THE BAR ASSOCIATION OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD. Pride in Membership, Leadership in Justice

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1 THE BAR ASSOCIATION OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD N EWSLETTE R Pride in Membership, Leadership in Justice Volume 62, Issue 11 May 2015 Inside This Issue 3 Current Update 6 A Balancing Act New Practitioners 12 Committees/Sections Battle of the 15 Barristers Insert Insert Annual Meeting & A Law Day Exhibitors Bar Foundation 18 CLE Seminar Insert 24 Pro Bono Specialty Bar 25 Associations 26 Rent/Lease Ads Attorney Opportunity 27 Ads States Attorney 30 Schedules 31 Judges Schedules Back Calendar Cover PRESIDENT S MESSAGE By Lynn Caudle Boynton There is no limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn t matter who gets the credit. -Ralph Waldo Emerson I am awed and inspired by the many talents of our members and their generosity of spirit demonstrated by donation of their time and expertise to benefit this Bar Association. As I begin my term as President, I feel fortunate to have inherited a healthy Association, thanks to previous administrations and especially thanks to Mal Snyder, Joe Lynott, Judge Moffet, Richard Melnick, Julie Petersen and our staff at Bar headquarters. I am humbled by the opportunity to lead this organization and will do my utmost to live up to the high standards of past administrations. I also intend to maintain support for the initiatives of those that have preceded me. Mal and many others, worked hard to obtain a huge array of benefits for our members and if you haven t already printed out your bar card from the BAMC website, I ask that you print it out right now, put it in your wallet and begin to take advantage of the many discounts available to you with regard to business supplies, restaurant discounts and the like. Mal and others also worked hard to create social settings where bar members could gather easily.pro- (Continued on page 4) ADULT DRUG COURT GRADUATION TO BE HELD ON MAY 13TH The Honorable Nelson W. Rupp, Jr., The Honorable Joseph M. Quirk and the Montgomery County Circuit Court invite you to the 18th Adult Drug Court Graduation on May 13, 2015 at 4 p.m. in Courtroom 3E of the Circuit Court building. Reception following. For information, please contact Marie Douville, Drug Court Coor dinator at Come out to root your fellow Bar Association Members as they compete in the Battle of the Barristers Smokey Glen Farm May 27, :30 to 9:30 Dunk Your Favorite Attorney! Have some fun and help the Endowment Committee raise funds for Adult Drug Court, Special Olympics and more! Come to the Battle of the Barristers on May 27th, and you will have the opportunity to purchase a chance to dunk one of your favorite attorneys.

2 FOR YOUR INFORMATION Bar Association... Main Line... (301) Julie Executive Director (301) Maria Office Manager/LRS Supervisor (301) Cindy Association Administrative Assistant (301) Monika (301) Monica Lawyer Referral Service Operator (301) } Lawyer Line (301) lrs2@barmont.org Bar Foundation Yesenia CLE Seminars and Events Coordinator (301) montcle@barmont.org Pro Bono Program Client Intake Lines (301) (301) The following staff listing is not for public information. It is for attorney use only. Debbie Program Coordinator (301) debbie@mcbfprobono.org Jennifer Office Administration / Client Coordination (301) jennifer@mcbfprobono.org Jorge Office Administration / Client Coordination (301) jorge@mcbfprobono.org FOR LAWYERS WHO NEED HELP Anyone aware of Attorneys who are having problems with stress, depression, overwhelmed with their practice, family issues, and related illnesses, including addiction, that interfere with their professional or personal lives, please call the Lawyer Assistance Committee. Committee members can assist Lawyers in finding confidential and effective programs to help them. All calls are strictly confidential. Deane A. Shure, Co-Chair (301) or deaneshure@gmail.com Paul H. Ethridge, Co-Chair (301) or PHE@eqkmrh.com BAR ASSOCIATION OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD NEWSLETTER (USPS ) ISSN is published monthly except July/August combined at $25.00 per year by the Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD 27 West Jefferson Street, Rockville, MD PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID Rockville, Maryland POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD, Newsletter 27 West Jefferson St., Rockville, Maryland Julie Petersen, Executive Director & Editor Cindy Brandenburg, Assistant & Advertising Editor BAR FOUNDATION OFFICERS (Effective July 1, 2014) President: Richard H. Melnick President-Elect: Mallon A. Snyder Treasurer: James R. Hammerschmidt Secretary: Amy J. Bills Past President: Daniel M. Kennedy, III BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michael G. Banks Kevin G. Hessler Bradford S. Bernstein Heather Q. Hostetter Lynn Caudle Boynton Paul F. Kemp Hon. Sharon V. Burrell Joseph A. Lynott, III Hon. Jeannie K. Cho Mimi L. Magyar Lauri E. Cleary J. Stephen McAuliffe, III Heather Collier Rachel T. McGuckian Aindrea M. Conroy John C. Monahan Hon. John W. Debelius, III James A. Mood, Jr. David S. De Jong David A. Pordy Paul H. Ethridge John M. Quinn E. Joseph Fitzpatrick, Jr. Hon. Roger W. Titus Jo B. Fogel Donna E. Van Scoy Hon. Anne S. Harrington Patricia M. Weaver COMMITTEE CHAIRS C-IT Program Erik P. Arena, Co-Chair (301) ; Stephen H. Chaikin, Co-Chair (240) Cable T.V./Law School for the Public Lauri E. Cleary, Chair (301) Continuing Legal Education Parva Fattahi, Co-Chair (301) ; Jeffrey Hammond, Co-Chair (301) Diversity Hon. Charles B. Day, Chair (301) Endowment Daniel M. Kennedy, III, Chair (301) Facilities Patrick C. McKeever, Chair (301) Fall Outing Alison W. Rind, Co-Chair (301) ; David P. Shapiro, Co-Chair (301) Pro Bono Michael J. Goecke, Chair (301) School Mock Trial Bradford S. Bernstein, Co-Chair (301) ; Casey L. Cirner, Co-Chair (301) Speakers Bureau & Youth Initiative Program Mary Siegried, Chair (301) Officers and Chairs ASSOCIATION OFFICERS President: Mallon A. Snyder President-Elect: Lynn Caudle Boynton Treasurer: Joseph A. Lynott, III Treasurer-Elect: Alan S. Zipp Secretary: The Honorable John C. Moffett Past President: Richard H. Melnick Executive Director: Julie Petersen EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Thomas M. DeGonia, II Sara M. Donohue David C. Driscoll, Jr. Casey Weinberg Florance Heather L. Kafetz Maura L. Lynch Terrence M. McGann Pilar C. Nichols Jessica Hepburn Sadler The Honorable Margaret M. Schweitzer The Honorable Karla N. Smith Special Master Holly A. Whittier New Practitioners Co-Chairs: Kathryn E. Deckert & Caitlin Grant COMMITTEE CHAIRS Assoc./Found. Ann. Mtg. & Law Day Alan S. Zipp, Chair (301) Bench/Bar-Circuit David C. Merkin, Co-Chair (301) ; Michael A. Taylor, Co-Chair (301) Bench/Bar-District Court Reginald W. Bours, Co-Chair (301) ; Richard D. London, Co-Chair (301) Budget James A. Mood, Jr., Chair (301) Community Outreach - Emily B. Gelmann, Co-Chair (301) ; Revee M. Walters, Co-Chair (240) Fee Dispute Resolution Robert C. Park, Jr., Co-Chair (301) ; Karen Robbins, Co-Chair (301) Judicial Selections Sara M. Donohue, Chair (240) ; Bradford S. Bernstein, Vice Chair (301) Lawyer Assistance Deane A. Shure, Co-Chair (301) ; Paul H. Ethridge, Co-Chair (301) Lawyer Referral Elizabeth G. Loggia, Chair (301) Leadership Development Casey W. Florance, Co-Chair (301) ; Thomas M. DeGonia, II, Co-Chair (301) Legal Ethics Samuel M. Shapiro, Co-Chair (301) ; Daniel L. Shea, Co-Chair (301) Membership Benefits Catherine H. McQueen, Co-Chair (240) ; James A. Mood, Jr., Co-Chair (301) Mentor/Mentee (sub of New Practitioners) - Ebtehaj E. Kalantar, Co-Chair (301) ; Rosalyn Tang, Co-Chair (240) Nominations & Elections E. Joseph Fitzpatrick, Jr., Chair (301) Social John C. Moffett, Co-Chair (301) ; Keith J. Rosa, Co-Chair (301) ; Andrew L. Schwartz, Co-Chair (301) Softball Eby Kalantar, Chair (240) Specialty Bar Associations Jessica K. Chipoco, Chair (301) Strategic Planning Bradford S. Bernstein, Chair (301) Technology VACANT, Chair Youth Courthouse Project Stephen H. Chaikin, Co-Chair (240) ; Patricia P. Via, Co-Chair (240) SECTION CHAIRS Alternative Dispute Resolution Robert L. Baum, Co-Chair (301) Business Law Karen N. Shapiro, Chair (301) Collaborative Law LJ Pelham, Co-Chair (240) ; Joan M. Weiss, Co-Chair (301) Commercial Litigation Mary C. Lombardo, Co-Chair (301) Criminal Law Janet Hager, Co-Chair (301) ; Peter W. Larson, Co-Chair (240) Education Law David R. Bach, Co-Chair (301) ; Patrick J. Hoover, Co-Chair (301) Elder Law Morris Klein, Chair (301) Employment Law Meredith S. Campbell, Co-Chair (301) Gregg C. Greenberg, Co-Chair (301) Estates & Trusts Jay M. Eisenberg, Chair (301) Family Law Casey W. Florance, Co-Chair (301) ; Christopher W. Roberts, Co-Chair (301) Immigration Parva Fattahi, Co-Chair (301) ; Maria F. Glinsmann, Co-Chair (301) Intellectual Property & Technology Michael L. Greenberg, Co-Chair (202) ; Raymond Van Dyke, Co-Chair (202) Juvenile Law Daniel W. Gaskill, Co-Chair (301) ; Corey E. Talcott, Co-Chair (240) Law Firm Management Amy B. Strent, Chair (301) New Practitioners Kathryn E. Deckert, Co-Chair (301) ; Caitlin Grant, Co-Chair (301) Chamber Chats Elizabeth McInturff, Chair (240) Personal Injury Litigation Paul S. Chung, Co-Chair (Plaintiff) (301) ; Andre M. Forte, Co-Chair (Defense) (301) Real Estate Matthew D. Alegi, Co-Chair (301) ; Sarah Cline, Co-Chair (301) Taxation Law John S. Pontius, Jr., Co-Chair (410) ; Mark W. Schweighofer, Co-Chair (301) Workers Compensation Law William J. Inman, Co-Chair (301) ; Jeffrey W. Stickle, Co-Chair (301) The Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD Newsletter May, 2015

