June 2009
By Kathryn Alfisi

Bar Inaugurates Kim Keenan, Presents Annual Awards
Kim M. Keenan, the principal at The Keenan Firm, will be sworn in as the 38th president of the D.C. Bar during its Annual Business Meeting and Awards Dinner on June 25 at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Avenue NW.

The event will open with the Presidents’ Reception at 6 p.m. to welcome Keenan, followed by the Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner at 7:30. The reception aims to raise money for the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program, which provides legal assistance to economically disadvantaged residents of the District.

Another highlight of the evening is the presentation of awards to outstanding Bar members and the announcement of the Bar’s election results. The Bar’s highest honor is the William J. Brennan Jr. Award presented to a member who has demonstrated exceptional achievement in the pursuit of equal justice and equal opportunity for all Americans. The Bar also will present the Frederick B. Abramson Award, which is given in recognition of extraordinary service to the profession.

Other awards to be presented will be: Best Bar Project, Best Section Community Outreach Project, Best Section, Pro Bono Lawyer Award, and Pro Bono Law Firm Award.

For more information about the Presidents’ Reception or to make a contribution to the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program, contact Kathy Downey at 202-588-1857 or kmdowney@erols.com. To learn more about the Annual Business Meeting and Awards Dinner, contact Verniesa Allen at 202-737-4700 or annualmeeting@dcbar.org, or visit www.dcbar.org/annual_meeting.

Legal ‘Legends’ Sullivan, Tigar Discuss Lives in the Law
The D.C. Bar Law Practice Management Section will hold its fifth annual “Legends in the Law” luncheon on June 11, featuring renowned attorneys Brendan V. Sullivan Jr. and Michael E. Tigar.

Sullivan is a senior partner at Williams & Connolly LLP with nearly 40 years of litigation experience in federal and state courts. He served as defense counsel for former Alaska Republican Senator Ted Stevens. His extensive career includes defending Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North in the Iran-Contra scandal and former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros when the latter was accused of making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation during background checks. Sullivan is well known for launching legal battles against large prosecutorial teams working under the direction of Independent Counsels.

Tigar, who has served as an associate and partner at Williams & Connolly and as partner at Tigar & Buggone, has represented an array clients ranging from bombers in the Students for a Democratic Society to accused Nazi war criminal John Demjanjuk. Other clients include The Washington Post, former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, Texas Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, and Oklahoma City bombing coconspirator Terry Lynn Nichols. He is a professor at Duke Law School and emeritus professor at the American University Washington College of Law.

Former Law Practice Management Section cochair Jeffrey Berger will moderate the program, which is cosponsored by all 21 sections of the D.C. Bar.

The luncheon will be held from 12 to 1:45 p.m. at Arnold & Porter LLP, 555 12th Street NW.

For more information, contact the D.C. Bar Sections Office at 202-626-3463 or sections@dcbar.org, or visit www.dcbar.org/lpm.

Bar Holds Annual Golf Tournament at Country Club of Fairfax
The Country Club of Fairfax in Virginia has been chosen as the venue for the 20th Annual D.C. Bar Golf Tournament on June 15.

The tournament begins at noon with registration, open range, and lunch, followed by scramble-format play at 1 p.m., and an awards dinner and presentation at 6. Contests will be held throughout the course, and trophies will be awarded to the top teams.

Registration is $150 per player, which includes cart and green fees, lunch, practice balls, refreshments on the course, raffle ticket, tournament gift, and dinner during the awards banquet.

Sponsors include ABA Retirement Funds; Avis Budget Group; Capital Reporting Company; Daily Washington Law Reporter Co.; FedEx; Firm Advice, Inc.; Forrest T. Jones & Company; GEICO; Linestanding.com; The McCammon Group; Northwestern Mutual Financial Network; Quick Messenger Service of DC; and Subscription Services, Inc.

The club is located at 5110 Ox Road, Fairfax, Virginia. Information about the course can be found at www.ccfairfax.org.

For more information about the annual D.C. Bar Golf Tournament, contact Dominick Alcid at 202-737-4700 or visit www.dcbar.org/golf.

Abramson Foundation Presents Annual Scholarship Program
On June 18 the Frederick B. Abramson Memorial Foundation will hold its annual Scholarship Awards Luncheon from 12 to 2 p.m. at Hotel Monaco, 700 F Street NW.

Every year the foundation presents scholarships to financially disadvantaged District of Columbia public high school seniors who have been accepted to four-year accredited institutions. In 2008 $50,000 in scholarships was awarded to 14 students.

