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.
Working to Improve Access to Justice
It sounds like a broad and lofty goal, but improving access to justice
includes many simple and practical issues. The Section’s steering
committee of nine members meets monthly to organize events that promote
the Section’s mission, with a focus on ways to improve access
to justice.
Events in 2009
Bench-Bar “Brown Bag” luncheon programs
The section continued its series of Bench-Bar “brown bag” programs to promote
communications between the court and practicing attorneys. Always free of charge, the programs
provide an opportunity to exchange ideas about courtroom practice and court administration in an
informal setting.
Attendance at these Bench-Bar brown bag programs has continued to grow as
members recognize them as valuable opportunities to hear directly from judges about topics related
to the administration of the Courts and access to justice.
The D.C. Office of Administrative Hearings: What You Need to Know to Practice
Before the OAH and Why You Need to Know It
Established in 2003, the Office of
Administrative Hearings (“OAH”) is an independent administrative court which hears
administrative litigation involving over 25 different agencies, boards and commissions of the
District of Columbia, dealing with such diverse matters as unemployment insurance and
business licensing.
A panel of ALJs summarized OAH’s jurisdiction, discussed some
typical cases, and described opportunities for private and government
attorneys to represent lower income OAH litigants pro bono. (Superior
Court Conference Room, January 2009)
Practicing in the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
Judge Harry T. Edwards and Judge Thomas B. Griffith of the United States
Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit discussed their
perspectives on practice before the Court and what changes they expected
to see in the Court’s second century of operation.
The program
provided appellate lawyers who practice in the D.C. Circuit some inside-the-courthouse
guidance. (U.S. Courthouse, 6th Floor Judges’ Dining Room, March 2009)
Current Issues Facing D.C. Superior Court: A Conversation with Chief Judge
Lee F. Satterfield
Chief Judge Lee Satterfield was sworn in as Chief Judge of the Superior
Court of the District of Columbia on September 24, 2008. Before his
appointment to the Superior Court 16 years ago, Chief Judge Satterfield
worked in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, in
private practice and at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Since
joining the bench, Judge Satterfield has served in virtually every part of Superior Court.
Judge Satterfield discussed some of the challenges facing the court after serving as its Chief
Judge for just over seven months. (Superior Court Conference Room, May 2009)
Re-Establishment of the CJA and Family Court Attorney Panels: What You Need to
Know to Become (or Remain) a Member of the Panel
On June 12, 2009, the Superior
Court of the District of Columbia issued Administrative Order 09-07, re-establishing the CJA
and Family Court Attorney Panels and consolidating the U.S. and D.C. Panels into one
unified CJA Panel. All current panel members must re-apply and any other attorney wishing
to receive appointments from these Panels must apply prior to September 15, 2009.
Order
09-07 also sets qualifications and continuing obligations on Panel members, and limits
membership to four years without re-application. Associate Judges Robert Morin and Juliet
McKenna provided information and answered questions. (Superior Court Jurors’ Lounge,
July 2009)
Supreme Court Panel: “A View
From the Press Gallery”
The Section again offered a luncheon event in the D.C. Bar’s Summer
Associate series, attended by a sold-out crowd of over 200, in which
a panel of top journalists covering the Supreme Court discussed the
term just ended from an insider’s perspective. Once again, the
event was held at
Arnold & Porter and moderated by our former Steering Committee member
Art Spitzer of the ACLU.
Journalist participants included Joan Biskupic (USA Today), Robert Barnes
(Washington Post), Jan Crawford Greenburg (ABC News), David Savage (Los
Angeles Times), and Adam Liptak (New York Times). (Arnold & Porter,
July 2009)
Summer Law Day at Thurgood Marshall Academy
The Section continued its successful collaboration with Thurgood Marshall
Academy Public Charter High School to present a Summer Law Day for entering
ninth grade students, hosted by Wiley Rein LLP. The students analyzed
legal problems and did a mock trial in small groups based on materials
and teaching techniques from the Georgetown University Law Center Street
Law program. GULC Street Law staff again coached the volunteer instructors
from the Section and participating firms. (Wiley Rein, July 2009)
Courts, Lawyers and the Administration
of Justice Section Wants Your Input
The Section’s steering committee is currently planning events
for 2010. We are also currently considering nominations for election
to the steering committee. If you have ideas about how the section can
better promote its mission and you have the energy and time to organize
programs, write public statements or prepare comments on rule changes,
please contact any member of
the steering committee.
Upcoming Event
The Courts, Lawyers and the Administration of Justice Section,
in Co-sponsorship with the District of Columbia Superior Court’s
Family Court Training Committee, the Criminal Law and Individual Rights
Section, the D.C. Affairs Section, the Family Law Section, and the Litigation
Section, presents an evening training program:
Panel Discussion on the Newly Amended Superior Court Rules
Governing Juvenile Proceedings
What you need to know NOW to handle juvenile cases
Panelists will briefly describe the need for amending the rules governing juvenile proceedings and
the process that took place to draft, vet and promulgate the new rules. Panelists will describe and
explain the substantive changes to the rules and their likely impact on attorney practice, and will
discuss potential issues with their implementation. The panel discussion will conclude with an
opportunity for questions from the audience.
This program will be valuable to PDS, CJA and CCAN attorneys, law school clinical professors
and any attorneys looking for opportunities to handle pro bono litigation involving youth.
Speakers
Magistrate Judge William W. Nooter, Superior Court of D.C.
Dave Rosenthal, Office of the Attorney General for D.C.,
Hannah McElhinny, D.C. Public Defender Service
Frank Lacey, private practitioner
Moderator
Dave Rosenthal, Office of the Attorney General for D.C.
Cost: No registration required
Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Time: 4:30 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
Location: Jurors’ Lounge, Third Floor, D.C. Superior
Court – 500 Indiana Avenue, NW
Metro Station: Judiciary Square is located one block
from Superior Court.
Note: This Section–sponsored educational program
is not intended to be a CLE program and thus does not qualify for CLE
credit in any state (including Ohio and Pennsylvania).