3 CURRENT UPDATE CIRCUIT COURT NOTES Circuit Court Renovations The Terrace Level Corridor connecting the Circuit Court to the EOB is now open. The terrace level Security Station is now located at the terrace level entrance to the Circuit Court. Thank you for your patience during the renovations. Family Magistrate I am pleased to announce that Holly Whittier has been appointed to fill the Family Magistrate position left vacant with the retirement of Magistrate Charles Cockerill. Magistrate Whittier s appointment will be effective April 29, Assistant Court Administrator I am also pleased to announce that Anne Grant has been selected as our new Assistant Court Administrator effective April 6, Anne comes to us from the Metropolitan Police Department (District of Columbia) where she has held roles of Policy Analyst, the Director of Research & Resource Development, the Director of Records Management Systems and most recently as the Body-Worn Camera Coordinator. In all these positions, Anne showed her strength in implementing policy and programs for both sworn and civilian members of the MPD. She successfully interfaced with justice partners, including the courts, during the implementation of many of these programs. Anne was named MPD Civilian Employee of the Year. We are excited to welcome her to our team. KIDS SPOT The Children s Waiting Room, KIDS SPOT is expected to open April 15, Kids Spot will be a kid-friendly waiting area for children whose families have business with the Circuit Court for LEGAL ETHICS HOTLINE Sam Shapiro rogah@aol.com Dan Shea dls@braultgraham.com For a written confidential opinion, submit your written request, marked confidential, to Samuel M. Shapiro or Daniel L. Shea, c/o Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD, 27 West Jefferson St., Rockville, MD The McCammon Group is pleased to announce our newest Neutral Montgomery County. Children between the ages of 2 and 12 will be welcomed at Kids Spot, free of charge, as long as their guardian is in the Circuit Court Building. Kids Spot will be located in Room 1440, First Floor, South Tower. The entrance is on your left as you enter the South Tower. John W. Debelius, Administrative Judge for Montgomery County, MD CIRCUIT COURT FAMILY DIVISION Juvenile Bench/Bar Meeting Schedule The following is a listing of (Continued on page 5) Hon. Eric M. Johnson (Ret.) Retired Associate Judge, Montgomery County Circuit Court The Honorable Eric M. Johnson recently retired after eighteen years of distinguished judicial service. He began his judicial career as an Associate Judge of the 6th District Court of Maryland for Montgomery County and then served fourteen years as an Associate Judge on the Montgomery County Circuit Court. Judge Johnson began his career in public service as a member of the U.S. Navy. Thereafter, he was a police officer with Montgomery County and served as a prosecutor with the Montgomery County State s Attorney Office. Judge Johnson served on the Executive Committee of the Montgomery County Bar Association and on the Board of Directors of the Maryland State Bar Association. He is a member of the J. Franklyn Bourne, Montgomery County, and Maryland State Bar Associations. Judge Johnson now brings this distinct record of service and accomplishment to The McCammon Group to serve the mediation and arbitration needs of lawyers and litigants throughout Maryland and beyond. Dispute Resolution and Prevention For a complete list of our services and Neutrals throughout MD, DC, and VA, call or visit May, 2015 The Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD Newsletter 3

