WASHINGTON LAWYERS’ COMMITTEE UPDATE · Washington Lawyers’ Committee has expanded from a small staff addressing a limited number of issues on an ad hoc basis to become a far

WASHINGTON LAWYERS’ COMMITTEE

UPDATEVOL. 9, NO. 2 FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND URBAN AFFAIRS FALL 2003

Committee Celebrates 35thAnniversary at 2003

Branton Awards Lunch continued on page 17

L/R: Lloyd N. Cutler, Senior Counsel, Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering; Patricia M. Wald, Former Chief Judge,U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; Jeffrey D. Robinson, Co-Chair, WashingtonLawyers’ Committee.

Photo credit: Chris Buonocore, Morgan Lewis, Applications Support Group

35th Anniversary BrantonLuncheon ............................................. 1, 17-18

Director’s Corner ....................................... 2-4

Wiley A. BrantonOutstanding Achievement Awards ..... 8-12

Project Reports ............................. 5-7, 13-15

Arrivals ............................................................. 16

Committee Structure .................................. 19

Contributing Corporations& Foundations ............................................... 20

Inside this issue ...

S P E C I A L 3 5 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y I S S U E

The Washington Lawyers’ Committee and over 1000 supporterscelebrated the Committee’s 35th Anniversary at the 2003 Wiley A. BrantonAwards Luncheon at the Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel on June 3. Theannual gathering, which honors attorneys, clients and civil rights leaders fortheir contributions to the cause of equal rights, took on special significancein its 35th year with tributes to the founders and early supporters of theWashington Lawyers’ Committee and panel discussions covering theCommittee’s projects and activities.

The Honorable Patricia M. Wald, Former Chief Judge, U.S. Court ofAppeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, received the 2003 Wiley A.Branton Award for her commitment to equal justice and public interest law.The presentation to Judge Wald was made by Lloyd N. Cutler, a foundingpartner of the firm of Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering and a former Co-

Chair of the National Lawyers=Committee for Civil Rights.

The Honorable Louis F.Oberdorfer, Senior Judge, U.S.District Court for the District ofColumbia, was presented with the2003 Founders’ Award to recognizehis role in the founding of theWashington Lawyers’ Committeeand its counterpart Committees incities across the country. TheFounders= Award was presented toJudge Oberdorfer by John E.Nolan, the first Chair of theWashington Lawyers= Committeeand former colleague of JudgeOberdorfer at the U.S. Departmentof Justice during the KennedyAdministration.

This year, the Committeepresented the first ever Vincent E.Reed Award to two law firms thathave demonstrated exceptional

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WASHINGTON LAWYERS’ COMMITTEED

irect

or’s

Corner

Roderic V.O. BoggsExecutive DirectorWashington Lawyers’ Committeefor Civil Rights & Urban Affairs

35 Years and Counting: A Historical Perspective

As part of its 35th AnniversaryLuncheon and Program, theWashington Lawyers’ Committee wasmost pleased to recognize a numberof the exceptional men and womenwhose leadership and vision led to itscreation in 1968 and to many of itsearly achievements. Several of theseindividuals—John E. Nolan, Louis F.Oberdorfer, Lloyd N. Cutler andPatricia M. Wald—were honorees oraward presenters at this year’sLuncheon.

The inspiring remarks offeredby these bar leaders as part of ourprogram provide a fitting introduc-tion to the following summary of theCommittee's principal programs andaccomplishments over the past threedecades. This summary is drawnextensively from the commentsprovided by the current and formerCommittee project directors whoparticipated in the series of paneldiscussions held as part of our 35thAnniversary Program.

From its inception in 1968, theWashington Lawyers' Committee hasseen its basic mission as mobilizingthe resources of the private bar toaddress issues of discrimination andpoverty in our community. Theprimary motivating force behind the

creation of the Committee and itscounterparts in other cities was thepublication of the Report of theNational Advisory Commission onCivil Disorders, which had identifieddiscrimination and poverty as the rootcauses of the riots that had erupted incities around the nation during the late1960’s and in Washington, D.C. in April1968 following the assassination Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.

Over the past 35 years, theWashington Lawyers’ Committee hasexpanded from a small staffaddressing a limited number of issueson an ad hoc basis to become a farlarger organization operating throughsix projects to address a broad rangeof civil rights and poverty issues. Aspart of its growth, the Committee hasconstantly evolved to meet newcommunity needs and the emergenceof new civil rights constituencies.

Equal Employment

Opportunity Project

The Committee's first programwas its Equal EmploymentOpportunity Project, established in1971, at a time when the Washingtonarea was beginning the construction ofits Metro system and Congress wasabout to enact major new legislationproviding federal, state and localworkers with their first meaningfulprotections against employmentdiscrimination. Working with acoalition of community organizations,the Committee initiated an extensivelitigation campaign challenging denialsof training and job referrals by unionsand contractors throughout the region.In addition, major lawsuits were filedseeking enforcement of affirmativeaction plans covering federal and localgovernment construction projects.Committee cases, co-counseled byover a dozen area law firms, won

precedent-setting victories againstmany of the region’s largest unionsand contractors, opening significantemployment opportunities forthousands of African-Americanworkers.

During the same period, theCommittee began a special outreachcampaign directed at minority andwomen federal employees. Workingwith employee task forces at scores ofagencies, the Committee providedrepresentation in dozens of majorcases winning many of the firstjudgments upholding the claims offederal workers under the newlyenacted provisions of the 1972 CivilRights Act. Over the past 35 years,the Committee has built on this earlyrecord to bring class actions affectingover 20 federal agencies, and dozensof private sector defendants, securingmillions of dollars of back pay anddamages, and injunctive relief forthousands of workers.

Fair Housing Project

In addition to its successes inclass action litigation, the Committeetakes special pride in its role inwinning a set of landmark appellaterulings upholding the use of pairedtesters to investigate denials of equalemployment. The Committee'ssuccess in these cases brought onbehalf of the Fair EmploymentCouncil of Greater Washington pavedthe way for the use of tester-generated evidence in a number ofother jurisdictions.

In the mid-1970’s, theCommittee established its FairHousing Litigation Project to addressdenials of equal housing opportunity.Shortly thereafter, it played a key rolein working with a coalition of localclergy to create the Fair HousingCouncil of Greater Washington.

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Special Projects

In addition to its work onspecific on-going projects, theCommittee has over the yearshandled an array of significantmatters on an ad hoc basis andoperated a number of specialprojects for limited periods of time.Perhaps the most significant indi-vidual case—Runyan v. McCrary—wasa successful challenge in the UnitedStates Supreme Court under Sec.1981 of the 1866 Civil Rights Act tothe racially discriminatory admissionspolicies of a Virginia nursery school.Special Committee projects over theyears have focused on securingmeaningful treatment for narcoticsaddicts, providing quality child carefor low-income parents, representing

African-American servicemen inchallenges to their less than honorablemilitary discharges, and providingsupplemental instruction to hundredsof minority students about to enterarea law schools.

The Committee’s achievementsover the past 35 years are largelyattributable to the thousands oflawyers from over 100 area law firmswho have given so generously oftheir pro bono time and financialcontributions.

