varrone, 3,341. Treasurer: Jenny Kim, 2,970; Lena Robins, 3,763. Board of Governors: Amy L. Bess, 3,499; David J. Cynamon, 2,725; David Florin, 2,446; Ankur J. Goel, 2,863; Mark Hanna, 2,374; Rebecca M. McNeill, 3,553; Laura Possessky, 4,163; Michael S. Sundermeyer, 2,636; James Vigil Jr., 2,356; Benjamin F. Wilson, 3,745. ABA House of Delegates: William P. Atkins, 2,296; John C. Cruden, 4,013; Karen M. Lockwood, 3,671; Donald Remy, 3,258; Paul M. Smith, 3,108; Lucy L. Thomson, 3,519; Marna S. Tucker, 4,340.

Latham & Watkins Seeks Diversity Scholars Applicants
Latham & Watkins LLP is considering applicants for its Diversity Scholars Program, which awards $10,000 in scholarship money to four second-year law students.

The program was established in 2005 in the United States to increase the diversity of attorneys seeking to work in global law firms.

The Diversity Scholars Program will consider candidates who meet the following criteria: academic and leadership achievements, life experiences and challenges, and a desire to practice at a global law firm and contribute to its diversity objectives.

Students must submit an application, personal statement, résumé, and official or unofficial law school transcript by September 15. The application and instructions can be found at www.lw.com/diversity.—K.A.

Legal “Legends” Murphy, Cohen Discuss Law, Life at Luncheon
The D.C. Bar Law Practice Management Section hosted its fourth annual “Legends in the Law” luncheon on June 12, featuring legal legends George Cohen and Betty Southard Murphy, at the D.C. Bar Conference Center.

Cohen served with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) from 1960 to 1966, and was counsel to the American Federation of Musicians, Major League Baseball Players’ Association, National Basketball Players’ Association, National Symphony Orchestra, Phonograph Record Manufacturers’ Special Payments Fund, and Theatrical and Television Motion Picture Special Payments Fund. He is a former partner at Bredhoff & Kaiser, P.L.L.C. and has argued five cases before the Supreme Court.

Murphy is the only person to have served as both chair of the NLRB and administrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor. She has held five other presidential appointments and has been a partner at Baker Hostetler LLP since 1980.

At the luncheon, Murphy and Cohen shared their favorite memories from their storied careers and joked with the host and audience members. Former Law Practice Management Section Cochair Jeffrey Berger served as moderator.

Murphy paid tribute to “the unsung heroes of the labor movement”—the paper plant laborers who would come to work each day not knowing what sort of work they would be doing, thanks to a bewildering seniority system that operated by opaque and constantly changing principles. Murphy recalled an event in which she was sent to Louisiana to negotiate a merger between two labor unions—divided by race—in the same town.

“Neither of them wanted to merge,” Murphy said. “They were adamant.” However, the bosses in Washington had decreed that the merger would push through, despite having no real authority to implement the order. Murphy eventually determined that the union hall, which both local unions shared, was the property of the national organization, and threatened to sell it unless both sides agreed to the merger. The strategy worked.

Cohen also regaled the audience with tales of his time representing the Players’ Association of the National Hockey League (NHL). Cohen made the mistake of suggesting to an NHL executive that the organization consider how other sports handled an issue, and was told that the NHL “would rather take an ice pick in the eye” than emulate another sport.

Both legends also discussed their experiences during the Nixon administration. Murphy represented Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Jack Anderson when the latter was threatened with contempt of court following his refusal to hand over transcripts of leaked grand jury testimony on the Watergate scandal.

Without Anderson, she said, there would have been no Watergate hearings, and probably no Nixon resignation.

Berger asked the legends to outline the fundamental principles that have guided them throughout their careers.

“Practicing law, which allows you to do great things, is a privilege, not just a job,” Murphy said, quoting the old adage “For every right, a responsibility; for every wrong, a remedy.”

Cohen said he felt it was important for every young lawyer to remember to give the client the bad news up front. “Don’t be a yes man to your client,” he said. “Always advise them what may happen if you lose. Give them an objective assessment.”—S.S.

