President’s Message
By Robie A. Beatty, Esq.

Dear Colleagues,

I hope all of you have been having a wonderful summer and that the best is yet to come! 

Once again, it is my pleasure to inform you of some of the activities that the D.C. Chapter of the Federal Bar Association has been involved in and has scheduled for the next few months.

In a previous publication I indicated that two (2) of the signature programs of this Chapter occurred in May of this year.  They were the Levenson Symposium and the Tom C. Clark Award Program.  Both events were well-attended and created a lot of positive comments regarding both the seminar and the award program.  Patricia Ryan spear-headed both events and again, we say thank you to her for her dedication to this Chapter.   More detailed information on the Tom C. Clark Award Program is included in an article in this issue of The FORUM. 

Before May ended, this Chapter was represented by some of its members at a luncheon event where Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan was the main speaker.  The Capital Hill Chapter of the Federal Bar Association sponsored this event and the members of the Board of the D,C. Chapter congratulate them for this outstanding program.

Also in May, I was pleased to represent the Chapter at the May Naturalization Ceremony held at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  Judge Huvelle presided over this event and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was the featured speaker.  I was extremely humbled  to make a few remarks on the same program.  Justice Sotomayor was gracious enough to take pictures with all the persons who became citizens of the United States of America on that day.  In the spirit of support for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and its programs, the D.C. Chapter provided the refreshments for this program.

The month of May continued to be a month with a lot of activities for the Chapter, as a few of us attended a reception sponsored by the D.C. Bar.  The reception was held to highlight the careers of several judges.  The D.C. Chapter members in attendance at the reception joined other members of the bar and of the judiciary in wishing the judges all good things as they either retired or took senior status. Each judge was presented with a wonderful keepsake of the event—a beautiful plaque.

In June of this year, the D.C. Chapter was represented by President-elect Steve Miller at another reception where Judge Richardo Urbina was honored.  This reception was sponsored by the Hispanic Bar Association and the D.C. Bar Association and was held at the federal District Courthouse for the District of Columbia.  The reception spotlighted Judge Urbina’s years of service to the judiciary and the community.

Activities of the D.C. Chapter

This year, the D.C. Chapter was represented in large numbers at the D.C. Bar Dinner on June 30, 2011.  In addition to members of the Chapter attending this event, a few law students were guests at the table.  In addition to supporting the honorees of the evening, the Dinner provided the D.C. Chapter attendees an opportunity to meet and converse with members of other bar organizations.  Introductions were made and ideas exchanged, which might become programs in the future.

As is our custom, the D.C. Chapter continues to share co-sponsorship of the  refreshments provided after each month’s admission ceremony at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  Board members of the Chapter share the responsibility of welcoming the new lawyers admitted to practice before the Court and of offering words of encouragement to them.  Several attorneys at these ceremonies have shown an interest in joining the D.C. Chapter, and some of them have become members because of the presence of Board members at these ceremonies. 

Ashley Belleau, President of the Federal Bar Association, has recently written an article about the SOLACE Program, which seeks to provide assistance to attorneys.  The article was published in The Federal Lawyer.   The program has generated so much interest and discussion, that this Chapter has asked Judge Zainey, one of the architects of the program, to speak to the Chapter, probably in September.  Please stay tuned for when his presentation will occur.

Likewise, in September of this year, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan will be sworn in as an Honorary Fellow of the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association.  This event, also led by President-elect Steve Miller, promises to be an exciting one.  More information about it will be available soon.   

As this article draws to a close, so does my tenure as President of the D.C. Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.  In October 2011, a new president will be in office.  I thank you for the opportunity to serve as your President.  I have tried to follow in the footsteps of Past Presidents of this organization, who served with dignity, integrity and a desire to elevate the Chapter to even higher heights.  The experiences I have had in this position have been ones that I will never forget.  I believe they have helped me to grow as a person, as a lawyer and yes, even as a leader.    

Again, I thank you.