The Committee's record is alsoa direct reflection of the skill anddedication of the talented men andwomen who have served withdistinction on its staff.

The Committee's record is aconstant reminder of the vision

displayed by the Committee'sfounders. While serving asmemorable opportunity to honorthese founders, this year’s BrantonLuncheon was also noteworthy incalling attention to the distance thatremains to be traveled on the road toequal justice in our society. In notingthe serious challenges that lieimmediately ahead, Judge Wald struckthe appropriate note in calling uponthe Committee to remain true to itshistoric mission of using theresources of the private bar to helpopen the door to equal opportunityfor all in our community. The recordof the past 35 years gives me reasonto believe that the legal communityof our city is prepared to continuewith the Committee in meeting thesechallenges.

Committee Staffing, Governance and DevelopmentThe Committee today operates with a staff of approximately 30, including six project directors and six

staff attorneys. They are supported by several senior lawyers and loaned associates from cooperating firms. Inaddition, the Committee regularly benefits from the services of a number of junior attorneys holdingfellowships from local and national law firms and nonprofit organizations.

The Committee is governed by a 40-member Board of Directors. Board members are drawn fromleading area law firms and they are led by two Co-Chairs. The Directors and Co-Chairs are supported by a90-member Board of Trustees and a team of Firm Representatives representing nearly 100 participating lawfirms.

The Committee has adopted an operating budget set at $2.5 million for 2004. Funding for this budget isexpected to come from a combination of law firm and individual giving, foundation funding, and theproceeds from the Annual Wiley A. Branton Luncheon, as well as attorneys’ fees and gifts of fees received inCommittee litigation. The Committee’s 2002/2003 Funding Drive concludes September 30, 2003. It isexpected to provide approximately $850,000 in law firm, individual and event funding. Nearly 100 firms andover 500 individuals have contributed to this total. Foundation funding is expected to provide approximately$300,000 by the end of the foundation fundraising year, which concludes December 31, 2003.

As the Committee begins its year-end funding cycle and announces its new campaign, it will make a specialeffort to secure increased funding through a year-end appeal to law firm partners and associates. In addition, itwill also be initiating a campaign to secure endowment funding for its general support and specific projects.

Individuals and firms interested in providing support for the Committee and in participating in itsfundraising efforts should contact Da’aga Hill Bowman, Director of Foundation Outreach and Public Informa-tion at (202) 319-1000, ext. 155. Contributions to the Committee may also be made online at www.washlaw.org.

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SPECIAL 35TH ANNIVERSARY UPDATE

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Committee recently joinedthe Metropolitan WashingtonEmployment Lawyers’ Association(MWELA) and the Partnership forCivil Justice in filing a brief amicuscuriae with the District of ColumbiaCourt of Appeals in support of awoman who had been subjected to aseverely hostile work environmentcreated and maintained by heremployer.

In the underlying proceedings,the jury awarded a substantial verdictto the plaintiff for violations of theD.C. Human Rights Act’s (DCHRA’s)prohibition on sexual harassment.The trial judge had set aside theverdict on grounds that the plaintiff ’sclaims were untimely and that thejury’s verdict was insufficientlysupported by the evidence. OnAugust 21, 2003, the D.C. Court ofAppeals, en banc, reversed the rulingof the lower court, finding that thesexual harassment claim was timelyfiled, and that there was sufficientevidence to support the jury’s verdict.As a result, the jury verdict andcompensatory damages award werereinstated. This decision sets animportant precedent regardingaccrual of sexual harassment claimsunder the DCHRA.

Jury Verdict Reinstated inSexual Harassment Case

Pregnancy DiscriminationCase Filed

Employee ObtainsInjunction Against

Retaliation by USAID

In February 2003, theCommittee and Shea & Gardnerfiled suit on behalf of a woman who

Melvin Porter, a long-timeemployee of the United StatesAgency for International Develop-ment (USAID) prevailed in his May2002 jury trial on two claims ofretaliation by USAID. In January2003, the U.S. District Court for theDistrict of Columbia also issued aninjunction against USAID forbiddingretaliation against Mr. Porter forhis protected activity, and left openthe question of further injunctiverelief to offset Mr. Porter’s potentialtax liability on attorneys’ fees. Theinjunction against further retaliationhas proven critical, as USAID hassince denied Mr. Porter a perfor-mance bonus and downgraded hisperformance evaluation. Mr. Porterfiled a show cause motion, whichwas immediately granted by theCourt. Briefing on the contempt

Settlement Reached inSocial Security Administration

Race Discrimination Case

A Social Security Administration(SSA) employee who was denied apromotion in favor of a less senior,less qualified white male by an SSAofficial with a history of racediscrimination has settled her claim.At the agency’s request, the partiesengaged in a series of court-sponsored mediations that began inJanuary and ended in August 2003.The parties have reached anagreement that compensates theemployee not only for the financialloss and emotional pain alreadyincurred, but also for the futurefinancial loss resulting from herreduced retirement benefits. TheSSA has also agreed to payreasonable attorneys’ fees and costsas determined by the Court.Counsel in the case is PiperRudnick.

Trial Date Set InRetaliatory Discharge

Case Against Bank

The Committee and Shearman& Sterling recently won summaryjudgment in the District Court for theDistrict of Maryland for an employeewho alleged that he wasdiscriminatorily denied a promotionto senior vice president at EquitableBank, and that after he filed acomplaint with the EEOC, the bank’spresident began a campaign of

alleged pregnancy discrimination andretaliation under the D.C. HumanRights Act. In May 2002, two daysafter the woman informed heremployer of her pregnancy, she wastold that her hours would be cut, herpay reduced, and that she would beterminated on her last day at workprior to giving birth. When thewoman complained that this wasdiscriminatory, she was immediatelyand summarily fired. The partieshave exchanged written discovery,and will begin taking depositionsduring September 2003.

continued on page 18 continued on page 16

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Public Accommodations

District of Columbia residentswho were denied taxicab servicerecently won a landmark victory.They had alleged that they werevictimized by Diamond CabCompany’s pattern and practice ofrefusing to provide taxicab service toresidents of Southeast D.C., all ofwhich lies east of the Anacostia River.

The plaintiffs, two residents ofSoutheast D.C. and the Equal RightsCenter, brought suit under federaland D.C. law, alleging discriminationbased both on race and place ofresidence. After lengthy discovery,the parties filed cross motions forsummary judgment.

In August 2003, Judge Robertsheld that plaintiffs had proven—andthat defendants could not materiallydispute—that defendants’ policies hada disparate impact on African Ameri-can residents of Southeast D.C. TheCourt also denied the defendants’motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ inten-tional discrimination claims.

The case will go to trial on theissues of damages for violations ofthe D.C. Human Rights Act(DCHRA), and liability under theDCHRA and 42 U.S.C. sec. 1981 forintentional discrimination.

Co-Counsel in the case isCrowell & Moring.

D.C. Residents DeniedTaxicab Service WinSummary Judgment

Twenty-Three PatronsSue Cracker Barrel In

Arkansas

Twenty-three black customerswho allege that they were victims ofrace discrimination when theyattempted to patronize two CrackerBarrel restaurants in the Little Rockarea have filed suit in Arkansas.

