The Courts, Lawyers and the Administration of Justice Section is one of the oldest sections in
the D.C. Bar, but it is far from the largest. The section currently has slightly more than 300
members, but they include many experienced attorneys and judges who are interested in the administration of justice in the District of Columbia.
Programs
January 2011—"Bench–Bar Dialogue with Presiding Judges of Superior Court Divisions.” Moderated by then–Deputy Presiding Judge of the Civil Division, Hon. Melvin Wright. Panelists included Judges Bush, Canan, Duncan-Peters, Lopez and Winston.
March 2011—“Victim's Rights in the Adult and Juvenile Systems.” Moderated by Dave Rosenthal, Senior Assistant D.C. Attorney General. Panelists were Kim Herd, Chief, Victim Witness Assistance Unit, Office of the U.S. Attorney, and Laura Banks Reed,D.C. Superior Court Crime Victims Compensation Program. Held in Superior Court Jurors’ Lounge. Beginning with nuts and bolts of access to assistance and compensation from D.C. and federal sources, the program turned into a broad–ranging exploration of fundamentals of law and ethics and the meaning of "criminal justice," including what is owed not only to victims but also to defendants who are often themselves damaged.
July 2011—“The Supreme Court: The View from the Press Gallery.” Moderated by Arthur Spitzer, Legal Director, ACLU of the Nation’s Capital. Panelists were Stuart Taylor, National Journal and Newsweek; David Savage, Los Angeles Times; Joan Biskupic, USA Today; Jesse Holland, Associated Press; and Adam Liptak, New York Times. Held at Arnold & Porter (with welcome by firm appellate and Supreme Court practice head, Lisa Blatt). The section’s annual review of the High Court term by some of the nation’s top court reporters.
We planned and advertised but ultimately cancelled two more. The first, set for May 11 at Arendt–Fox, was a program on SAILS (Senior Attorney Initiative for Legal Services), an innovative effort in which senior lawyers are encouraged to remain at their firms with full support while transitioning from billed to pro bono work on any of a menu of major projects suggested by the legal services community. Eleven firms have agreed so far to take part in SAILS, a joint effort of the DC Bar Pro Bono Program and the Access to Justice Commission. The second, set for June, aimed to showcase efforts nationwide concerning the right to counsel in civil matters. Planned panelists included a California expert involved in a pilot project implementing novel legislation there, the former ABA president identified with the organization's advocacy in this area, and experts from a national coalition. The event will be held in 2012
Community Service
Some section members took part as volunteer instructors in an introduction to law activity at the firm of Wiley Rein LLP. This is an annual half–day summer–time event, originally cosponsored by the Section during the Steering Committee term of firm partner Laura Foggan, for students entering the Thurgood Marshall Academy, a DC charter high school founded by law graduates from Georgetown a decade ago. It features a firm tour, mock trial and other law–themed events.
Practice Manual
The section continued its review and oversight (and updating where needed) of chapters on U.S. District Court Civil Practice and Appellate Practice in the D.C. Court of Appeals.
The section has submitted two statements, work on which spanned two years. The first was on H.R. 1932, a bill pending in the U.S. House of Representatives that proposed to consolidate in the District Court here all habeas petitions from those detained anywhere for immigration violations. An estimated 800 or more new cases a year could significantly affect D.C. Bar members’ practice in our federal court. The section's statement of concern passed review by the Bar and was submitted to Congress in August. The second supported proposed changes in the Code of Judicial Conduct to allow judges greater leeway, without ethics violation, to assist unrepresented persons in their courtrooms. That statement passed review by the Bar and was submitted to the court in October.