4 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE, cont d (Continued from page 1) viding opportunities to reinforce the collegiality we all treasure. As our bar association grows, and as we all rely on and social media more and more, these face to face social events are critical to maintaining the foundation of the authentic relationships we should all strive to have with our peers. Case in point, the upcoming First Annual Battle of the Barristers is scheduled to take place on May 27 at Smokey Glen Farms.this will be a fabulous opportunity to interact with your peers and introduce new attorneys to fellow bar members. Many events take you away from your family, but this is a great event to bring your spouse to, where they will meet the many people you may have mentioned over the years. If you like good food, great music and outstanding company, you cannot miss this event!!! Our Bar Association began in 1894, was the first bar association in the state and consisted of 13 members. We now have over 2700 members. Through the years the association and its members have served selflessly to educate the public, to provide pro bono services to those in need, to establish the Bar Foundation to conduct charitable events and participate in community service of all kinds, to develop future leaders of the bar association through the Leadership Academy, to provide continuing legal education to our members, to maintain a good dialog between the judiciary and the practicing attorneys to insure the administration of justice is fair and equitable, to provide lawyer assistance to our peers, to represent us in Annapolis, to provide opportunities to give input to our legislature and to inform us with legislative updates, to provide a lawyer referral service that benefits lawyers and potential clients, and to enhance the image of lawyers in the eyes of the public. It is important to note that the many people who have made these things possible did not do their good deeds to be recognized for it, but simply to do what they see as their civic duty to make our Bar an asset to our community, and in turn to our families and friends. In an effort to get to know one another better, and to uncover some of the unknown talents, interests and accomplishments of our diverse membership, Becky Strandberg has agreed to interview members and share her findings in a column in our monthly newsletter. Please suggest persons she should interview by ing me at lboynton@debelius.com. I am the first lawyer in my family. My father and mother were so proud to have a daughter who was a lawyer. My father was also the first to tell jokes that knocked lawyers I am sure you have all had to listen to people denigrate our profession. Some of you grin and bear it, others may protest. I would like to toot the horn of our members if you will allow me to do so. When reading our Bar history on the BAMC website, I noted that Former President Jim Thompson once said something to the effect of Our bar members are so busy doing good, we don t have time to tell anyone about it. He was right. I know those of you who volunteer your time and talent to this association or other worthy causes do it because you choose to do it for the right reasons and not for recognition. However, we would like to bring it to the attention of the community by sharing the efforts of our many projects, including but not limited to, the Foundation with its Special Olympics events, Support of the Drug Court, the High School Moot Court competitions, the pro bono legal clinics as well as our own personal philanthropic efforts. I ask that you share your good works with us so that we may mention them in our newsletter and share this information with some of the local newspapers and media. If you have suggestions as to other means of sharing our good works, please feel free to contact me! The deadline for submission of copy for the newsletter is the 10 th of the month for the following months issue. 27 West Jefferson Street Rockville, MD Office Space Available for Lease Walking distance to Montgomery County District and Circuit Courts Use of two shared conference rooms and large training room Within walking distance of Rockville Metro and Rockville Town Square Reserved parking spaces included For further information, please contact Julie Petersen The Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD Newsletter May, 2015