The suit alleges that CrackerBarrel gave white customerspreferential seating, segregated blacksin the smoking section of therestaurant, forced blacks to endureunreasonably long waits beforeproviding seating and service, andotherwise provided substandardservice to African-Americancustomers.

This case is a companion case toNAACP et al. v Cracker Barrel OldCountry Store, Inc. (N.D. Ga.), inwhich the Washington Lawyers’Committee also is serving as plain-tiffs’ counsel. The companion caseraises similar allegations of a patternand practice of race discriminationby Cracker Barrel restaurants.

Covington & Burling andKaplan, Brewer, Maxey &Haralson, P.A. are serving as co-counsel with the Committee in thecase.

Patron Denied HotelRoom Settles Suit

Against Red Roof Inn

An African American patronwho was denied a hotel room at RedRoof Inn has reached agreement onthe terms of a settlement with thecompany.

The patron, a resident ofGeorgia, attempted to rent a hotelroom in a Red Roof Inn inTallahassee, Florida, but the managerof the hotel stated that he would notaccept her check, even though thehotel maintained a policy ofaccepting checks from persons who,like Ms. Capehart, had the company’sRediCard. When her check wasrefused, the patron offered to pay incash, and the manager responded thatshe could not stay in the hotel.

In January 2003, the Committeefiled a case on behalf of the patronalleging racial discrimination inviolation of the Civil Rights Act of1866.

Co-counsel in the case isHolland & Knight.

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Fair Housing

The Fair Housing Project hasfrequently represented the area’spremier fair housing advocacyorganization, the Equal Rights Center,in federal and state court actionschallenging discriminatory practicesuncovered by the Equal RightsCenter’s investigations.

Recently, the project has in-creased its representation of theEqual Rights Center in administrativeproceedings. Several state and localhuman rights offices provide a forumfor persons and entities, injured bydiscrimination, to seek redress. TheFair Housing Project has filed anumber of significant cases with theseoffices on behalf of the Equal RightsCenter. Each of the cases involvesnovel issues regarding the applicationof the fair housing laws to housingproviders.

Foster v. Beverly Court

Cooperative (DCOHR)

Housing discrimination on thebasis of age is prohibited under theDistrict of Columbia’s fair housinglaw. As a result, when MargaretFoster and Robert Payne were toldthat their application to buy acondominium unit at the BeverlyCourt cooperative was deniedbecause they were too young, theybrought their case to the Equal RightsCenter.

Foster and Payne, along withtheir realtor and the Equal RightsCenter, filed a complaint with theDistrict of Columbia Office ofHuman Rights. The Officeconducted an investigation and found“probable cause” to believe that theCoop Board rejected Foster andPayne’s application on the basis ofage and also that the Boarddiscriminated on the basis of genderwhen it refused to consider Ms.Foster’s income.

Equal Rights Center v.Kriegsfeld Management

Although studies have repeatedlyshown that discrimination againstLatinos is very common in the D.C.Metropolitan area, few cases havechallenged housing providers’discrimination against Latinos. Whenthe Equal Rights Center received acomplaint that Latinos were unable torent or purchase apartments at theSpirit of W Cooperative in D.C., itsent out white and Latino testers toask about availability of units at thebuilding. The testers were subjectedto various forms of differentialtreatment, with some of the whitetesters being told that units wereavailable and encouraged to apply,while Latino testers arriving on thesame day were told that no unitswere available.

The Fair Housing Project filedan administrative complaint on behalfof the Equal Rights Center inFebruary 2003. The DCOHR iscommencing its investigation.

Barrett and Equal Rights

Center v. Steward Towers

When Kathleen Barrett and herfiancé sought to move into a two-bedroom apartment at the StewardTowers apartment building, theywere told that they would have toapply as roommates and that eachof them would have to meet theminimum income requirementsseparately because they were notmarried.

Ms. Barrett contacted the EqualRights Center, which confirmed thatthe Maryland Fair Housing Actprohibits discrimination in housingbased on marital status.

The Equal Rights Center sentsets of testers posing as married andunmarried couples to StewardTowers. The married couple wastold that they could meet aminimum income requirement bycombining their income and theunmarried couple was told that theywould each have to meet aminimum income requirement.

The case, which represents oneof a very few challenges to maritalstatus discrimination, is beinginvestigated by and is currentlypending before the MarylandCommission on Human Relations.

Fair Housing ProjectRepresents Equal RightsCenter in Administrative

Proceedings

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Equal EmploymentOpportunity

Fair Housing

L/R: Lisa A. Wilson, Staff Attorney, Washington Lawyers’ Committee; EmilyGoldberg, Staff Attorney, Washington Lawyers’ Committee; Brandi Brown,Intake Coordinator, Washington Lawyers’ Committee; Carolyn P. Weiss, StaffAttorney, Washington Lawyers’ Committee; Susan E. Huhta, Equal EmploymentOpportunity Project Director, Washington Lawyers’ Committee; Eric C. Bosset,Partner, Covington & Burling; Samuel S. Heywood, Associate, Covington &Burling; Derron J. Blakely, Associate, Covington & Burling.

L/R: Reed N. Colfax, Fair Housing Project Director, Washington Lawyers’Committee; Kelli M. Evans, Attorney, Relman & Associates; Eliza T. Platts-Mills, Staff Attorney, Washington Lawyers’ Committee.

L/R: Reed N. Colfax, Fair Housing Project Director, Washington Lawyers’Committee; William F. Sheehan, Attorney, Shea & Gardner; Eliza T. Platts-Mills,Staff Attorney, Washington Lawyers’ Committee.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Covington & BurlingCovington & Burling achieved a significantvictory in an employment discrimination casetried before the U.S. District Court for theDistrict of Columbia last summer. At theconclusion of a three-day trial, the jury found thatthe African-American plaintiff, Melvin Porter, hadbeen illegally denied promotion on two occasionsand awarded him compensatory damages. Mr.Porter, a manager at USAID, had been passedover for promotion after complaining ofdiscrimination within the Human ResourcesDepartment of USAID.

Relman & AssociatesIn August, Relman & Associates won summaryjudgment in favor of the Equal Rights Center in itshousing advertisement discrimination case againstthe University of Maryland. The case involves anextensive pattern of off-campus advertisementspublished by the University of Maryland on itswebsite that expressed explicit preferences on thebasis of gender, familial status, and marital status.The court granted the motion for summaryjudgment in favor of the Equal Rights Centerfinding that the University’s advertisements violatedthe Maryland Fair Housing Act as a matter of law.

Shea & GardnerShea & Gardner authored an exceptional amicusbrief in support of a D.C. non-profit that hadbeen prevented from legally opening a home forformerly homeless men with mental disabilities bythe D.C. government. The brief argued thatsummary judgment should be granted in favor ofthe housing provider because the zoning lawsfacially discriminated against persons withdisabilities. The Court agreed, granting summaryjudgment in favor of the plaintiff and strikingdown the offending zoning provisions.

Fair Housing

2003 OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

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L/R: Reed N. Colfax, Fair Housing Project Director, Washington Lawyers’Committee; Jonathan M. Grossman, Associate, Hogan & Hartson; Tara Hammons,Associate, Hogan & Hartson; Eliza T. Platts-Mills, Staff Attorney, WashingtonLawyers’ Committee.