Board of Governors Calls Special Membership Meeting
The D.C. Bar Board of Governors has called a special membership meeting where it will request authorization to seek public bond financing as well as an exemption from real estate taxes in the event the Bar undertakes the purchase of office space for its headquarters operations. The meeting will take place from 4 to 5 p.m. on September 23 at the D.C. Bar Conference Center, 1250 H Street NW, B-1 level. More information about the proposal is online at www.dcbar.org/special_meeting.

Commission Welcomes Comments on Chief Judge Candidates
The Judicial Nomination Commission is inviting comments regarding the fitness of Anita Josey-Herring and Lee F. Satterfield, chief judge candidates for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Comments must be received by August 8.

The chosen candidate will be appointed to a four-year term. The successful candidate will replace current Chief Judge Rufus G. King III, who has announced that he will not seek a third term and will step down from the bench September 30. King has served as a Superior Court judge for 24 years, almost eight of which has been spent as the court’s chief judge.

“I believe this to be the right time for the court, and for me personally, to step down. I do so with profound gratitude for the opportunity to serve this great court. From my first day on the bench in 1984, there has not been a day that I would trade for working anywhere else. I leave confident in the court’s future growth as a leader among the nation’s urban trial courts,” King said.

The candidates’ statements of interest can be viewed on the commission’s Web site at http://jnc.dc.gov or by appointment at the commission’s office at 515 5th Street NW. To schedule an appointment, contact Peggy Williams-Smith at 202-879-0478.

Comments from members of the Bar, bench, and public are welcome. Comments should be submitted in writing and mailed or delivered to Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, Chair, Judicial Nomination Commission, 515 5th Street NW, Suite 235, Washington, DC, 20001. A PDF copy must also be e-mailed to Judge Sullivan at jnc@dcd.uscourts.gov.

All comments will remain confidential unless the individual or organization consents to discuss the comments with a candidate.—K.A.

Court of Appeals Considers Bar’s Request to Raise Dues Ceiling
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals is considering a recommendation by the D.C. Bar Board of Governors to increase the membership dues ceiling from $195 to $285, effective July 1, 2009.

The request is not for an actual dues increase, but for an increase in the upper limit at which member dues may be set.

Dues ceilings have been established by the court throughout the Bar’s history, with periods lasting as long as 10 years and as short as two. The current dues ceiling has been in place for five years. The Bar projects the proposed ceiling of $285 would allow it to operate through fiscal year 2013–2014.

In its recommendation to the court, the Bar notes that its dues are among the lowest of all mandatory bars nationwide and would remain so even with the proposed new ceiling. The recommendation also states that the major reason behind the dues ceiling increase is to accommodate personnel benefits and occupancy costs.

Interested parties can submit written comments concerning the proposed recommendation. Ten copies of any comments should be submitted by August 12 to the Clerk, D.C. Court of Appeals, 500 Indiana Avenue NW, Suite 6000, Washington, DC 20001.

To read the full text of the court’s notice, visit www.dcappeals.gov/dccourts/appeals/pdf/M-233-08.pdf.

The Bar’s recommendation in its entirety can be viewed at www.dcbar.org/dues_ceiling or by contacting the Bar’s Communications Office at 202-626-3468.

A Sacred Oath
Chief Judge Eric T. Washington (right) of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals inducts the new board members of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia (BADC) at its annual meeting and luncheon on June 17.

Council for Court Excellence Honors Syracuse, Payton Maureen Thornton Syracuse, director of the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program, and John Payton, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), were honored by the Council for Court Excellence at its 12th Annual Justice Potter Stewart Award Dinner on May 8 at the United States Chamber of Commerce.

The award honors the late Supreme Court justice and is presented annually to an individual or organization whose work has made a significant contribution to the justice system in the District of Columbia.

John W. Nields Jr., a partner at Howrey LLP, Pro Bono Committee chair, and former D.C. Bar president, presented Syracuse with her award, saying that since becoming director 15 years ago, Syracuse and her team “have transformed the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program into one of the finest—if not the finest—pro bono programs of any bar in the United States of America.”

In her acceptance speech, Syracuse talked extensively about the Pro Bono Program—its collaborations with legal services providers as well as its history, programs, and staff.

“What I have come to believe in most deeply is the power of one person to make a difference. Inside each of us is that potential, and it can be unleashed by a simple decision to act,” Syracuse said. “Lawyers hold the keys to the legal system, and each of us can do something to open those doors wider and to make the promise of access to justice a reality.”

