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The Olender Foundation, founded by Washington attorney Jack Olender, LLM ’61, and his wife, Lovell, celebrated its 22nd annual awards program at the Ronald Reagan Building in December. The Washington-based foundation aims to counter poverty and violence and to promote opportunity and equal justice. Many scholarships were awarded during the program, including the donation of $100,000 in grants to honorees and local and national charities.

Herbert Lazerow, LLM ’64, a law professor at the University of San Diego, was a visiting professor for 2007-08 at Boalt Hall, the University of California Berkeley Law School. He taught income tax and international contracts. He is teaching in Florence, Italy, in June and in Paris in July.

Ben E. Rice, LLB ’64, received the Outstanding Lawyer-Citizen award from the Arkansas Bar Association and the Arkansas Bar Foundation in recognition of outstanding participation in civic responsibilities and for demonstrating high standards of professional competence and conduct. Rice was the charter president of the Jacksonville Boys Club and has served as president of the Jacksonville Elderly Activities program. He retired in 2007 after 43 years of practicing law.

Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher appointed Larry Forgy, BA ’61, LLB ’65, to the crime victims’ compensation board and the board of claims. The crime victims’ compensation board determines the eligibility and amount of reimbursement to innocent, needy crime victims, and the board of claims is responsible for deciding claims filed against the state by citizens who believe their property or person has been damaged through the state’s negligence. Forgy lives in Lexington, Ky.

Rader, Fishman & Grauer attorney Richard D. Grauer, JD ’65, was named a Michigan Super Lawyer by Law & Politics. Grauer has more than 40 years of experience in intellectual property and was elected to the Academy of Court-Appointed Masters, which helps to decide complex patent cases in U.S. District Courts. He lives in Huntington Woods, Mich.

Duane Morris law firm welcomed Douglas Olson, LLB ’65, as a partner in the firm’s San Diego office in the intellectual property practice group. Olson focuses on litigation, patent law, prosecution, and licensing.

Former Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox lawyer Sam Fox, LLB ’66, retired from practice in 2000 and now raises purebred Hereford cattle on a 187-acre farm outside of Sperryville, Va. “I feel like I have built something really beautiful, and that’s very satisfying,” he says.

Robert Robinson Gales, LLM ’66, was elected president of the Tan Son Nhut Assocation, an organization established to perpetuate the history of the Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon, Vietnam, and recognize and honor those who served at the base during the period of 1959 to 1975. Gales is a retired Air Force JAG colonel and chief administrative judge at the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals.

John Bernard Holden Jr., JD ’68, of Dallas is listed in the 2008 issue of The Best Lawyers of America in the area of energy law for his work at Jackson Walker law firm. He was also listed as a Texas Super Lawyer for 2007.

Edwin S. Hopson, LLM ’71, was listed in the 2008 issue of Best Lawyers in America and as a Kentucky Super Lawyer for 2008.

Fulbright & Jaworski attorney Paul Krieger, LLM ’71, was named to the Texas Super Lawyers list for 2007. Krieger works in the Houston office, where he heads the intellectual property and technology department.

Ross, Dixon & Bell attorney Elizabeth Sarah Gere, JD ’72, was named a Washington, D.C., Super Lawyer for 2008 in the areas of employment and labor, civil rights/ First Amendment, and business litigation.

Glenn Whitaker, JD ’72, was named a 2008 Ohio Super Lawyer for his work at the Cincinnati office of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease law firm in the area of business litigation. He was also listed in the 2008 Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the categories of general commercial and white collar crime and government.

Fulbright & Jaworski attorney Richard Kobdish, LLM ’73, was named to the Texas Super Lawyers list for 2007. Kobdish handles labor and employment matters in the firm’s Dallas office.

Carol Elder Bruce, BA ’71, JD ’74; Paul F. Kemp, JD ’74; and A. Wayne Lalle Jr., JD ’74, were named to the Best Lawyers in America annual rankings guide for their work at Venable law firm in Washington, D.C.

Allen S. Rugg, BA ’71, JD ’74, joined the Boston intellectual property firm Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, as a shareholder. Rugg has more than 30 years of experience in complex litigation.

Fulbright and Jaworski attorney Terry Tottenham, LLM ’74, was named to the Texas Super Lawyers list for 2007. He is partner-in-charge of the firm’s Austin, Texas, office where he heads the pharmaceutical and medical device litigation practice group.

Robert G. Gottlieb, JD ’76, and Jeffrey P. Ayres, JD ’77, were named to the Best Lawyers in America list for 2007 for their work at Venable law firm in Washington, D.C.

Mason Evans IV, JD ’77, and Bradd N. Siegel, JD ’77, were named to the Best Lawyers in America list for 2008 for their work in the Columbus, Ohio, office of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur. Siegel was also listed as an Ohio Super Lawyer for 2008.