L/R: Reed N. Colfax, Fair Housing Project Director, Washington Lawyers’ Committee;David D. DiBari, Partner, Clifford Chance; Beverly Hart, Legal Secretary, CliffordChance; Greg Cho, Associate, Clifford Chance; Anthony Cooke, Senate EnergyCommittee; Morgan Fargarson, Associate, Clifford Chance; Eliza T. Platts-Mills, StaffAttorney, Washington Lawyers’ Committee.

L/R: Lois G. Williams, Senior Counsel for Litigation, Washington Lawyers’Committee; Gwendolyn Wilber Jaramillo, Associate, Foley Hoag; E. ElaineGardner, Disability Rights Project Director, Washington Lawyers’ Committee.

Public Accommodations

Disability Rights

Hogan & HartsonHogan & Hartson achieved a ground-breakingsettlement on behalf of an African Americandenied taxi cab service in the District ofColumbia. The settlement included a monetaryaward to the plaintiff and, among other injunctiveprovisions, an agreement to post notices in each ofthe company’s taxicabs alerting customers to itscommitment to antidiscrimination laws andproviding information on how to file complaintsof driver discrimination.

Clifford ChanceIn July 2002, Clifford Chance settled a case onbehalf of Juanita Coates Jones, an AfricanAmerican who was ejected from a taxicab oncethe driver discovered she was going to apredominantly black neighborhood. After makingher leave the cab, the driver picked up a whitepassenger a mere hundred yards from where heejected Ms. Jones. The case was resolved by aconsent order that included a monetary award, acomplaint filing procedure, and a training programfor the taxicab company and its drivers.

Foley HoagIn October 2001, five of the six Murry’s Steaksgrocery stores in the District had inaccessibleentrances, due to the presence of cart corralfeatures that kept in shopping carts, but kept outpeople who use wheelchairs. With the assistance ofFoley Hoag, the Disability Rights Project filed suiton behalf of the Disability Rights Council and twoshoppers who use wheelchairs against Murry’sSteaks, seeking the removal of these barriers. Asettlement in September 2002 achieved full accessfor people with disabilities to this importantneighborhood grocery chain, as well as fees anddamages for the individual and organizationalplaintiffs.

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L/R: Steven P. Hollman, Partner, Hogan & Hartson; Margaret E. DiPentima,Associate, Hogan & Hartson; Jonathan L. Abram, Partner, Hogan & Hartson; LoisG. Williams, Senior Counsel for Litigation, Washington Lawyers’ Committee; TaraHammons, Associate, Hogan & Hartson; E. Elaine Gardner, Disability RightsProject Director, Washington Lawyers’ Committee.

L/R: Herbert V. Kerner, Associate, Litigation, Intellectual Property & Antitrust,Hunton & Williams; Bradley T. Lennie, Associate, Litigation, Intellectual Property &Antitrust, Hunton & Williams; Kevin L. Fast, Partner, Hunton & Williams; A. NealBarkus, Partner, Labor & Employment Law Practice, Hunton & Williams; E. ElaineGardner, Disability Rights Project Director, Washington Lawyers’ Committee; Lois G.Williams, Senior Counsel for Litigation.

L/R: Lance Gable, Associate, McDermott Will & Emery; David M. Tennant,Associate, McDermott Will & Emery; Eugene I. Goldman, Partner, McDermott Will& Emery; E. Elaine Gardner, Disability Rights Project Director, WashingtonLawyers’ Committee; Lois G. Williams, Senior Counsel for Litigation, WashingtonLawyers’ Committee.

Hogan & HartsonVoting equipment that permits independent andsecret voting by individuals who are blind or havemanual impairments is readily available. TheDistrict, however, recently chose to purchaseinaccessible equipment, and for many years failedto ensure accessible polling places. Hogan &Hartson assisted the Disability Rights Project infiling a landmark suit to require the District tomake its voting equipment and polling placesaccessible. In August 2002, the firm and theProject negotiated a settlement that requires theDistrict, by the 2004 Primary, to have at least oneaccessible voting machine in every precinct, and toensure accessible polling places.

Hunton & WilliamsHunton & Williams won a major and precedent-setting victory in an ADA case tried before the U.S.District Court for the District of Columbia inNovember 2002. At the conclusion of the two-day trial, the jury awarded monetary damages toGarth Alexander, a deaf man who had beendenied services at the D.C. vision care providercovered by his union benefits. When his wifecalled the vision care office for an appointment,she was informed that her husband could not beseen because of his deafness. The vision careoffice then put its refusal to treat in writing. Thiscase represents one of the first trials in the Districtunder Title III of the Americans with DisabilitiesAct, and one of the first jury awards for disabilitydiscrimination at a place of public accommodationunder the D.C. Human Rights Act.

McDermott Will & EmeryA major agreement negotiated this year with theassistance of McDermott Will & Emery willprovide greater access for customers withdisabilities in Family Dollar Stores, an importantdiscount retailer with 4,700 outlets in 42 states. Asurvey of Family Dollar Stores in Washington,D.C., Maryland and Virginia showed serious accessbarriers - most importantly in their failure tomaintain accessibility due to the constant placementof stock and merchandise in the aisles. Under theagreement, Family Dollar has removed barriers,and committed to more accessible fixture layouts.


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L/R: Deniese A. Young, Immigration Specialist, Patton Boggs; Denise A. Vanison,Partner, Patton Boggs; Ruth Spivack, Paralegal, Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project,Washington Lawyers’ Committee; Denise L. Gilman, Director, Immigrant and RefugeeRights Project, Washington Lawyers’ Committee; Yohanna Romero Baca, LegalAssistant, Patton Boggs.

L/R: Ruth Spivack, Paralegal, Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, WashingtonLawyers’ Committee; Jack Bunker, Associate, King & Spalding; Denise L. Gilman,Director, Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, Washington Lawyers’ Committee.

Patton BoggsVolunteer attorneys from Patton Boggssuccessfully reunited two families, one fromRwanda and the other from Ukraine, by winninghumanitarian parole, a discretionary form of reliefthat allows individuals to enter the United States forcompelling reasons. Without these successfulefforts, the 12-year-old daughter of a Ukrainianwoman who won the visa lottery would not havebeen allowed to follow her mother to the UnitedStates. Similarly, a Rwandan infant would not havebeen allowed to enter the United States with hermother, who in turn was joining her own politicalasylee mother.

Steptoe & JohnsonOver the past several years, Steptoe & Johnsonhas assisted the Committee in a record-breakingnumber of successful political asylum cases. Theindividuals represented by Steptoe & Johnsonwere from Burma, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Liberia,and Senegal. The firm is currently in the midst ofits representation of another asylum seeker, fromSierra Leone. During the last calendar year thefirm spent over 1,200 hours interviewing theclients, compiling their applications with supportingevidence and preparing the clients for asyluminterviews.