5 CURRENT UPDATE (Continued from page 3) Bench/Bar meetings scheduled for Juvenile. Please note the location change: Meetings will be held in the South Tower, Fifth Floor, in Courtroom 5H, located in the Judicial Center, 50 Maryland Ave, Rockville, MD. Child Welfare, 12:30p.m. - 1:30p.m. Monday, May 18 Monday, July 20 Monday, October 19 Delinquency, 12:30p.m. - 1:30p.m. Wednesday, June 17 Wednesday, September 16 Wednesday, November 18 Madeleine Jones, Family Division Coordinator LAWYER S LITERARY CIRCLE Wednesday, May 13th we will be discussing Hawk s Point, by Mark Willen. Mr. Willen is a retired journalist for Bloomberg, and this is his first novel. The story involves an attorney who is struggling, etc. sounds familiar. Mr. Willen has agreed to attend this meeting to discuss his book with us which is always an extra plus for our group. Thursday, June 18th we will be discussing Ulysses, by James Joyce. We are still in the process of locating a Joyce scholar who may be able to lead us through the discussion. Friday Evening, July 10th we will have a reading performance of the 1936 comedy: You Can t Take It With You, by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. And, sometime in July, 2015 we will be discussing The Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov. Our meetings are held in the offices of Miles & Stockbridge P.C., 11 North Washington Street, Suite 700, Rockville, Maryland 20850, and begin at 4:30 in the afternoon. If any of your friends and associates would like to join our group, all they need to do is to show-up for any of our meetings everyone is always welcome to attend, and snacks are always served. Jim Demma MCCC LIBRARY CHECK IT OUT Enrich your life with art Ever wondered about all the art scattered throughout the MCCC library? Over the years, the library has collected some fascinating art, many with legal themes. Houston Hancock painted historical portraits of Rockville, several depicting various views of Montgomery County courthouses. Hancock was a local artist with a fine eye for the apt historical detail; check out the historic cars in his prints. The Vanity Fair caricatures by Spy, Sir Leslie Ward, capture Victorian jurists and barristers. Esteemed by collectors and a source of fascination to historians, these satirical prints offer an intriguing view of a bygone era. Honore Daumier was France s original angry young man. Trained as a lithographer, Daumier produced a series of famous caricatures. Known as Les Gens de Justice, they lampoon judges, defendants, attorneys and corrupt, greedy lawyers in general. Charles Bragg s absurdist etchings of mid-century American jurisprudence are droll echoes of Goya, Bosch and Daumier. No one is immune from his arch satire, from sandblasted witnesses to venal judges. Nine Very Human Men, was painted in 1965 by Dan Howard, a chairman of the art department at the University of Nebraska. He used color and a sensitive technique to humanize these giants of the law. (Continued on following page) May, 2015 The Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD Newsletter 5

6 CURRENT UPDATE (Continued from preceding page) The populist Norman Rockwell is represented by New kids in the neighborhood. This subtle story-painting was produced in 1967, during Rockwell s more socially engaged period. New in the Library: An updated edition of Maryland Tort Damages, published by the Maryland State Bar Association and edited by Robert R. Michael. Find the answer fast at the Montgomery County Circuit Court Law Library. Hours: M-F, 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 50 Maryland Ave., Rockville MD Contact us at or lawlib@mcccourt.com A CALL FOR MENTORS Have you practiced law for seven years or more? If so, the Mentor/Mentee Committee is looking for your help to mentor and develop the next generation of the Montgomery County Bar Asso ciation. Please consider participating today! By participating in the Bar s Mentor-Mentee Program, experienced attorney-mentors are paired with new-practitioner-mentees. The mentors share their experiences and wisdom with their mentees. Both mentors and mentees build relationships with each other, involve themselves in the Montgomery County Bar Association, and network with other mentors and mentees. With their involvement, each can learn from one another. If you have been practicing law for less than seven years and would like guidance from a mentor, we encourage you to apply to get a mentor. All applications to be a mentor or mentee are available at They can be submitted at any time to Rosalyn Tang at rozduke02@gmail.com or Eby Kalantar at ebtehaj@gmail.com. A BALANCING ACT Leadership When Things Are Difficult Leaders, of themselves and others, are able to look at difficult events and see opportunity. Leaders rise above obstacles and this is what distinguishes them from others who stay stuck in the event. Here are some examples of difficult events in a practice: Lose a key employee Lose a key client Lose an important case Inability to