The foundation is named after the late Frederick B. Abramson, a distinguished member of the D.C. legal community who served as D.C. Bar president from 1985 to 1986 and as bar counsel for the District of Columbia.

For more information, visit www.abramsonfoundation.org.

Eric Holder Speaks at 34th Annual D.C. Judicial Conference
On June 19 U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. will be the luncheon speaker at the 34th Annual District of Columbia Judicial Conference, featuring three plenary sessions that examine the effect of evolving technologies on judges and the courts.

The conference, which takes place at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, centers on the theme “The CSI Effect: Computers, Science and the Internet—Impact on the Administration of Justice.” Registration starts at 8:30 a.m.

From 9:45 to 11:15 a.m., participants will discuss the impact of today’s 24-hour news cycle, the increased number of Internet sites and blogs covering court proceedings, and television shows that use judges and portray crime scene investigations in the session “How the Media Shapes Public Perception of 21st Century Justice.”

Moderated by Ricki Seidman of TSD Communications, Inc., this session also will look at how the media affect high-profile cases and the guidelines judges and lawyers are to follow when involved in these types of cases.

Panelists include Judge Reggie Walton of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; Judge Judith Bartnoff of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; Lucy Dalglish, executive director of The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press; William Martin, a partner at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP; Channing Phillips of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; and Howard University School of Law professor Patricia M. Worthy.

The second session, “The Tangled Web (www.) That Has Been Weaved—A Look at Current and Emerging Issues Faced by Practitioners and the Courts Regarding the Use of the Internet and Electronic Communications in Judicial Proceedings,” takes place from 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. Discussion will focus on ethical and practice issues that often arise when lawyers and judges are involved with metadata, electronic discovery, and inadvertent disclosure of confidential or privileged information.

Participants will hear from Judge John Facciola of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; Judge Marian Blank Horn of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims; Mark Cymrot, a partner at Baker & Hostetler LLP; and D.C. Bar legal ethics counsel Saul Jay Singer. D.C. Superior Court Judge Herbert Dixon Jr. will moderate.

The final session, “Are Our Courts and Juries Equipped to Handle 21st Century Issues? Are Science and Technology Evolving Too Fast?” will run from 3:45 to 5 p.m. Panelists will focus on whether judges and jurors are prepared to hear highly technical and complex science and technology issues in civil and criminal cases.

Michael Ryan, D.C. Superior Court associate judge; Barry A. J. Fisher, crime laboratory director at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; Dr. Susan Powell of Strategic Litigation Research; and Timothy P. O’Toole, a member of Miller & Chevalier Chartered, will make up the panel of speakers. This session will be moderated by Stein, Mitchell & Muse LLP partner Jacob A. Stein.

For more information, contact John Dyson at 202-879-2738 or visit www.dccourts.gov.

D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program Offers Training Opportunities
The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program will offer several training opportunities in June for lawyers who want to get involved in pro bono work.

The “Family Court Self-Help Center Volunteer” training session on June 12 will prepare participants to volunteer for the center, which is housed at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Trainees will be asked to volunteer three morning or afternoon shifts at the center within six months of the training.

This session takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. at Crowell & Moring LLP, 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

The course “Representing Victims of Human Trafficking” on June 19 will cover basic criminal and civil laws relating to trafficking in persons. Participants will learn how to bring a case on behalf of a trafficking victim, which causes of action to raise, and how to navigate associated taxation and immigration issues. The trainers, expert attorneys from antitrafficking nongovernmental organizations, will provide concrete examples from cases litigated in federal courts.

Training takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Jenner & Block LLP, 1099 New York Avenue NW, suite 900.

Finally, on June 26, interested attorneys can sign up for the “Wills and Advance Directives” training session.

This course will focus on the proper drafting of wills and advance directives (durable powers of attorney, health care powers of attorney, and living wills) in the District. Training participants must agree to accept two pro bono referrals from at least one of the sponsoring organizations.

The session takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Conference Center of the Bar’s new headquarters, 1101 K Street NW.

For more information, contact the Pro Bono Program at 202-737-4700 or visit www.dcbar.org/probono.

Training Teaches Basics of Running a Law Office
Lawyers who want to learn how to run a solo or small firm are encouraged to attend a basic training session being offered by the D.C. Bar Practice Management Advisory Service throughout the year.

This small, interactive program will cover topics such as business plans, client issues, employees, fees and agreements, office operations, marketing, planning for the unexpected, where to find help, and thinking and productivity tools.