King & SpaldingOver the past eighteen months, King & Spaldingvolunteers have provided stellar representation toimmigrants in a number of political asylum casesand matters involving juveniles. A group ofdedicated attorneys won asylum for two youngmen from Angola, a woman from Bangladesh and

Immigrant & Refugee Rights

Furthermore, Family Dollar has introduced newstocking and merchandise recovery procedures tohelp ensure aisles are clutter-free. The agreementalso included a considerable monetary componentfor the Disability Rights Council, and an award ofattorneys’ fees.


L/R: Edward J. Krauland, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson; Stephen A. Fennell,Attorney, Steptoe & Johnson; Ruth Spivack, Paralegal, Immigrant & RefugeeRights Project, Washington Lawyers’ Committee; Denise L. Gilman, Director,Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, Washington Lawyers’ Committee.

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L/R: Iris J. Toyer, Director, Public Education Legal Services Project, WashingtonLawyers’ Committee; Janiese Brooking, Legal Secretary, Beveridge & Diamond;Eileen Cheung, Attorney, Beveridge & Diamond; David Friedland, Principal,Beveridge & Diamond; Mary M. Levy, Director, Public Education Reform Project,Washington Lawyers’ Committee.

L/R: Iris J. Toyer, Director, Public Education Legal Services Project, WashingtonLawyers’ Committee; April McPherson, Administrative Coordinator, Foley & Lardner;Mary M. Levy, Director, Public Education Reform Project, Washington Lawyers’Committee.

Beveridge & DiamondSince 1997, Beveridge & Diamond has operatedan active partnership with Birney ElementarySchool. Among other activities, firm volunteersteach an environmental science program for all ofthe 6th grade classes that has included related fieldtrips and the purchase of several acres ofRainforest on behalf of the school. The firm alsosponsors a holiday toy drive; provides furnituredonations for individual families; reads tokindergarteners; conducts firm tours for the 4thgrade classes and provides school uniforms forstudents in need.

Foley & LardnerIn 1997, Foley & Lardner began a very specialpartnership with Wilkinson Elementary School.As a central part of its collaboration, the firmbrings 70 3rd-grade students to its office everyWednesday afternoon for one hour of tutoring.The students, many of whom are in specialeducation classes, benefit tremendously from theone-to-one attention they receive from Foleyvolunteers. In addition, the firm also sponsorsfield trips, participates in the school’s career dayactivities, holds a holiday card art competition, andprovides dinner on PTA nights for parents, staffand students.

Public Education

a woman from the Democratic Republic ofCongo. In addition, they provided legalrepresentation in Immigration Court for threejuveniles from El Salvador who had beenapprehended by the Immigration andNaturalization Service when they tried to cross theborder to join family members in the United States.The firm also helped enroll eligible Salvadorans inthe Temporary Protected Status program at aworkshop sponsored by a local immigrationgroup. The firm is now moving forward withseveral new matters involving asylum seekers fromCameroon and Sierra Leone.


L/R: The Honorable Louis F. Oberdorfer, Senior Judge, U.S. District Court for theDistrict of Columbia, 2003 Founders’ Award recipient; Roderic V.O. Boggs,Executive Director, Washington Lawyers’ Committee; John E. Nolan, Senior Partner,Steptoe & Johnson.

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Disability Rights

The anthrax contamination ofthe Brentwood postal facility inOctober 2001 resulted in the deathsof two USPS employees and thefacility’s temporary closure.

During the crisis, many deafBrentwood workers complained tothe Committee that, despite the gravedangers posed to workers, postalmanagement did not provide effec-tive communication of emergencymeasures to deaf employees.

In the process of resolving thisurgent matter, the Committee’sDisability Rights Project receivedcomplaints from other deaf postalemployees nationwide regarding thePostal Service’s failure to provideeffective communication in bothemergency and routine situations.

On May 14, 2003, a federallawsuit with class allegations was filedon behalf of five deaf postalworkers by the Project and a team ofattorneys, led by Covington &Burling, and including the law firmof James E. McCollum, Jr. &Associates, P.C.

The lawsuit, filed in the UnitedStates District Court for the Districtof Columbia, alleged violations ofthe deaf workers’ civil rights underthe Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Thelawsuit specifically cites USPS’ failureto provide qualified sign language

Deaf Postal Workers FileNationwide Lawsuit

interpreters at work meetings,including meetings that addressedanthrax contamination and othersafety concerns.

According to the lawsuit,without the assistance of signlanguage interpreters, it is impossiblefor deaf postal employees tounderstand vital safety informationthat is conveyed to them at workmeetings.

The anthrax outbreak addedurgency to the fight for sign languageinterpreters. “USPS has ignored theneeds of its deaf workers for toolong. Many times I have asked forqualified interpreters at workmeetings because I cannot understandwhat is going on, but my supervisorsrefuse to get me an interpreter,” saidplaintiff Bruce Hubbard, who hasbeen employed by USPS for over 30years, including 15 years atBrentwood.

“When the anthrax contamina-tion happened at Brentwood, I wasscared because I did not know whatwas happening,” said Hubbard. “It’ssad that we had to file a lawsuit to getUSPS to do what is right.”

Individuals who use wheelchairsoften face barriers to access in hotelsthat restrict their ability not only to

Lawsuit Filed AgainstDC Hotel Chain

travel, but even to attend local eventsand functions that are held in hotelconference rooms and restaurants.

In response to the concerns ofthe disability community regardingaccess to Washington D.C. hotels, theDisability Rights Council (DRC)initiated a general survey of the hotelindustry here. The DRC alsoperformed follow-up testing ofthose hotels found in the initial surveyto pose the most serious barriers topeople with disabilities.

During the course of thefollow-up survey, in which testerswith disabilities were sent to hotels tospend a night and survey theaccommodations, a tester was injuredat the Governor’s House Hotel whenan inadequate seat provided in herroom’s roll-in shower broke. Thetester, who uses an electric scooterfor mobility, broke her coccyx.Investigation revealed that anotherhotel in the same chain, the St.Gregory, also had serious accessbarriers.

The Disability Rights Project,together with the law firm ofKirkpatrick & Lockhart, filed suitin early September against CapitalHotels, the hotel chain that owns bothhotels. The case, filed in the U.S.District Court for the District ofColumbia, includes allegations ofviolations of the Americans withDisabilities Act and the D.C. HumanRights Act in both hotels, and is filedon behalf of the tester and the DRC.

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Immigrant and Refugee Rights

In November, the Immigrantand Refugee Rights Project of theWashington Lawyers’ Committee andHolland & Knight will try agroundbreaking case intended toreveal the abuses faced by manydetained asylum seekers, even vulner-able unaccompanied minors, at thehands of the immigration authorities.

The trial, set to begin in theUnited States District Court for theEastern District of Virginia onNovember 10, 2003, involves alawsuit filed by the WashingtonLawyers’ Committee and Holland &Knight on behalf of Malik Jarno, anasylum seeker from Guinea who testsin the moderately mentally retardedrange and who arrived in the UnitedStates at age 16.

Mr. Jarno challenges thetreatment and conditions ofconfinement he experienced while hehas been detained under the authorityof the INS since January 2001.Upon entry into the United States asan asylum seeker in January 2001, Mr.Jarno was immediately detained. Hewas held for eight months withoutreceiving any hearing before anImmigration Judge despite the factthat he was entitled to such a hearingto pursue his asylum claim.