Jeri L. Whitfield, JD ’77, was named a North Carolina Super Lawyer for 2008 in the area of workers’ compensation for his work at Smith Moore law firm in the Greensboro, N.C., office. He also has been selected to serve on the North Carolina Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism, where he will serve a two-year term.

Richard L. Byrne, JD ’78, a patent attorney at the Webb law firm, was included in the Best Lawyers in America list for 2008 in the area of intellectual property law. He lives in Upper St. Clair, Pa.

Curtis R. Hearn, JD ’79, an attorney at Jones Walker law firm, was listed as a Louisiana Super Lawyer for 2008 in the area of mergers and acquisitions.

Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto partner John D. Murnane, JD ’79, was listed as a Super Lawyer for 2007.

Greg Radlinski, LLM ’79, retired in January from the city of Jacksonville Office of General Council where he headed the environmental law division. He retired from the Navy in 1989 after 20 years in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

Michael A. Chernekoff, JD ’80, an attorney at Jones Walker law firm, was listed as a Louisiana Super Lawyer for 2008 in the area of environmental litigation.

Nixon Peabody law firm named Richard F. Langan, JD ’80, to serve as the firm’s chief executive officer and managing partner. Langan has spent his entire career at the firm: He joined as an associate in 1980.

Reed Smith attorney Claudia Springer, JD ’80, was elected to the board of the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia. Springer is a member of Reed Smith’s commercial restructuring and bankruptcy practice group and the managing partner of the firm’s Philadelphia office.

Randall S. Arndt, JD ’81, was named to the Best Lawyers in America list for 2008 in the area of real estate law. He was also named an Ohio Super Lawyer in the area of real estate for his work at Schottenstein Zox & Dunn.

In a new book about the history of the year in which Israel was born, 1948- The Crossroads Year (BookSurge Publishing, 2007), James F. Nagle, LLM ’81, SJD ’86, recounts the struggle between Western democracy and Eastern absolutism at a time when America grappled with a post-war environment.

Mintz Levin attorney Susan Neuberger Weller, JD ’81, was selected as a Washington, D.C., Super Lawyer for 2008. She is a member of the firm’s Washington, D.C., office and practices in the intellectual property section.

Joseph Blute, JD ’82, was selected as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer for 2007 for his work at Mintz Levin law firm.

Robert Gallop, JD ’82, was elected to a three-year term as committeeman of the Chatham Township Committee in Chatham, N.J. He also renewed his certification as a certified civil trial attorney. Gallop practices in Newark, N.J.

Lewis B. Freeman & Partners, a forensic accounting and consulting firm in Miami, named Wayne Klein, JD ’82, a principal. Klein is a securities and investment fraud expert.

Jones Walker attorney William B. Masters, JD ’82, was listed as a Louisiana Super Lawyer for 2008 in the area of securities and corporate finance.

AIG Advisor Group in New York named Noah Sorkin, JD ’82, senior vice president and general counsel. He is responsible for managing all legal and regulatory functions. Sorkin previously was senior vice president at Fidelity National Financial Inc.

Mark F. Itzkowitz, JD ’83, has been listed as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer for 2007. Itzkowitz has worked on his own for the last 12 years in Boston, where he represents plaintiffs in civil suits asserting recovery for violations of civil rights and police misconduct, discrimination, victims’ rights, and premises liability.

After 21 years as a regulatory lawyer with the Food and Drug Administration in Washington, D.C., Suzanne M. O’Shea, LLM ’83, returned to her native Indiana and joined Baker and Daniels law firm’s health and sciences practice as of counsel.

James W. Conrad Jr., JD ’85, has established Conrad Law & Policy Counsel, his own law and lobbying practice in Washington, D.C. He represents companies, associations, and coalitions in the areas of homeland security and environmental law. He also continues to edit the Environmental Science Deskbook, a guide to environmental science and technology for lawyers and other liberal artists.

The Association of Corporate Counsel has elected John Glicksman, JD ’85, secretary of the Western Pennsylvania chapter for 2008. He has been a member of the ACC’s board of directors since 2006. Glicksman is vice president, legal affairs, of the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse, an investor in early stage life sciences and biotech companies.

Thacher Proffitt & Wood law firm announced that Robert A. Klausner, JD ’85, has been admitted to the partnership in the real estate practice group in the Summit, N.J., office.

Mark Solomon, JD ’85, managing partner of Andrews Kurth law firm’s Dallas office, has been elected to membership in the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation. Solomon is consistently listed as a Texas Super Lawyer and as one of the Best Lawyers in Dallas in corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions.