collect a large fee Lease is terminated Though difficult, all of these events can be interpreted as opportunity to do better. Your ability to see possibility when others see obstacles will not only reduce your stress but also help you build a great practice. This does not mean leaders don t feel disappointed by the event like everyone else. You and those who work with you need you to focus on the opportunity. Geoff Gilbert is a former practicing attorney and CPA who managed his own 17 person law firm. Geoff coaches attorneys in their practices in the Washington, DC area and across the country. You can reach Geoff at geoff@coachforexecutives.com. ECONOMIC VALUATIONS GUARDIANSHIP TRAINING SERIES... SAVE THE DATE Ever wonder what it takes to become Court-Appointed Counsel in Guardianship cases? The Circuit Court is presenting a two-part training series on the topic of Guardianships: May 19, 2015 and June 2, 2015 from 5:30pm to 8:00 pm. This training is FREE to registered attendees. Attendance at both trainings is required to be considered for Court appointments. Please look for more information about this unique training opportunity in the coming weeks via Bar Blasts. For more information, please contact Lili Khozeimeh at Pushkin & Pushkin, Inc. Actuaries & Consultants since 1979 Pension Divorce Valuations Actuarial Valuations 401 (k) Marital Tracings Expert Testimony Wrongful Death & Personal Injury Analyses Loss of Earnings Studies Member of the National Association of Forensic Economics Pushkin & Pushkin, Inc. 30 E Padonia Rd., Suite 406 Timonium, MD Baltimore: Washington: The Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD Newsletter May, 2015

7 List your Firm in The Find A Lawyer Area of the BAMC Website & the Area of Practice Listing in the Lawyer Directory *... NEW SIGN-UPS ONLY... * Attorneys already listed in the Find A Lawyer Section of the Website and the Area of Practice Listing in the Lawyer Directory will be billed separately. Don t Be Left Out... Have your firm listed, with a link to your website, in the Find A Lawyer area of the Bar Association website and, as an added bonus, your listing will also appear in the Lawyer Directory & Desk Reference Area of Practice section (if your registration is received within a specified time period). A single category listing is $110, with additional category listings for $10.00 each. There is no charge for a subcategory, as long as you are paying for the initial category. NAME: WEBSITE: PHONE: (PLEASE PRINT) (PLEASE PRINT) Please print out the 2-page document found under the Find A Lawyer link on the website. Please highlight your Areas of Practice and return with this form. Your initial category listing is $110, with each additional category being $10. There is no charge for the subcategory, as long as you are paying for the initial category. Please make checks payable to the Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD and forward with this form to: 27 West Jefferson St. Rockville, MD NEW LISTINGS... $ (Find A Lawyer Link and Area of Practice Listing in the Lawyer Directory) Additional Practice Area Categories $10 each $ TOTAL Amount Enclosed $ RETURN BY JULY 31, 2015 (for inclusion in lawyer directory). If you have any questions or concerns, please call Cindy at Office Code A/4099

8 IN MEMORIAM... Charles Norman Shaffer The Montgomery County Bar and indeed the legal profession lost one of its finest practitioners and most colorful personalities on March 15, 2015 at the age of 82. Born on June 8, 1932 in Westchester County, New York; son of a lawyer-politician and homemaker; attended Fordham College, allegedly studied to be a Jesuit Priest before re-directing his efforts to better use; attended Fordham Law School (the only law school his father would pay for); admitted to the bar on March 19, 1958 and soon hired as Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York when he was tapped (personally) by then Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to come to Washington D.C. to join his criminal (and tax) division. Mr. Shaffer was an avid equestrian and foxhunter, and a longtime member of several local hunt clubs, including Irving Abb s unapproved Big Meadow Hounds. Mr. Shaffer continued to hunt, and to take weekly lessons (including jumping fences) from Master Fox Huntsman and close friend Robert Taylor up until a month before his death. Never bashful, Mr. Shaffer ran a regular ad in a local foxhunting newsletter: Lawyer Cheap Will Do My Best. Mr. Shaffer s home office and library, elegant and largely paperless, were