For a significant portion of thetime that Mr. Jarno has been held indetention, the INS placed him atPiedmont Regional Jail nearFarmville, Virginia. Piedmont is acounty-run facility ill-prepared for

Trial Scheduled in INSDetainee Abuse Case

handling an immigrant detaineepopulation. At this facility, Mr. Jarnowas held with adults, including regularcriminal detainees. When the appro-priateness of his detention in an adultfacility was questioned, the INSordered that Mr. Jarno be placed insolitary confinement. In addition, inOctober 2001, prison guards at thePiedmont detention facility beat Mr.Jarno resulting in injuries that hecontinues to suffer today.

Finally, the INS has revealedconfidential information regardingMr. Jarno’s asylum claim to thegovernment of Guinea, the countryfrom which Mr. Jarno is fleeingbecause of severe persecution carriedout against his family there.

The case, which allegesconstitutional torts under Bivens v. SixUnknown Agents of the Federal Bureau ofNarcotics and Section 1983 of the CivilRights Act of 1866 as well asviolations of the Federal Tort ClaimsAct, has received significant mediaattention. In addition, AmnestyInternational and several members ofCongress have also taken on Jarno’scause. Denise Gilman, Director of theImmigrant and Refugee Rights Projecthas noted: “This is a tough case to win,but we felt we had to do somethingto bring to light the abuses that Malikand others have suffered at the handsof the immigration authorities.”

The Immigrant and RefugeeRights Project will hold its annual all-day political asylum training session

Annual Political AsylumTraining

on Tuesday, November 18, 2003 atthe D.C. Bar conference facilities. Thefollowing frequently asked questionsprovide general information on thetraining. For more specific informa-tion, please contact the Immigrantand Refugee Rights Project at (202)319-1000, ext 120.

How do I register?

Contact the D.C. Bar Pro BonoTraining Program at (202) 737-4700ext. 289. Information on the trainingwill be available on the D.C. Barwebsite at http://www.dcbar.org/for_lawyers/pro_bono/what_we_do/trainings.cfm. Pre-registration is required.

What is the cost?

The training is open to volun-teers who agree to accept two probono matters. There is a charge of$25 for a comprehensive trainingmanual.

Do I have to be a member of the D.C. Barin order to attend the training and represent

asylum seekers?

Both new and experiencedattorneys and paralegals are welcometo come for all or part of thetraining. A member of any state barassociation may represent anindividual before the Asylum Officeor the Immigration Courts. You donot need to be a member of theD.C. Bar specifically to attend thetraining or represent asylum seekers.

My firm is interested in starting to work onasylum cases—what do you suggest?

The training session preparesvolunteers to represent asylum seekers

continued on page 18

Page 15


Public Education

The law firms of Sidley AustinBrown & Wood and Patton Boggshave stepped up to ensure thecontinuity of progress achieved inearlier Committee lawsuits for safepublic school buildings and athleticsprograms. The Committee’s lawsuitof the early and mid 1990s (the workof Steptoe & Johnson) to enforcethe Fire Code in D.C. Public Schoolfacilities brought capital funding and ahigh quality long-term FacilitiesMaster Plan two years ago. But justas the first of many phases of thePlan approaches completion, the restis threatened by a recent D.C. govern-ment decision to wind down thenecessary capital funding.

Ron Flagg and Pat Linehan ofSidley Austin obtained data andinformation from DCPS and wentout to schools to photograph the fewhigh-quality facilities completed andthe dilapidated facilities otherwisetypical for most of the District’spublic school students. Their reporton capital funding, Leaving ChildrenBehind: The Underfunding of D.C. PublicSchools Building Repair and CapitalBudget Needs, complete with photo-graphs and poster-board blow-ups,was presented at a well-attended Julypress briefing. An August facilitiestour for Congressional staff, empha-sizing facilities construction andmaintenance, followed.

Law Firms SupportNeeds of Public SchoolChildren in Facilities,

Athletics, Budget

In July, Patton Boggs took onpotential cutbacks in the DCPSathletics program due to budget cutsin the athletic trainer program. Thismodel program came into existenceas the result of a Committee lawsuit(the work of Morrison & Foerster)to enforce statutory guarantees ofnursing services and medical coverageof inter-scholastic sports contests.Firm attorneys are also preparinganother “Unlevel Playing Fields”report (building on earlier work byKirkland & Ellis), investigating thecontrast in athletics facilities, budgets,opportunities and student participa-tion in DCPS as compared tosuburban and other cities’ programs.

Meanwhile, both Sidley AustinBrown & Wood and Patton Boggscontinue to provide invaluableassistance to Parents United for theDC Public Schools as the parentadvocacy group seeks to deliver asuccinct and consistent message toDC and Congressional officials onpublic education needs in theDistrict’s FY 2003 and FY 2004budgets. Sidley Austin continues tosupport Parents United in its questfor more public information andaccountability in DCPS fiscal matters,while Patton Boggs covers schoolbudget developments on Capitol Hill,alerting parents to events and deci-sions and advising them on how topromote the interests of their chil-dren.

The Public Education LegalServices Project (PELSP) has workedwith Parents United in opposition to

Coalition for PubliclyAccountable Schools

The Committee has had greatsuccess pairing law firms with indi-vidual D.C. public schools. To date,there are 42 law firms and corpora-tions engaged in 40 partnerships. TheCommittee hopes to increase thenumber of firms to 45 by the closeof the school year.

The skills typical of lawyers, i.e.,writing, problem solving, publicspeaking are readily applicable toassisting students and teachers.Students in partnership schoolsbenefit from firm volunteers wholend expertise in their areas ofpractice. Schools and law firms alikebenefit from the relationships thatdevelop from the partnerships.

Committee Seeks toIncrease Number ofLaw Firm Partners

the federally imposed voucher planfor the District of Columbia. TheCommittee and Parents United havejoined the Coalition for PubliclyAccountable Schools, a collaborationof more than 75 local and nationalindividuals who oppose vouchers.Their objective is to publicize thenegative impact of vouchers on theDistrict’s public schools. Coalitionmembers have met with locally andfederally elected representatives toelicit their support in opposition tothe proposal. To date, the proposalpassed the House by one vote.Efforts to stop the proposal will nowfocus on the Senate.

Page 16


Arrivals

Rachel McMichael recentlyjoined the Committee as a Paralegalwith the EEO Project.

Rachel received her B.S. Degreein Human Development with aConcentration in Women’s Studiesfrom Cornell University in May 2003.

Rachel McMichael

Laura Sahramaa began workthis summer with the Committee asthe Fair Housing/Public Accommo-dations Project paralegal.

Laura graduated in May 2003from the University of Virginia witha double major in Politics andPsychology.

David Browne recently joinedthe Committee as Office Coordina-tor/Paralegal. David received hisB.A. Degree in Economics from TheGeorge Washington University.

Laura Sahramaa

David Browne

Disability Rights ProjectWelcomes Two New

Fellows

This September, the Com-mittee’s Disability Rights Projectwelcomed two young lawyers asFellows.

Elise Roy, a Harriet Burg/RitaCharmatz Davidson fellow, will beworking with the Disability RightsProject and the Equal EmploymentOpportunity Project on gender anddisability issues. Her fellowship ismade possible by the Women’s Lawand Public Policy Fellowship Programat Georgetown University LawCenter.