New York Life Insurance Co. announced that Executive Vice President Sheila Kearney Davidson, JD ’86, is now the chief legal officer and general counsel. Davidson will continue to have responsibility for the office of the general counsel, the office of the secretary, and the office of governmental affairs, and she will also be responsible for corporate compliance, the office of business conduct, the corporate ombudsperson, and the chief tax counsel.

Farrell Fritz attorney Rochelle Laufer, JD ’86, was recognized for her pro-bono work for the nonprofit organization Veterans of Foreign Wars. As real estate counsel, Laufer was instrumental in preparing, negotiating, and closing on a 49-year lease of retail space in Springfield, N.Y., to help the VFW generate a new stream of income.

Fulbright & Jaworski attorney Jim Repass, JD ’86, was named to the Texas Super Lawyers list for 2007. Repass handles intellectual property litigation and transactional matters and secures patents, trademarks, and copyright protection from governmental agencies.

Hodes, Pessin & Katz announced that Andrew H. Vance, JD ’86, joined the firm as of counsel. He brings 22 years of construction law experience to the firm’s real estate, litigation, and land use/zoning groups. Vance lives in Carroll County, Md., with his wife and two children.

Steven I. Wallach, JD ’86, joined Dilworth Paxson law firm’s litigation department and intellectual property group in the Philadelphia office.

The American College of Bankruptcy inducted Mark V. Bossi, JD ’87, as a fellow during a March ceremony at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Bossi is a partner in the bankruptcy group at Thompson Coburn law firm.

Christopher H. Casey, JD ’87, was named one of Philadelphia Magazine’s “76 People to Watch” in its annual list in the “Power and Politics” category. Casey is a partner at Dilworth Paxon law firm and practices in the areas of corporate investigations/ white collar.

Interim athletic director Steve Cottingham, JD ’87, has taken over as official athletic director at Marquette University in Milwaukee.

Anthony S. Thomas, JD ’87, was elected co-managing partner of Bowman and Brooke law firm’s Los Angeles office.

Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione attorney Timothy Q. Delaney, JD ’88, was named an Illinois Super Lawyer in the area of intellectual property litigation for 2008.

Washingtonian Magazine listed Kenneth A. Gelfarb, JD ’88, as a 2007 Top Lawyer in the category of real estate. He is a partner at Tenenbaum & Saas law firm in Chevy Chase, Md., focusing on real estate and business law. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Bethesda, Md.

Leonard L. Gordon, BA ’85, JD ’88, was appointed assistant regional director for the Federal Trade Commission’s Northeast Region.

Stevens & Lee Lawyers & Consultants announced that Michael D. Pipa, JD ’88, has been named a shareholder. Pipa concentrates his practice on the defense of professional negligence claims.

Jonathan L. Katz, JD ’89, has been named in Washingtonian Magazine as a 2007 Top Lawyer. He is also listed as a Maryland Super Lawyer for 2008 in the area of criminal defense.

Louis Manuta, JD ’89, joined the Public Utility Law Project, a public interest law firm which represents the interests of low income consumers in telecom and energy matters. He serves as staff attorney.

The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission welcomed Judge Dennis L. Phillips, LLM ’89, to the Washington, D.C., office as a new administrative law judge.

Krupka Leads ABA Section Claire Duggan In April, the BNA/Dean Dinwoodey Center for Intellectual Property Studies hosted a lecture by alumna Pamela Banner Krupka, JD ’87, chair of the ABA Section of IP Law, who continues a GW Law IP alumni tradition of national leadership. As this year’s chair, Krupka oversees the section’s more than 60 committees and task forces in developing substantive positions in all aspects of intellectual property law. “Serving as chair of the oldest and largest organization of intellectual property lawyers in the country is both a great privilege and a lot of fun,” Krupka says. “Contributing to the ABA allows me to stay focused not only on the important intellectual property law issues of the day but also on fundamental issues involving the profession, including the importance of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. No other organization offers this kind of broad-based perspective.”

Relypsa Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company in Santa Clara, Calif., announced the appointment of Ronald Krasnow, JD ’90, as senior vice president of intellectual property and chief patent counsel. Krasnow will be responsible for overseeing all activities related to intellectual property protection for Relypsa’s technology and product portfolios.

Saul Ewing law firm announced that Sheryl Robinson Wood, JD ’90, joined the Baltimore office as a partner in the litigation department and as a member of the corporate governance and white collar and government enforcement practice groups.

Denise DeFranco, JD ’91, was elected partner at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garret & Dunner law firm. She lives in Cambridge, Mass.

Eric N. Stravitz, JD ’91, a partner at Mesirow & Stravitz law firm in Washington, D.C, has been named an adjunct professor at GW Law School. He teaches trial advocacy.

The Dallas law firm of McKool Smith announced the addition of Rodney R. Sweetland III, JD ’91, a veteran international trade trial attorney, as a principal in its new Washington, D.C, office.

