The DC Bar Association recognized its most outstanding members and programs of the past year at its Annual Business Meeting and Awards Dinner on June 23 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC.
The DC Bar's highest honor, the Thurgood Marshall Award, was presented to Howard University School of Law for its role in training and supporting lawyers who 50 years ago prevailed in Brown V. Board of Education and Bolling v. Sharpe, its companion case in the District of Columbia, which held unconstitutional the separate-but-equal doctrine in public schools. Howard University School of Law was the first institution ever to receive the award, which was accepted by its current Dean Kurt L. Schmoke.
One of Howard Law School's most prominent graduates was Thurgood Marshall, first in the school's graduating class of 1933, who went on to serve as director-counsel for the NAACP, where he would handle cases that laid the ground work leading to the ultimate victory in Brown v. Board of Education and its companion cases, including Bolling v. Sharpe in the District of Columbia.
Other awards presented during the Annual Meeting were:
The Sections School Initiative received this year's award for Best Section Community Outreach Project.
The Estates, Trusts and Probate Law Section received the Best Section Award for its exceptional contributions to its members, fellow practitioners, and the community.
DC Bar members Stephen I. Glover of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and David H. Pawlik of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP were honored as Pro Bono Lawyers of the Year.
The Washington, DC offices of the firms of Howrey Simon Arnold & White, LLP and Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP received this year's Law Firm Pro Bono Award.
The Jury Process Education Project of the Continuing Legal Education Program received the award for Best Bar Project for providing extensive training to enable lawyers to communicate more effectively with jurors as well as opportunity to consider methods to improve the jury process.
The Landlord-Tenant Implementation Committee and its partner firms received the Frederick B. Abramson Award for outstanding service to the profession for its work in bringing to fruition the recommendations of its predecessor, The Landlord-Tenant Task Force, aimed at improving fairness and access to justice in the landlord-tenant legal system.