Elise graduated fromNortheastern University School ofLaw in May 2003. She completedher undergraduate studies at BrownUniversity. She has substantialexperience in the area of disabilityrights, including experience obtainedduring an internship at the Office ofCivil Rights with the U.S. Departmentof Health and Human Services.

Elise’s assignments at theDisability Rights Project will includelitigation to ensure access to medicalfacilities.

Christine Vaughn, a 2003graduate of the University of Michi-gan School of Law, has received aSkadden Fellowship to work this yearwith the Committee’s DisabilityRights and Housing Projects. She willfocus on providing outreach toinstitutionalized children with mentalhealth disabilities, their parents orguardians, and enforce the children’slegal right to be served in the leastrestrictive setting appropriate to theirindividual needs.

Christine’s project seeks toaddress the problems of a popula-tion underserved in the District ofColumbia—institutionalized childrenwith mental health disabilities.

Christine previously worked as asummer intern for the Committee.

retaliatory harassment against him thatresulted in his discriminatory andretaliatory discharge. The partiesrecently participated in court-sponsored mediation, although noagreement has yet been reached. Afive-day trial has been set forNovember 17, 2003.

Equitable Bank (continued from page 5)

Page 17


commitments to the public schoolsof the District of Columbia and thechildren who attend them. Theaward is given in the name of Dr.Vincent E. Reed, the distinguishededucator whose encouragement wasdirectly responsible for theCommittee’s decision to establish itspublic education support programs.This year’s recipients were Covington& Burling and Steptoe & Johnson.These awards were presented by IrisToyer, Director of the Committee=sPublic Education Legal ServicesProject, and D.C. Delegate EleanorHolmes Norton.

In addition, 12 other law firmswere recognized at the luncheon withOutstanding Achievement Awardsfor their successful pro bono legal workon behalf of the Committee’s clients.For more information about the lawfirm awardees and their achieve-ments, see pages 8-12.

The 2003 Branton Awardrecipient, Judge Patricia M. Wald, wasnamed to the U.S. Court of Appealsfor the District of Columbia Circuitby President Carter in 1979. Sheretired from this position in 1999,and was subsequently appointed as aJudge on the International CriminalTribunal in the Hague to hear caseson wartime atrocities in the formerYugoslavia. She now serves as Chairof the Open Society Institute’sCriminal Justice Initiative. Herdistinguished career has includedservice as Assistant Attorney Generalfor Legislative Affairs in the U.S.Department of Justice, and in publicinterest law positions, including workat the Neighborhood Legal ServicesProgram in the District of Columbia,the Center for Law and Social Policy,and the Mental Health Law Project.She also worked as Co-director ofthe Ford Foundation’s Drug AbuseResearch Project. She served as co-

35th Anniversary Awards (continued from cover) counsel with the Committee in thecase of U.S. v. Moore, which sought toadvance the right of treatment forheroin addicts as an alternative toincarceration. In the course of thisrepresentation, she became the firstCommittee volunteer to argue a casein the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.In accepting her award, Judge Waldrecalled her early work with theCommittee and reminded theaudience that the defense of civilrights requires our constant attentionand should never be taken forgranted.

The Founders’ Award recipient,Judge Louis F. Oberdorfer, wasappointed as U.S. District CourtJudge for the District of Columbiaby President Carter in 1977. He hasserved in this post for 25 years.While serving as a Co-Chair of theNational Lawyers’ Committee forCivil Rights in 1968, he conceived ofthe idea of establishing local Lawyers’Committees throughout the countryto address issues of civil rights in theircommunities. Judge Oberdorfer wasinstrumental in securing majorfunding from the Ford Foundation toestablish local Committees in a dozencities, one of which was the Washing-ton Lawyers’ Committee for CivilRights and Urban Affairs. Before hisappointment to the bench, JudgeOberdorfer served for eight years asa member of the WashingtonCommittee’s Executive Committee,and played a vital role in developingthe Committee’s programs andrecruiting participating law firms andvolunteers. In receiving theCommittee=s Founders’ Award, JudgeOberdorfer paid eloquent tribute toa former colleague at the U.S.Department of Justice—the lateBurke Marshall. Referring toMarshall=s Acool courage, razor sharpmind, and exceptional judgment,@Judge Oberdorfer gave the audiencea sense of the special leadership

displayed by Justice Departmentlawyers who fought the early battlesof the modern civil rights era.

The Committee’s annual BrantonAwards Luncheon is named in honorof Wiley A. Branton, Sr., a civil rightslawyer in the 1950’s who served withdistinction in government, as Dean ofHoward Law School, and as a leaderin several highly respected civil rightsorganizations. He served as a Co-Chair of the Washington Lawyers’Committee in 1987 and 1988. Since1989, the Wiley A. Branton Awardhas been bestowed annually on amember of the legal communitywhose lifetime efforts on behalf ofcivil rights advocacy exemplify thedeep commitment of Wiley A.Branton, Sr. to the idea of equaljustice in our society.

In addition to this year’s BrantonLuncheon, the Committee celebratedits 35th Anniversary by hosting aseries of four panel discussions thatfocused on the Committee’s majorprogram areas: general civil rightslitigation; immigrant rights; disabilityrights; and public education. Eachpanel reviewed the history of theCommittee’s work in the field, itscurrent agenda and plans for thefuture, including local and nationalpriority issues. Panel membersincluded leading civil rights advocates,key Committee staff members, clientgroup representatives and volunteerattorneys from cooperating lawfirms.

The Immigrant and RefugeeRights panelists included Denise L.Gilman, Project Director of theCommittee’s Immigrant and RefugeeRights Project; Saul Solarzano,Director, Central American ResourceCenter; Marian Urquilla, Director,Columbia Heights-Shaw FamilySupport Collaborative; Shaundra L.Watson, Associate, Hogan & Hartson;and Karen T. Grisez, Public Service

Page 18


in “affirmative” cases that involvenon-adversarial interviews at theregional asylum office and in“defensive” cases in the ImmigrationCourts. A new attorney may spend50-100 hours on the first case. Inmost affirmative cases, there is noofficial filing deadline other than theneed to file on behalf of anindividual with limited resources inthe United States. If the firm is

Political Asylum Training (continued from page 14)

motion is currently underway. Brief-ing on the tax issue, which set forthMr. Porter’s request for USAID tobear the burden of any tax liabilityultimately imposed on Mr. Porter dueto the court-awarded attorneys’ fees,is now complete. Covington &Burling is serving as counsel with theCommittee in the case. Representedby the law firm of Heller, Huron,Chertkof, Lerner, Simon &Salzman, the Metropolitan Washing-ton Employment Lawyers’ Associa-tion (MWELA) filed an amicus briefin support of Mr. Porter’s request forinjunctive relief to counter his poten-tial tax liability on fees.

USAID (continued from page 5)

Counsel, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver& Jacobson. The panel=s participantsreviewed the Committee=s evolvingwork on behalf of newcomers inour community and joined in urgingexpanded efforts to meet the newchallenges presented by the gov-ernment’s hostility to immigrantrights.