N. Thane Bauz, LLM ’92, was elected equity partner of the global law firm Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker. Thane focuses his practice on patent litigation and monetizing patent portfolios.

Greg Brower, JD ’92, was sworn in as Nevada’s new U.S. attorney in January. Brower had served as general counsel to the Government Printing Office since October 2006 and as an inspector general of the office since 2004.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit appointed Scott W. Dales, JD ’92, as U.S. bankruptcy judge for the Western District of Michigan at Grand Rapids. He was sworn in on Oct. 5, 2007.

Washingtonian Magazine named Salvatore J. Zambri, JD ’92 a “Big Gun” and listed him in the top 1 percent of lawyers in the Washington area. Zambri specializes in medical malpractice, serious automobile accidents, products-liability, and other personal injury cases. He lives in Bethesda, Md., with his wife, four children, and a Rhodesian Ridgeback.

Evan Raynes, JD ’93, was elected partner at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garret & Dunner law firm. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2007, awarded special recognition to Lowell D. Salesin, JD ’93, a shareholder and member of the executive management committee of the Southfield, Michigan- based firm Maddin, Hauser, Wartell, Roth & Heller. He has also been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for 2008.

Janet Fries, JD ’94, was named partner at Drinker Biddle & Reath law firm. She is a member of the intellectual property practice group in Washington, D.C., focusing on contract negotiation and preparation, Web site review, and copyright and trademark protection and enforcement.

Grant Sparks, JD ’94, was appointed an assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas in the Austin office. He previously served as an assistant attorney general for the state of Texas and as the unit commander of the Internet crimes against children task force for southern Texas.

John William Conway, JD ’95, was elected attorney general of Kentucky. He was sworn in as the state’s 49th attorney general in January.

John P. Schaub, JD ’95, was elected partner in the San Jose, Calif., office of Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner. He specializes in patent prosecution and litigation involving computer technology.

The Specialty Vehicle Institute of America announced that Paul C. Vitrano, JD ’95, joined the association in February as executive vice president. He has also been named general counsel for the SVIA, the Motorcycle Industry Council, and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.

Jeffrey A. Wolfson, JD ’95, joined Haynes & Boone law firm as a partner to help strengthen the firm’s intellectual property practice and to expand the Washington, D.C., office.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Chief Counsel, Sheldon Bradshaw, JD ’96, joined Hunton & Williams law firm as a partner and co-chair of the firm’s food and drug practice. Bradshaw announced his resignation from the FDA and joined the law firm in October.

Jeanne L. Newlon, JD ’96, was named to the Best Lawyers in America list for 2007 for her work at Venable law firm in Washington, D.C.

After completing his Ph.D. at the University of Wales, Cardiff Law School, Howard S. Schiffman, LLM ’96, had his doctoral dissertation published as a book called Marine Conservation Agreements: The Law and Policy of Reservations and Vetoes (Hotei Publishing, 2008). In the acknowledgment section of the book, he thanked GW Law professors Sean Murphy, Thomas Buergenthal, and John Oliver and classmate Kirstin Young for nurturing the idea for the project.

Drinker Biddle and Reath law firm named Jonathan D. Tarnow, BA ’93, JD ’96, counsel. He is a member of the education team in the firm’s government and regulatory affairs practice group in Washington, D.C.

Heather Zimmerman, JD ’96, joined Reed Smith law firm as a partner in the firm’s Falls Church, Va., office. Her practice focuses on health care.

Adam’s 100% Inc. was launched in March 2006 by Adam Heller, JD ’97, to sell healthy and exotic fruit juices at www.mangosteens.com. Heller is vice president, legal, at Hands-On Mobile Inc. in San Francisco, where he lives with his wife and three children.

Lewis and Roca partner John Rawicz, JD ’97, was elected to the board of trustees of the Arizona Theater Co. Rawicz is a member of the firm’s real estate practice group, focusing on real estate related acquisition, sale, and financing of hotels throughout the United States.

Reed Smith law firm welcomed Lorraine Mullings Campos, JD ’98, as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office’s in the regulatory litigation department.

Anessa Kramer, JD ’98, an associate at Southfield, Mich.-based Brooks Kushman law firm, was named to Crain’s Detroit Business magazine’s “40 Under 40” 2007 list.

Michael Miner, JD ’98, was named partner at Drinker Biddle & Reath law firm. He is a member of the firm’s commercial litigation practice group in Washington, D.C., focusing on white collar criminal investigations and prosecutions.

Jerry A. Stevenson, JD ’98, recently retired as a major in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is now working at Ernst & Young law firm in the national tax department doing high net worth tax and financial consulting. He and his wife live in San Diego with their three daughters.

Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter law firm in Columbus, Ohio, named Eric B. Travers, JD ’98, as firm director practicing in the areas of construction law and litigation. His clients include subcontractors, suppliers, architects, owners, contractors, and others in the construction industry.

Esther Puakela Kia’aina, JD ’98, was selected as a First Nations’ Futures Program Fellow. Her fellowship aims to develop well balanced indigenous leaders in communities throughout Hawaii and New Zealand. She is a land assets manager for Kamehameha Schools, a statewide schools system in Hawaii.

Bowditch & Dewey partner Christine Smith Collins, JD ’98, was named a 2007 Massachusetts Lawyer of the Year by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. She was recognized for her extensive pro bono work in the Sophie C. Currier v. National Board of Medical Examiners case.

Russell S. Drazin, JD ’99, was elected director at Jackson & Campbell law firm in Washington, D.C.

Hogan & Hartson law firm promoted Aleksandar Dukic, JD ’99, to partner in its Washington, D.C., practice.

Kimberly Bullock Gatling, JD ’99, was named a partner at Smith Moore law firm’s Greensboro, N.C., office. Gatling focuses her practice on intellectual property issues.

Mohammad A. Ghiasuddin, JD ’99, was named as a Pennsylvania Rising Star for 2007. He was also named a partner at Kaplin Stewart in Blue Bell, Pa., practicing in the areas of construction and surety law and commercial litigation.

J. Alexander Hershey, JD ’99, was elected partner at Thorp Reed & Armstrong law firm. He is a member of the commercial and corporate litigation practice.

Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione attorney Charles M. McMahon, JD ’99, was named an Illinois Rising Star for 2008.

Robert Pollock, JD ’99, was elected partner at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner law firm. Pollock lives in Washington, D.C.

Crowell & Morning law firm announced the addition of partner Robert Rhoad, LLM ’99, to the firm’s health care and false claims act groups. Rhoad represents both health care and government contract clients in complex litigation matters involving fraud and abuse, False Claims Act, antitrust claims, and criminal and civil government enforcement actions.

Kenneth J. Sachs, JD ’99, a senior attorney at the Detroit office of Miller Canfield law firm, was named chairman of the Oakland County Bar Association’s employee benefits committee. Sachs lives in West Bloomfield, Mich.

Eckert Seamans Cherin and Mellott made Laura Stover, JD ’99, a member in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. She focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation and appellate advocacy.

Husch & Eppenberger announced that William J. Curtis, JD ’00, joined the firm as a partner. Curtis practices in the environmental and regulatory practice group in the St. Louis, Mo., office.

Troy Grabow, JD ’00, was elected partner at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner law firm. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Bradley Arant Rose & White law firm announced that Michael C. Griffin, JD ’00, joined the Charlotte, N.C., office as a member of the construction and procurement practice group.

Tina M. Richards, LLM ’00, a Baker & Daniels associate, was appointed to the executive committee of Child Advocates’ Indianapolis chapter. She has been a volunteer there for more than five years and previously served on the board of directors.

Hunton & Williams law firm elected Yisun Song, JD ’00, as partner in the firm’s intellectual property practice based in Washington, D.C. She focuses her practice on intellectual property issues, including patent prosecution, patent litigation, and counseling.

Pedro F. Suarez, JD ’00, has been appointed to the board of directors of STC.UNM, a nonprofit corporation formed and owned entirely by the University of New Mexico to protect and transfer its faculty inventions to the commercial marketplace.

Ernesto Hernández- López, JD ’01, was promoted to associate professor of law as part of the Chapman University School of Law in Orange County, Calif.

Fish & Richardson law firm named Timothy W. Riffe, JD ’01, as a principal in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. He will continue to focus his practice on patent prosecution and counseling matters.

Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione attorney Mircea A. Tipescu, JD ’01, was named an Illinois Rising Star for 2008.

Colin D. Cook, JD ’02, joined the Tokyo office of Baker & McKenzie as a member of the major projects group. Previously he was with the construction and government contracts group at Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner in Washington, D.C.

The Chicago office of Barnes & Thornburg announced that Theodore J. Koerth, JD ’02, joined the firm as an associate in the litigation department.

Heidi A. Lyon, JD ’02, joined Warner Norcross & Judd law firm in Grand Rapids, Mich., concentrating on employee benefits issues. She lives in Grand Rapids with her husband, Branden.

Genova, Burns, & Vernoia law firm announced that Gregory Tomczak, JD ’02, joined the Livingston, N.J., office as an associate.

Lorena E. Ahumada, JD ’03, joined Kleinbard Bell & Brecker law firm in Philadelphia. She concentrates her practice in the areas of complex commercial litigation, employment litigation and counseling, and insurance coverage law.