Faculty also will discuss communications and problem solving, file creation, hiring and firing, selection and intake, types of fee arrangements, retention, marketing on a shoestring budget, and smart marketing.

The training will be offered on July 10, August 8, September 11, October 8, November 13, and December 11 at the Bar’s new headquarters, 1101 K Street NW.

To register or for more information, including training times, contact Daniel M. Mills, Practice Management Advisory Service manager, at 202-626-1312 or dmills@dcbar.org.

Learn About Employment Law, ERISA Through CLE Courses
The D.C. Bar Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Program will hold two courses in June focusing on labor issues.

The course “Changing Currents in Employment Law: Recent Developments Update” on June 18 will discuss significant developments in employment law that have occurred in the past year.

Cosponsored by the D.C. Bar Labor and Employment Law Section, this class will focus on amendments to the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act that strengthen protection for disabled persons by expanding the definition of a “disability” and rejecting court decisions that narrowly construed the ADA.

Experts also will tackle the revised Family and Medical Leave Act regulations that implement new military family leave entitlements, impose documentation requirements to support leave requests, and adopt several other key changes. They also will focus on new whistleblower laws enacted by Congress to provide protections for employees of government contractors, of state and local governments, workers in the transportation industry, and those who blow the whistle on consumer protection safety issues.

In addition, the course will examine the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which extends the statute of limitations for pay discrimination claims and expands the definition of unlawful pay practices; Fair Labor Standards Act collective actions that continue to grow as employers seek to cut labor cost; and changes to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation (COBRA) Act of 1985 that were part of the recent stimulus bill, amomg other topics.

Panelists include Johnine P. Barnes, a partner at Baker & Hostetler LLP; Lynne Bernabei, a partner at Bernabei & Wachtel, PLLC; Denise M. Clark of the Law Office of Denise M. Clark; Lily Garcia of Employment Practices Solutions, Inc., and of counsel at Lippman, Semsker & Salb, LLC; Avi Kumin, a partner at Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP; Christine Kearns, a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; R. Scott Oswald, a principal at The Employment Law Group, P.C.; Daniel P. Westman, a partner at Morrison & Foerster LLP; Philip B. Zipin, a partner at The Zipin Law Firm, LLC; and Jason Zuckerman of The Employment Law Group.

On June 25 the course “ERISA and Health Plans: Hot Issues in Litigation in 2009 and Beyond” will explore the latest developments in COBRA rights and subsidies for terminated workers, as well as key cases and developing trends in ERISA health plan litigation, both on the federal and state level.

Panelists will discuss how the lower courts have been applying Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. v. Glenn since the Supreme Court decision in 2008, and whether any greater clarity has been brought to cases involving ERISA’s standard of review and conflict-of-interest issues. The course also will examine the implications for ERISA plan administration of divorce waivers after the 2009 Supreme Court decision in Kennedy v. Plan Administrator for DuPont Savings and Investment Plan.

Faculty includes Phyllis C. Borzi of O’Donoghue & O’Donoghue LLP; Denise M. Clark of the Law Office of Denise M. Clark; Karen L. Handorf, of counsel at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC; Elizabeth Hopkins, counsel for the Appellate and Special Litigation Plan Benefits Security Division at the U.S. Department of Labor; Mary Ellen Signorille of the AARP Foundation Litigation; and Martha Jo Wagner, a partner at Venable LLP.

This course is cosponsored by the D.C. Bar Health Law Section, Labor and Employment Law Section, Litigation Section, and Taxation Section.

Both courses run from 6 to 9:15 p.m. at the Bar’s new headquarters, 1101 K Street NW.

For more information, contact the CLE Program at 202-626-3488 or visit www.dcbar.org/cle.

Lawyers Race to Raise Money for American Heart Association
On June 13 the American Heart Association (AHA) will hold its 19th Annual Lawyers Have Heart Race and Fun Walk at the Washington Harbour at Georgetown, 3000 K Street NW.

The race has raised more than $5 million during the past decade to benefit the AHA and its educational programs, as well as research of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

The 10-kilometer race starts at 8 a.m., followed by the three-kilometer fun walk five minutes later. Food and entertainment will be provided, and prizes will be awarded after the race.

To preregister or for more information, contact the American Heart Association’s Kelly McAuley at 703-248-1713 or kelly.mcauley@heart.org, or visit www.runlhh.org.

Attorney General Holder Receives Whitman-Walker’s Toubin Award
U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. will receive the 2009 Joel A. Toubin Memorial Award from the Whitman-Walker Clinic Legal Services Program on June 9 at its 12th Annual Going the Extra Mile reception.

