One thing that the section has discussed is whether and how to develop a proactive proposal to address a concern that has been raised over the years, but got renewed interest last year, regarding how best to classify the section’s events and programs. Often, the section’s events have been developed to reach the wider D.C. community beyond the legal community and deal with subject matter that goes beyond providing practitioners with a discussion of substantive law. We believe that these events serve a valuable public outreach function and fit our section’s mission. Regardless of terminology, over the years this section has been extremely active in presenting events that have garnered broad community interest, such as the first Mayoral candidates’ debate held in 2005. Furthermore, that focus on matters of community and public interest is in keeping with the section’s mission.

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The first, held on October 2, was a presentation by Andrea Garvey, Esq., Administrator, D.C. Office of Documents and Administrative Issuances, about the new E–rulemaking and E–publishing efforts of the D.C. government. One day after going active with a new Web site, Ms. Garvey shared the new online, free and updated D.C.M.R. and D.C. Register pages that are now on the Office of the Secretary’s web site. While a boon for lawyers, this is even more important for community activists and elected officials, such as ANCs, who in the past often did not have access to an updated version of these key publications. There were seven cosponsoring sections. No fee was charged for this program.

On October 16, the section hosted a panel discussion of proposed D.C. election reform legislation (Bill 18-345) that was before the full Council for consideration and final vote. The panelists were Councilmember Mary Cheh (D–Ward 3), who introduced the legislation and is chair of the relevant Council committee, and Eric Marshall, Campaign Manager, National Campaign for Fair Elections Lawyers’ Committee on Civil Rights Under Law’s Voting Right Project. There were seven cosponsoring sections. No fee was charged for this program.

On December 18, the section held a program entitled: Greening the Holidays.

We had a panel discussion on the progress that the District has had on enforcement of the District’s so–called “green” laws. The panelists:

Christopher J. Carew, Chief of Staff, D.C. Water and Sewer Authority;

Mark Buscaino, Executive Director, Casey Trees;

Evan K. Tyroler, LEED® AP, MSRE, Engineering/Sustainability Specialist, Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers;

Sean C. Cahill, Vice President Development, Louis Dreyfus Property Group;

Chris Weiss, Director, D.C. Environmental Network; and

Shane Farthing, LEED® AP, Land Use & Development Coordinator, D.C. Department of the Environment.

The moderator was Walter Smith, Executive Director, D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, Inc. There were seven cosponsoring Sections. No fee was charged for this program.

While we leave some leeway to allow for newsworthy events to unfold, most of the rest of the events for 2010 are already planned and in the works:

January 14, 2010: D.C. Domestic Partnership Law Review – Panel discussion of the changes to the District’s Domestic Partnership law.

The speakers:
Tanya Jones–Bosier, Chief, Training & Policy, D.C. Office of the Attorney General;

Willis Bradwell, Jr., Registrar, Vital Records Division, D.C. Department of Health;

Nancy Polikoff, Professor of Law, AU Washington College of Law;

Rudi Schreiber, Office of the General Counsel, D.C. Department of Health;

Michele Zavos, Michele Zavos Law Group, PLLC.

The moderator is Tonya Sapp, Deputy Attorney General, Health and Human Services Division and Director of Legislative Affairs, D.C. Office of the Attorney General.

We will be charging a fee for this program. There are eight cosponsors.

February 19, 2010 DC’s FY 2011 Budget Overview

March 18, 2010 2010 Census

April 16, 2010 Meet the Press (expect fee to be charged)

May 21, 2010 Michelle Rhee Report Card

June 18, 2010 TBD

Given that this coming year is an election year, we anticipate that there may be some outreach programs that will get developed as the candidates declare their candidacy.

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Public Statements and Other Projects
The D.C. Affairs Section initiated and approved a public statement in support of a new proposed code that would revise and ultimately recodify the District’s current business organizations laws. The public statement was cosponsored by the Corporation, Finance and Securities Law Section. The proposed draft code was the product of an ad hoc committee formed by members of these two sections and others in the legal community who met for almost two years to discuss, develop, and craft a proposed draft revision of the District’s business organization laws.

This project was initiated based on a request to D.C. Affairs’ steering committee members from Councilmember Mary Cheh, then–Chair of the Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs, who was interested in embarking on a major overhaul of the District’s corporations laws. That request prompted the steering committee to encourage the formation of the ad hoc committee that, in turn, studied the issue and developed the proposed draft. The purpose of the project is to create a modern and comfortable legal environment that will encourage businesses and non–profit organizations to organize and locate their operations in the District and that will provide clear and efficient rules for those that do. The revised code is based on a model law developed by a joint committee of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and the American Bar Association, as well as model and uniform business laws prepared by these organizations, with changes proposed by cooperating attorneys.

The proposed new code has now been co-introduced at the Council by Councilmember Bowser, now–Chair of the Committee on Public Service and Consumer Affairs, and Councilmember Cheh, and cosponsored by Councilmembers M. Brown, Alexander, and K. Brown. It is Bill 18–500, the District of Columbia Official Code Title 29 (Business Organizations) Enactment Act of 2009. It has been referred to the Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs, which is chaired by Councilmember Bowser. While a hearing date of December 8, 2009 was first scheduled, it was postponed to allow more time to study the bill, which is over 400 pages long. It is now scheduled for a hearing on February 11, 2010. The Councilmembers have reached out to the ad hoc committee and others to seek their input.

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Cosponsorships
The section has cosponsored a large number of programs with other sections.

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