Daniel A. Glass, JD ’03, joined Eckert Seamans Cherin and Mellott law firm’s Washington, D.C., office as an associate in the litigation division.

Brandon H. Moss, BS ’00, JD ’03, joined Murphy, Hesse, Toomey, & Lehane law firm as an associate attorney in its Quincy, Mass., office. He focuses his practice in the areas of municipal law and litigation.

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck announced that David G. Scott, JD ’03, has joined the firm as an associate in the Denver office. He will focus on environmental and water law as a member of the natural resources group.

Robertson, Freilich, Bruno & Cohen associate Elizabeth Koniers Brown, JD ’04, earned asylum
for a pro bono client in a case brought by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Immigration Court.

Kimberly Hibsch, JD ’04, joined Luxenberg, Johnson & Dickens in Washington, D.C., as an associate attorney. Her practice will be limited to family law.

Roetzel & Andress law firm announced the addition of Michael J. Rigelsky, JD ’04, to the Akron, Ohio, office. He is an associate, focusing his practice on civil litigation and products liability defense.

Todd M. Wesche, LLM ’04, joined the veterans benefits practice group as a senior associate at Goodman, Allen & Filetti in Richmond, Va.

Rebecca Balint, JD ’05, was honored for taking at least one new pro bono case in 2007 through Clark County Legal Services, a charitable organization near Las Vegas. Clark County Legal Services also honored Jennifer DiMarzio, JD ’05, with a “One Hundred Hours Club” award for donating 100 or more hours of pro bono time in 2007.

Michael Best & Friedrich law firm welcomed Thomas A. Janczewski, JD ’05, as an associate in the litigation practice group in Milwaukee.

Pepper Hamilton attorney Jason Karasik, BA ’01, JD ’05, received the Clifford Scott Green Bill of Rights Award from the Philadelphia chapter of the Federal Bar Association for his dedication in representing Guantanomo Bay detainees.

Chad Priest, JD ’05, a lawyer with Baker & Daniels law firm, spearheaded a project to launch the Wishard Medical-Legal Partnership for Patient Health, a new program aimed at improving health care in Indianapolis by pooling resources provided by doctors, lawyers, social workers, and academics.

Clark County Legal Services, a charitable organization near Las Vegas, honored Zachary Redman, JD ’05, with a “One Hundred Hours Club” award for donating 100 or more hours of pro bono time in 2007.

Shanna Singh Hughey, JD ’05, and her husband, Derek, are taking a yearlong trip around the world that started three days after their Sept. 2 wedding. The couple committed themselves to participating in community service projects along the way. So far, they’ve volunteered at an orphanage in China, spent some time in slum-based schools in New Delhi, and helped with legal and press work at a micro-finance organization in Varanasi, India. The two also plan to visit Vietnam, Cambodia, South America, Africa, Eastern Europe, and possibly the Middle East, while chronicling their journey on their blog, www.oneyearonearth.com. When they return, Shanna Hughey will begin her position at O’Melveny & Myers in Washington, D.C.

Fish & Richardson law firm announced the addition of Hussein Akhavannik, JD ’07, as an associate in the firm’s patent prosecution group in Washington, D.C.

Andrew J. Avsec, JD ’07, joined Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione as an associate in the law firm’s Chicago office, where he focuses on trademark law.

Faegre & Benson law firm announced the addition of Marlon D. Cush, JD ’07, to the firm’s Minneapolis office as an associate in the corporate practice. He focuses his practice on corporate finance and securities, private debt and equity financing, and mergers and acquisitions.

Eric S. Klein, JD ’07, joined the Dykema law firm health care practice in the Bloomfield Hills, Mich., office.

Ross, Dixon, & Bell law firm announced the addition of Jordi de Llano, JD ’07, as an associate in the firm’s insurance practice group in Washington, D.C. De Llano will focus on insurance coverage litigation.

Jeffrey Mills, JD ’07, and Mita Mukherjee, JD ’07, have joined Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox law firm in Washington, D.C., in the mechanical and biotech practices.

Yannis Petrou, LLM ’07, won the American Bar Association’s 2007 Public Contract Writing Competition. He was awarded $5,000 for his first-place paper titled “Institutional Purchasers in the Civilian Space Market in Europe and in the United States: A Comparative Study of the Procurement Systems of the European Space Agency and of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration”.

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman law firm announced the addition of Bob P. Preshlock, JD ’07, as an associate in the corporate, securities, tax, and finance practice group. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, tax, and estate planning.

Peter Socarras, JD ’07, joined Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox law firm in Washington, D.C., in the mechanical and biotech practices.

Lewis and Roca announced that Joshua R. Zimmerman, JD ’07, joined the Phoenix office as a member of the commercial litigation practice group.