decorated with framed testimonial letters from such notables as Robert F. Kennedy, Senator Sam Ervin Jr. and J. Edgar Hoover (but not Richard Nixon), tufted furniture, and leather-bound volumes. These are the trappings of a substantial man, a man of moment. Most of us know of at least five cases/matters he handled with unmatched skill and finesse: Watergate, where he represented White House Counsel and prime whistleblower John Dean; the single conviction (after four attempts) of Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa (never to be seen again); the Boss of Bosses of the Chicago mafia, a nine-month trial with multiple co-defendants and their showboating lawyers; the Warren Commission s report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy; and the physician/member of Congressional Country Club who slew the protected Canadian Goose. Some notable footnotes to these pro- ceedings: Dean/Watergate: Dean had cogent reasons for picking Shaffer (then age 40) rather than the big-name D.C. lawyers; his total fee paid ultimately fell below minimum wage; his request for immunity from the U. S. Attorney was rebuffed, quickly to be granted instead by the Watergate Congressional Committee; his (and Dean s) unmitigated joy when hearing of the disclosure that Nixon had secretly taped the very conversations Dean had testified to (Nixon resigned 15 days after the Supreme Court ordered the tapes released); Watergate prosecutor Richard Ben-Veniste s comments that (1) Dean was the best-prepared witness [he had] ever seen in 40-plus years of practicing law ; and (2) Shaffer had a lot to do with the Nixon resignation. Dean s Blind Ambition contains a remarkably unchanged photograph of Charlie with the caption: the best damn lawyer money can buy. The Hoffa matter began with Bobby Kennedy s call to Shaffer: after he identified himself as RFK, Charlie responded, and I m Napoleon and hung up on him. In the process of obtaining Hoffa s conviction, Charlie later learned that it was Hoffa who had recommended that the Chicago mafia boss solicit Charlie (then in private practice) to represent him. The mafia-boss case was similarly intriguing. Charlie s marching orders from the ancient mobster were unique, but in retrospect understandable: there would be no plea of guilty to anything, and under no circumstance was Charlie to obtain an acquittal. When the presiding judge 9 months later sentenced the mafioso to a hefty term of imprisonment, Charlie protested that he was 86 years old: the judge rejoined that, He ll just have to do the best he can! Attorney General, Bobby Kennedy came to have sufficient trust in Charlie s honesty and integrity that he named him to be his personal representative on the Warren Commission to report to him directly who was really behind the assas- Financial Solutions for Law Practices Banking services designed to save you time and money. PROVIDING CAPITAL SOLUTIONS Online Banking Express Deposit ewire Notification Escrow Manager Positive Pay Bethesda Silver Spring Member FDIC NMLS ID# The Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD Newsletter May, 2015

9 IN MEMORIAM... Charles Norman Shaffer sination of his brother. While Shaffer generally endorsed the Warren Commission s Report until very recently, in September 2014, he opined to the Washington Post (on the 50th anniversary of the Warren Report) that later events had left him with significant question as to whether the mafia might have been involved in the assassination. Shaffer s more recent defense of the member of Congressional Country Club who allegedly violated an international treaty by slaying a protected Canadian Goose with his putter on the course was typical Charlie: He allegedly brought $10,000 in cash to the club s trial, challenging any board member to collect that bounty if he could go out immediately and find and kill a Canadian goose on the course with a putter. It is said that the accused member suffered a suspension of his golfing privileges from November until the following March! Michael Grady, former associate of Charlie s, contributed the following description of the experience of working with Charlie: I came out of law school in the 1980 s and worked for Charlie for almost six years. There was no mentor like Charlie. There was no such thing as being too prepared for court and you had to make sure he was prepared, too. Charlie was demanding, but if you did well, he would make a point of telling the judge or client that you had come up with the argument or point that won the day. He had an ego, but