The Public Education panelistsincluded Mary M. Levy, ProjectDirector for the Committee’s PublicEducation Reform Project; Iris J.Toyer, Project Director for theCommittee’s Public Education LegalServices Project; Floretta DukesMcKenzie, Chief Executive Officer,The McKenzie Group, Inc. andformer Superintendent of the Districtof Columbia Public Schools; andStanley J. Samorajczyk, Partner, Akin,Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. Thispanel focused on the many accom-plishments of the Committee’seducation projects and how vital thiswork is to the future of our publicschools. Former D.C. Superintendentof Schools Floretta McKenzie wasespecially eloquent in describing howmuch the Committee’s support hadmeant to her during her tenure ashead of the school system.

The Disability Rights panelistswere E. Elaine Gardner, ProjectDirector of the Disability RightsProject; Lois G. Williams, SeniorCounsel for Litigation, WashingtonLawyers’ Committee; ReneeWohlenhaus and Irene Bowen,Deputy Chiefs in the Disability RightsSection, Civil Rights Division, U.S.Department of Justice; Marc Fiedler,Chairman of the Board, DisabilityRights Council; Robert N. Herman,Attorney, Paralyzed Veterans ofAmerica; and Linda L. Royster,Executive Director, Disability RightsCouncil. The Disability Rights Panelmade special mention of theCommittee=s unique role in offering

legal services to those with disabilitiesin our community and noted boththe progress that has been made inaddressing many issues and theserious challenges that remain.

The Civil Rights Litigationpanelists included Reed N. Colfax,Project Director of the Committee’sFair Housing Project; Susan E. Huhta,Project Director of the Committee’sEqual Employment OpportunityProject; Avis Buchanan, DeputyDirector, D.C. Public Defender’sOffice and former Director ofLitigation for the Washington Law-yers’ Committee; John P. Relman,Partner, Relman & Associates, andformer Director of the Committee’sFair Housing Project; George D.Ruttinger, Partner, Crowell & Moringand Counsel to the Equal RightsCenter; and Joseph M. Sellers,Partner, Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld &Toll and former Director of theCommittee’s Equal EmploymentOpportunity Project. This panelemphasized the Committee=s specialrole in addressing issues of systemicdiscrimination in housing, employ-ment and public accommodations.Several panelists highlighted theCommittee=s success in harnessing theresources of multiple law firms totake on major cases that would havebeen beyond the capacity of anysingle firm or legal services provider.

interested in litigation, work on therepresentation of asylum cases inImmigration Court may beparticularly of interest.

Training Success Story

Following last year’s politicalasylum training, an attorney fromCrowell & Moring accepted a caseof a young man from Cameroonwho had been arrested several timesbecause of his advocacy on behalfof persons with disabilities. He hadfounded an organization to promotethe rights of the handicapped, but hisefforts were seen as anti-governmentactivities. The young man, who is in awheelchair, was granted asylum inFebruary. He is currently employedand is continuing his involvement inwheelchair racing events.

Page 19


David J. Cynamon, Co-ChairJeffrey D. Robinson, Co-ChairDavid R. BerzJames N. BiermanQuinton V. BowmanThomas W. BrunnerLovida H. Coleman, Jr.Warren E. ConnellyMargaret FeinsteinMarc L. FleischakerMary E. GatelyKaren T. Grisez

Joseph M. HassettRobin E. JacobsohnGeorge W. Jones, Jr.James W. JonesAnne M. KapplerAndrew T. KarronJohn C. Keeney, Jr.Ronald A. KlainRobert H. KlonoffWilma A. LewisIgnacia S. MorenoJohn A. Payton, Jr.

Committee Structure

Board of Directors

Roderic V.O. BoggsExecutive Director

Paula JonesExecutive Assistant

Lois G. WilliamsSenior Counsel for Litigation

Development

Da’aga Hill BowmanDirector of Foundation Outreach and Public Information

Robert B. DemskeDirector of Professional Outreach and Development

Aaron CunninghamData Management Specialist

Administration

Karen StillitanoDirector of Administration

Rochelle JonesChief Financial Officer

Thelma GoodwinAssistant Bookkeeper

Renee BrandonReceptionist

StaffDavid BrowneOffice Coordinator/EEO Paralegal

Equal EmploymentOpportunity Project

Susan E. HuhtaProject Director

Warren K. KaplanStaff Attorney

Carolyn P. WeissStaff Attorney

Brandi BrownIntake Project Director

Elise RoyHarriet Burg/Rita CharmatzDavidson Fellow

Christine VaughnSkadden Fellow

Monique KirengaParalegal

Rachel McMichaelParalegal

Fair Housing Project

Reed N. ColfaxProject Director

Steven G. ReadeJohn Townsend RichGeorge D. RuttingerMatthew D. SlaterRichard W. Snowdon, IIIMark A. SrereDenise A. VanisonRoger E. WarinMelvin WhiteThomas S. Williamson, Jr.Benjamin F. WilsonAlan M. Wiseman

Eliza T. Platts-MillsStaff Attorney

Richard RitterSenior Attorney

Laura SahramaaParalegal

Disability Rights Project

E. Elaine GardnerProject Director

Jeanette MarkleParalegal

Immigrant & Refugee RightsProject

Denise L. GilmanProject Director

Ruth SpivackOutreach Coordinator

Public Education Reform Project

Mary M. LevyProject Director

Public Education Legal ServicesProject

Iris J. ToyerProject Director

Page 20


Black Entertainment Television, Inc.The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

Chartered Health Plan, Inc.District of Columbia Bar Foundation

Fannie Mae FoundationFreddie Mac Foundation

Georgetown University Law Center Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellowship ProgramThe Kiplinger Foundation

Anthony Francis Lucas-Spindletop FoundationGeorge Preston Marshall Foundation

Network of Educators on the AmericasPublic Welfare Foundation

Henry S. and Anne S. Reich Family FoundationThe Washington Post

George Wasserman Family Foundation, Inc.

Visit our web site at Visit our web site at Visit our web site at Visit our web site at Visit our web site at www.washlaw.orgwww.washlaw.orgwww.washlaw.orgwww.washlaw.orgwww.washlaw.org. Contributions supporting the Com-. Contributions supporting the Com-. Contributions supporting the Com-. Contributions supporting the Com-. Contributions supporting the Com-mittee and requests for legal assistance may be made through the web site.mittee and requests for legal assistance may be made through the web site.mittee and requests for legal assistance may be made through the web site.mittee and requests for legal assistance may be made through the web site.mittee and requests for legal assistance may be made through the web site.

WASHINGTON LAWYERS’ COMMITTEEfor Civil Rights and Urban Affairs11 Dupont Circle, NWSuite 400Washington, D.C. 20036

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PaidWashington, D.C.

Permit # 6265

SAVE THE DATE

2004 Wiley A. Branton Awards LuncheonJune 8, 2004

Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel

The Washington Lawyers’ Committee would like to thank the following corporations andfoundations for their contributions and commitments this year:

Documents

WASHINGTON LAWYERS’ COMMITTEE UPDATE · Washington Lawyers’ Committee has expanded from a small staff addressing a limited number of issues on an ad hoc basis to become a far