Matthew J. Dowd, JD ’08, joined Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox law firm as an associate.

Alumnus Organizes Mayoral Town Hall D.C. Director of Ex-Offender Affairs Rodney C. Mitchell, JD ’02, and D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty are working to address the needs of D.C. residents returning to their communities after incarceration. Claire Duggan In January, Rodney C. Mitchell, JD ’02 was appointed director of the D.C. Office of Ex-Offender Affairs by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. Fenty joined Mitchell and his staff and volunteers at the Ralph Waldo “Petey” Greene Community Center in Anacostia for a March Town Hall Meeting to address the challenges of reintegration for previously incarcerated District residents. More than 200 men and women attended the meeting, addressing needs and proposing solutions on topics including housing, employment, and health care.

Red-Carpet Winner

Being a finalist in any writing competition is an accomplishment. But for Daniel H. Mark, the achievement came with the additional perk of getting to walk down the red carpet at the GRAMMY Awards in Los Angeles in March.

Daniel H. Mark, JD ’08, at the GRAMMY Awards in March

A month earlier, Mark, JD ’08, was selected as one of five national finalists in the GRAMMY Foundation’s 10th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Competition. Now in its second decade, ELI works to further the connection between the legal profession and the recording community and to address legal issues confronting the music industry.

Mark’s paper, “Wringing Songwriters Dry: Negative Consequences Of Compulsory Licensing For Ringtones,” concerns the U.S. Copyright Office’s recent application of the Copyright Act’s Section 115 compulsory license to ringtones. The paper identifies the negative consequences for songwriters and artists who may not wish to sanction the format and suggests that artists may look to state rights of publicity to prevent the commercial use and marketing of their personas and voices in this manner.

Finalists received a monetary scholarship award, publication of their winning entry in a major legal journal, and an all-expense-paid trip to Los Angeles to attend the GRAMMY Awards and other GRAMMY week festivities.

“The weekend was an incredible opportunity, both professionally and personally,” Mark says.

Mark credits GW Law faculty members for inspiring and encouraging his interest in intellectual property and entertainment law. “I am most indebted to Professor Roger Schechter, with whom I not only studied copyright and trademark law, but who also has become a friend and mentor to me over the last year and a half as I have served as his research assistant. He’s one of the best teachers I’ve had anywhere.”

He also credits Professorial Lecturer in Law Jay Rosenthal, whose entertainment law seminar sparked his interest in ringtones and provided the inspiration for the winning ELI entry.

Mark’s GRAMMY weekend began with the presentation of the finalists’ papers to more than 650 entertainment attorneys and industry members at the ELI Scholarship Luncheon. Two attorneys in attendance were GW Law alumni Ian Ballon, JD ’86, LLM ’98, and Susan Heller, JD ’82, both shareholders at Greenberg Traurig in Los Angeles, where Mark is beginning work after graduation in May.

Later in the evening, Mark and other GRAMMY guests attended the MusiCares Person of the Year tribute dinner and concert honoring legendary singer Aretha Franklin. On Sunday, Mark walked down the red carpet on his way to the GRAMMY Awards and later made his way to the GRAMMY after-party.

“Ever since I’ve been in D.C., I’ve had so many opportunities to get into what I want to do, and the connections are mainly through GW,” Mark says. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have had access and connections to externships.”

A California native, Mark was at first unsure how difficult it would be to find a job back home after attending law school on the East Coast. However, he says, The GW connection really helped in L.A., and I was happily surprised. Three of the partners I’ll be working with at GT are GW alumni.” In fact it was a 2006 GW Law School magazine article on entertainment lawyers that first led Mark to write to Ballon, and the connection eventually helped lead Mark to Greenberg Traurig.

Upon returning to GW Law after the Grammys, Mark had an opportunity to share his experience by answering e-mails from eager 1Ls about how they could get involved in entertainment law and write a paper for next year’s competition.

Mark says he encouraged the first-year students to be active. “I always say you have so many opportunities no matter what area you’re interested in and to just put yourself out there in all of the ways that are available to you.” Mark practiced his own advice by attending the Munich IP Summer Program and using every available credit hour afforded by the Outside Placement Office to work at a number of externships, such as the Federal Communications Commission, Digital Media Association, and the U.S. Copyright Office.

“All of these things have helped me find my passion in intellectual property and have laid a strong foundation for my future career,” he says. “I’ve had a really good experience. I know I’ll be an active alum.”

—Claire Duggan

Planting an Appleseed In New Orleans

When Christy Fast Kane returned to hometown New Orleans after earning her GW Law degree in 1997, she could not have anticipated how the decision would enrich her legal experience—and that of 22 GW law students.