Judge James Robertson of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia presented Payton with his award. Payton discussed his latest work with the LDF, which he recently joined after a long career at WilmerHale LLP.

“Our democracy has never needed the Legal Defense Fund more than it needs it right now to achieve the promise and possibilities that our democracy ought to be holding out and making real for everyone within our democracy,” Payton said.

The Council for Court Excellence is a nonprofit organization that has worked for more than 25 years to improve the administration of justice in the local and federal courts as well as related agencies in the Washington metropolitan area and the nation.—K.A.

Sections Office Announces Steering Committee Election Results
The D.C. Bar Sections Office has announced the election results for the steering committees of all 21 sections. Voting ended on June 2.

Members of section steering committees are among the most active participants in the District’s legal community, planning and carrying out a range of substantive and social programs in specific practice areas throughout the year.

Unless otherwise noted, the winners’ terms, which started July 1, will last for three years.

Administrative Law and Agency Practice: Nicholas H. Cobbs, District of Columbia Office of Administrative Hearings; Katherine C. Gehringer, Thompson Coburn LLP (two-year term, replacing Heather Elliott who resigned before the end of her term); David M. Gossett, Mayer Brown LLP; Nicholas A. Oldham, U.S. Department of Justice.

Antitrust and Consumer Law: Marian R. Bruno, Federal Trade Commission; Michael D. McNeely, Law Offices of Michael D. McNeely; Don A. Resnikoff, Office of the Attorney General, District of Columbia.

Arts, Entertainment, Media and Sports Law: Alonzo Barber III, Black Entertainment Television; Elizabeth D. Blumenfeld, Library of Congress; Rand E. Sacks, The Sacks Group.

Computer and Telecommunications Law: Lynn R. Charytan, WilmerHale LLP; Elizabeth K. McIntyre, Federal Communications Commission; Holly L. Saurer, Federal Communications Commission.

Corporation, Finance and Securities Law: Bradley J. Bondi, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; Elizabeth P. Gray, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP; Elaine H. Wolff, Jenner & Block LLP.

Courts, Lawyers and the Administration of Justice: Tamar M. Meekins, Howard University Law School; David Rosenthal, Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia; Melvin R. Wright, Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

Criminal Law and Individual Rights: Patricia A. Cresta-Savage, Law Office of Pat A. Cresta-Savage; Clifford T. Keenan, District of Columbia Pretrial Services Agency; Seth A. Rosenthal, Venable LLP.

District of Columbia Affairs: Nicholas A. Majett, District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs; Tonya A. Sapp, Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia; Nicola Y. Whiteman, Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington.

Environment, Energy and Natural Resources: Charles E. Di Leva, The World Bank, Legal Department; Kelly A. Johnson, Holland & Hart LLP; Peter H. Oppenheimer, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of General Counsel.

Estates, Trusts and Probate Law: James Larry Frazier, Law Offices of James Larry Frazier; Anne Meister, District of Columbia Register of Wills; Paul D. Pearlstein, Attorney-at-Law.

Family Law: Sarah C. Connell, Women Empowered Against Violence, Inc. (WEAVE); Mariela Olivares, Ayuda, Inc.; Avrom D. Sickel, Family Court Self-Help Center; Jane K. Stoever, American University, Washington College of Law Domestic Violence Clinic (two-year term, replacing Mark S. Haufrect who resigned before the end of his term).

Government Contracts and Litigation: Annejanette K. Heckman, EDS Corporation; Jonathan L. Kang, U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Health Law: Melinda G. Murray, Attorney-at-Law; Hemi D. Tewarson, U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Intellectual Property Law: Barbara I. Berschler, Law Office of Barbara I. Berschler; Kathleen Cooney-Porter, Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

International Law: Jonathan G. Cedarbaum, WilmerHale LLP; Brenda A. Jacobs, Sidley Austin LLP.

Labor and Employment Law: Howard N. Berliner, Berliner Law Firm PLLC; Deirdre E. Hamilton, Association of Flight Attendants AFL-CIO; Kevin M. Kraham, Ford & Harrison LLP (two-year term, replacing Joshua M. Javits who resigned before the end of his term); S. Micah Salb, Lippman Semsker & Salb LLC.