Wiley Rein LLP also will be presented with the 2009 Going the Extra Mile Law Firm Award during the reception.
In addition to the presentation of the awards, the reception also encourages the District of Columbia legal community to come together and support the work of the program, which since 1986 has provided pro bono assistance to tens of thousands of District residents living with HIV/AIDS.

The reception takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Embassy of Italy, 3000 Whitehaven Street NW.

For more information, contact Ellie Willard at 202-797-3543 or ewillard@wwc.org.

CLE Courses Explore Lobbying, New Life Sciences Issues
The D.C. Bar Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Program will hold courses in June that explore the world of lobbying and biotech issues.

The course “Lobbying in the 111th Congress: Beyond Smoke-Filled Rooms and Lavish Lunches” will take place from 6 to 8:15 p.m. on June 23.

Participants will learn how to better serve the needs and meet the goals of their clients outside the courtroom. The course will examine actual case studies of lobbying efforts by lawyers who work on Capitol Hill and who have successfully navigated legislation in Congress.

Faculty also will provide an interesting and insightful view of the role lawyers play in developing federal legislation. There will be some discussion on effective strategies and tactics lawyers can use in advocating on behalf of clients, and an examination of timely topics.

Speakers include Irene Bueno, co-founder and partner at Nueva Vista Group LLP, and Monte B. Lake and Andrew Siff of Siff & Lake, LLP. This course is cosponsored by the D.C. Bar Administrative Law and Agency Practice Section; Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Section; and Labor and Employment Law Section.

“Fundamentals of Patents and Licenses for Pharmaceutical and Biotech Products: The New Life Sciences” will take place from 6 to 9:15 p.m. on June 24.

Cosponsored by the D.C. Bar Health Law Section and Intellectual Property Law Section, the course will orient lawyers interested in patents and licenses on the legal requirements relating to pharmaceutical and biotechnological products.

Faculty will give an overview of the patent procurement process, illustrate patent requirements with specific examples in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology arena, and highlight the practical problems and challenges in the patent process.

They also will discuss the U.S. Food and Drug Administration drug approval process, including the Hatch–Waxman Act, patent term extensions, exemption from infringement and generic drug approval process, why generic drug manufacturers are commonly sued for patent infringement before they have sold a product, and how the Bayh–Dole Act impacts a licensing deal.

Participants will receive guidance on the basics of licensing of patented therapeutics, diagnostics, and other biomedical or biotech product licensing issues.

Speakers include Eldora L. Ellison, director at Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.; Marcia Morton of Martek -Biosciences Corporation; and Thomas P. Clouse of the Law Office of Peter G. Korytnyk, PLLC.

Both courses take place at the Bar’s new headquarters, 1101 K Street NW.

For more information, contact the CLE Program at 202-626-3488 or visit www.dcbar.org/cle.

BADC Event Celebrates Membership Achievement
On June 10 the Bar Association of the District of Columbia (BADC) will hold its Annual Meeting and Luncheon where, among other things, BADC members for 50 or 60 years will be honored.

The event also features the installation of new officers and board members, comments from 2009–2010 BADC President James G. Flood, the presentation of the Constance L. Belfiore Quality of Life Award, and a special award by outgoing BADC President Ralph P. Albrecht.

The Annual Meeting and Luncheon takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Avenue NW, Colonial Room.

For more information, contact MaryEva Candon at 202-223-6600 or mec@badc.org, or visit www.badc.org.

American Jewish Congress Holds Conference of Women Judges
The Women’s Division of the American Jewish Congress will hold an international conference of women judges June 14–16 with the theme “Gender and Justice: An International Inquiry.”

The conference will examine advances made for women judges in recent years, highlight the challenges women continue to face, and chart a course for future legal and judicial empowerment for women all over the world.

Other topics include the status of women in the courts, religious law and women’s rights, the role of the courts in ending violence against women, maintaining judicial independence, prosecuting gender-based and sexual crimes against women, the role of international courts and criminal tribunals, and eliminating gender bias in the courts.

The conference is cosponsored by the Women and International Law Program of American University’s Washington College of Law and will be held at the law school, located at 4801 Massachusetts Avenue NW. It takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. on June 14 and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 15 and 16.

For more information, contact Harriet Kurlander at 954-933-7489 or hkurlander@ajcongress.org.

Reach Kathryn Alfisi at kalfisi@dcbar.org.