At the thank you party for GW students who volunteered to help Louisiana Appleseed are Kathleen McNelis, Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps attorney for the Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Pro Bono Legal Corps; Christy Fast Kane, JD ’97, director of Louisiana Appleseed; and student volunteer Charlie Pollack, JD ’08.

Growing up in the New Orleans area, Kane earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at the city’s Loyola University. Her education included one semester at American University, in Washington, D.C., and the time in the nation’s capital spurred her decision to attend GW Law School.

After law school graduation Kane returned to family, professional, and cultural ties in New Orleans—and a job at Adams and Reese LLP, one of New Orleans’ top legal firms. Today, she is a partner in the firm’s litigation practice group, specializing in class actions and products liability defense. She also participates in numerous local and state legal organizations.

The activity that benefited Kane and the GW students came through one of those organizations: Louisiana Appleseed. It is one of 16 public-interest law centers in the nonprofit Appleseed network. Within each center, attorneys work pro bono to “identify, research, and analyze social injustices, make specific recommendations, and advocate for effective solutions to deep-seated structural problems,” according to Appleseed’s Web site, www.appleseed.org.

As the executive director of Louisiana Appleseed, Kane explains how the center was established and how GW students became involved in its work.

“When Adams and Reese instituted a mandatory pro bono policy in late 2006, the firm wanted to give its lawyers a bigger menu of pro-bono options,” Kane explains. “They heard about Appleseed and discussed starting a Louisiana center with the national office in D.C.

“Louisiana Appleseed was launched in 2007 after ConocoPhillips [which has extensive business activities in Louisiana] offered to help fund the center, and Adams and Reese donated office space and one of their partners—me. Last year I was on loan to Louisiana Appleseed 100 percent of my billable time and am working this year 50 percent on Appleseed projects and 50 percent on Adams and Reese litigation.”

Louisiana Appleseed’s first goal was to tell the legal community about the program and build up participants. They came from firms statewide and were asked to look at legal issues on global and systemic levels where positive change would affect hundreds or thousands of people, Kane explains.

Louisiana Appleseed also began leveraging the talent of the pro bono bar to address legal issues that arose after Hurricane Katrina crippled the New Orleans area. This involved file-by-file work for individuals who could not afford attorneys, as well as building partnerships with lawyers, businesses, community groups, academia, and government to work on policy-oriented issues.

Last fall during a visit to Appleseed’s D.C. headquarters, Kane stopped by the GW Law alumni office to ask whether some law students could volunteer to work with Louisiana Appleseed. The office put Kane in contact with GW’s Student Hurricane Network coordinators Ryan Mick and Nicole Rentz, who organized the response. In the end, 22 GW Law students traveled to New Orleans last December to donate their skills for a week.

“AmeriCorps attorney Kathleen McNelis coordinated the students’ workloads,” Kane says. “Our second- and third-year students were assigned to the New Orleans city attorney’s office. Its staff of 80 attorneys was reduced to 20 after Katrina, and cases were languishing due to a lack of workforce. The students reviewed and analyzed pending case files, then made recommendations to the city attorney. They also prepared deposition summaries.

“The first-year students worked with another AmeriCorps attorney, Tim Riveria, in office space donated by the Louisiana State Bar Association, to compile an immigration law handbook. It is helping public defenders represent immigrants who came to New Orleans following Katrina and who have immigration issues.”

For GW’s students, the week in New Orleans was gratifying professionally and culturally. Kane and husband Sean ensured the group tasted the local flavor by hosting a thank you dinner at their home, complete with the city’s famous red beans and rice and jambalaya.

Going forward, Louisiana Appleseed has much work remaining. It is addressing legal issues surrounding mental health, housing, education, wage claims, and public policy.

One large issue is “heirship property,” which involves Louisiana’s real estate succession policies. Often property is handed down or inherited, but legal paperwork isn’t filed because the expense can run into the thousands. The property’s title remains in the original owners’ name, resulting in various complications. For example, many Louisiana residents were denied compensation for residential losses due to Hurricane Katrina because they could not prove they owned the homes.

“This problem predated the hurricane,” Kane says. “Appleseed worked to get a resolution passed in the state legislature to study heirship property and try to develop solutions so people can go through succession without it being cost prohibitive.

Another Appleseed project seeks to increase access to banks and credit unions for lower-income citizens and immigrants, she adds. A team of volunteers is producing a report of available services with a plan to educate the community about them.

Kane extends an invitation to any GW Law students or alums interested in helping Louisiana Appleseed. “Working with Louisiana Appleseed is personally fulfilling, and being able to have GW students participate was a very fun project for me. I’d love to team up with GW again,” she says.

—Kathleen Kocks

Interested parties can reach Kane at 504-585-0450 or via e-mail at christy.kane@arlaw.com.

In Memoriam

And What About You?

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