Law Practice Management: Jessica E. Adler, The Law Office of Jessica E. Adler; Jeffrey L. Berger, The Berger Law Firm PC; Barbara A. James, Georgetown University, Center for Continuing and Professional Education-Paralegal Studies Program.

Litigation: David D. Fauvre, Arnold & Porter LLP; David T. Ralston Jr., Foley & Lardner LLP; Mary L. Smith, Schoeman, Updike, Kaufman & Scharf LLP.

Real Estate, Housing and Land Use: David H. Cox, Jackson & Campbell, P.C.; David A. Rosen, Buonassissi, Henning & Lash, P.C.

Taxation: Marc J. Gerson, Miller & Chevalier Chartered; Joshua D. Odintz, U.S. Senate, Committee on Finance; Lisa M. Zarlenga, Steptoe & Johnson LLP.

Tort Law: Thomas C. Mugavero, Whiteford Taylor & Preston, L.L.P.

Members Face Additional Fees for Late Dues Payment
D.C. Bar members who have not paid their annual dues by August 15 will be charged a $30 late fee. Members who have not paid their dues and/or late fee by September 30 will automatically be suspended for nonpayment of dues and be subject to additional reinstatement fees.

Dues amounts are $195 for active members, $121 for inactive members, and $98 for judicial members. When paying dues, members may also join a section or renew their section memberships and make contributions to the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program.

To pay dues online, members should log on to www.dcbar.org/paydues. Members are encouraged to confirm all of their personal information on the dues statement, including e-mail addresses. Members who need to retrieve their username and password may do so automatically if their e-mail address matches what the Bar has on file. E-mail addresses can be checked by selecting the “Find a Member” button at the top right side of the page, and locating the individual’s record. If the e-mail address is incorrect, corrections may be submitted by e-mail to memberservices@dcbar.org.

Alternatively, members may remit payment by mail. Members can remit payments to District of Columbia Bar, Attn: Member Service Center, 1250 H Street NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005-5937.

For more information, contact the D.C. Bar Member Service Center at 202- 626-3475 or 1-877-333-2227, ext. 475, or memberservices@dcbar.org.

Bar Foundation Grants $2.2 Million to Support Civil Legal Services
The D.C. Bar Foundation has awarded more than $2.2 million in grants to assist civil legal services in the District of Columbia.

“The generosity of our legal community and our collaboration with local financial institutions on Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) made it possible for the Bar Foundation to continue funding our city’s legal services providers,” said D.C. Bar Foundation President Robert N. Weiner. “But we still meet only a fraction of the legal needs of the poor.”

The foundation awarded grants to 30 area organizations that provide legal assistance to the homeless, disabled, and elderly. Funding also will help children, victims of domestic abuse, and other groups in need. There also was a cross-cutting grant awarded to support Web-based resources for legal services.

To view the complete list of grantees, visit the foundation’s Web site at www.dcbarfoundation.org.—K.A.

Results of 19th Annual D.C. Bar Golf Tournament
The D.C. Bar Membership Committee sponsored the 19th Annual D.C. Bar Golf Tournament on June 23 at the P.B. Dye Golf Club in Ijamsville, Maryland. The tournament highlights the Member Benefits Program, which raises money for non-dues-funded Bar activities such as the Pro Bono Program.

With a score of 58, the first-place trophy and prizes went to the team of Steven Zitomer and Rich Feld from Sharp Business Systems, Troy Chisholm from Responsive Data Solutions, and Matt Bowen from IQ Solutions.

Finishing in second place with a score of 59 was the Wiley Rein LLP team of Tom Antonucci, Brendan Carr, Jeff Guelcher, and Robert Scheffel.

The team of former D.C. Bar president George Jones Jr. from Sidley Austin LLP, Charley Billman, Erwin Sampson, and Clay Smith finished third with a score of 62.

DHL presented the three teams and winners of various skills contests with trophies during the tournament’s awards dinner, which was sponsored by GEICO.—K.A.

Bar Seeks Candidates for Committee, Board Vacancies
The D.C. Bar Board of Governors is seeking candidates for appointment in the fall to 10 of the Bar’s standing committees as well as the board of directors of the Neighborhood Legal Services Program (NLSP).

The following standing committees of the Bar are recruiting members: Community Economic Development Pro Bono Project Advisory Committee, Continuing Legal Education Committee, Governance Integration Advisory Committee, Lawyer Assistance Committee, 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 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 Board of Governors and officer 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. Leadership experience with voluntary bar associations or the Bar’s sections is highly desirable.

Additionally, the Bar’s Board of Governors is accepting résumés from Bar members who are 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 underprivileged. The NLSP’s board must attempt to reflect the diversity of its client population in its recommendations to the Bar’s Board of Governors.

Finally, the following committees have positions designated for nonlawyer members:

• Community Economic Development Pro Bono Project Advisory
• Lawyer Assistance
• Membership
• Practice Management Service
• Neighborhood Legal Services Program

Interested individuals should submit a résumé and cover letter stating the committee or board on which they would like to serve. Materials must be received by September 3 and can be submitted online at http://www.dcbar.org/vacancies/ or mailed to D.C. Bar Executive Office, 1250 H Street NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005-5937.

Bar Hosts Visiting New Orleans Pro Bono Project Officials
On June 18 officials from the Pro Bono Project in New Orleans took part in the D.C. Bar’s “Pro Bono Partnership (PART) Brown Bag Lunch” to share with Bar members the issues pro bono volunteers are facing in their city.

Featured in the program were Rachel Piercey and Bill Lurye, project executive director and board member, respectively, and University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law professor Susan Waysdorf, who is also a pro bono volunteer in New Orleans.

The project mobilizes local and national resources to provide free legal services to low-income residents in the six-parish area around New Orleans still in dire need of help three years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.

Waysdorf, who used her sabbatical to go to New Orleans to help out, referred to her volunteer work as her “personal Peace Corps.”

Lurye, who practiced law in New Orleans for 25 years before coming to the District a year ago, continues to offer remote assistance to clients in New Orleans, handling employment, labor, and wage issues.

Piercey and D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program Director Maureen Thornton Syracuse encouraged volunteers in the District to get involved in the New Orleans effort.

“We desperately need you,” Piercey said, urging area attorneys to volunteer even if they are not experts in these areas of law. “Don’t say you don’t do this kind of law.” With many attorneys distracted by their own personal Katrina-related issues, Piercey said there is plenty of room for anyone with legal ability in any area of law.

District attorneys and interns who wish to volunteer in New Orleans should contact Sandie McCarthy-Brown at The Pro Bono Project, 615 Baronne Street, Suite 201, New Orleans, LA 70113, or by phone at 504-581-4043, by fax at 504-566-0518, or e-mail at smbrown@probono-no.org.

PART was founded to support law firms with organized pro bono programs and to facilitate communication between firms, government agencies, and legal services providers seeking pro bono assistance. Since its inception, the District has seen elevated levels of volunteerism among attorneys.—S.S.

Forrest T. Jones Offers Members Professional Liability Insurance
The D.C. Bar Membership Committee has chosen Forrest T. Jones & Company, Inc. (FTJ) as the Bar’s administrator for the legal professional liability insurance benefit under its Membership Benefits Program, effective July 1.

FTJ is working with the Great American Insurance Group to provide D.C. Bar members—especially small law firms and sole practitioners—with comprehensive and affordable coverage. Great American Insurance Company is an authorized insurer in 50 states and the District of Columbia.

A privately owned company that has been in the insurance business for more than 50 years, Forrest T. Jones specializes in designing and implementing association-sponsored insurance plans and enhancing member benefits. FTJ also administers the Bar’s health insurance benefit.

In the coming months, members will receive information about the new legal professional liability insurance D.C. Bar member benefit. D.C. Bar members who are seeking new legal professional liability coverage, or who are coming up on their current policy’s anniversary date, are encouraged to take advantage of this benefit by contacting Forrest T. Jones at the D.C. Bar-dedicated toll-free number 877-677-6601, or by visiting www.ftj.com/dcbar.

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 12, September 13, October 7, November 8, and December 9. Advanced registration is encouraged.

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

Reach staff writers Kathryn Alfisi and Steven J. Stauffer at kalfisi@dcbar.org and sstauffer@dcbar.org, respectively.