he was gracious about giving credit where credit was due. He was irascible and didn t suffer fools. He insisted on precise thinking. After two weeks, you knew the difference between res judica; collateral estoppel or similar terms. Charlie always said the mark of a good lawyer was that he (she) understands the terms he uses. Clients might not know the difference, but other lawyers do. It was a lesson worth learning. What I will never forget about Charlie is that, win or lose, it was always honesty first with him. Mistakes happen. He would be the calmest man in the room if you made a mistake as long as you told him about it before the judge or the opponent or the client told him. What could you possibly mess up that I couldn t fix? he would say. He would tell the judge or the client first if he s made an error. Cover-ups were something he didn t tolerate, as Mr. Nixon would readily attest. Working with Charlie was an education no law school could provide. Mr. Shaffer s reception following his funeral mass was rife with many tales of how Charlie had hornswoggled, fleeced or generally manhandled them or others in achieving uniformly superb results. He had a unique way of somehow developing a private rapport with his trial judge (during trial, of course) which left his opponents wondering if their presence, much less their case, was still pertinent. At the trial s end, Charlie could be expected to have left a silver bullet on his trial table and his opponent asking: Who was that masked man? An immaculate dresser, Charlie had the trim figure and handsome looks of a Jimmy Stewart, a booming, gravelly voice, flashing smile and the wily, irrepressible wit to captivate any audience. Although it was never obvious, Charlie knew more about any case and all the persona involved than anyone in the courtroom. His tactics were invariably spoton, and his common-sense arguments were nothing less than lethal. He was at once flamboyant, irreverent, dramatic, impudent and courtly: but always thoroughly prepared and carefully measured. One of his last comments on his practice of law said it all: Still at it and having fun. Chuck Rand/Jim Demma/Michael Grady Dunk Your Favorite Attorney! Have some fun and help the Endowment Committee raise funds for Adult Drug Court, Special Olympics and more! Come to the Battle of the Barristers on May 27th, and you will have the opportunity to purchase a chance to dunk one of your favorite attorneys. May, 2015 The Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD Newsletter 9

10 Kathryn E. Deckert, Co-Chair Caitlin C. Grant, Co-Chair NEW PRACTITIONER SECTION NEW PRACTITIONER SECTION MEETING DATES May 20, 2015 Meetings are held at 5:30 p.m. in the CLE Classroom of the Bar Association building, 27 West Jefferson St., Rockville, MD. Thank you to everyone who participated in the New Admittee Courthouse Tour & Reception on April 15. It was a great event to welcome our newest colleagues and acclimate them to the District and Circuit Courts in Rockville. Thank you to our presenters on Law Day, Pilar Nichols, Brian Della Rocca, and Christina Hughes. They led an informative panel on Solo Practice From Start to Finish. As this year comes to a close, be sure to come out for our final New Practitioner Happy Hour. It will be held at Gordon Biersch in Rockville on May 20 beginning at 5:30 pm. We hope to see you there! CHAMBER CHATS The May Chamber Chat will be hosted by the Honorable Sharon V. Burrell on Thursday, May 14, 2015, at 12:30 p.m. Judge Burrell has been an Associate Judge since 2008 and has a wealth of experience to share with new and experienced practitioners alike. Prior to serving on the Circuit Court, Judge Burrell gained experience as a law clerk to Judge Harry A. Cole, Maryland Court of Appeals, as an attorney in private practice, and as an attorney for Montgomery County. Chamber Chat is open to all members of the Bar - this is an excellent opportunity for both new and experienced practitioners to gain insight from a member of the Bench. Judge Burrell s Chambers is located in the Circuit Court Building at 50 Maryland Avenue, South Tower, 3rd Floor, Room If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Elizabeth McInturff at (301) or emcinturff@steinsperling.com. MENTOR/MENTEE COMMITTEE Have you practiced law for seven years or more? If so, the Mentor/Mentee Committee is looking for your help to mentor and develop the next generation of the Montgomery County Bar Association. Please consider participating today! By participating in the Bar s Mentor- Mentee Program, experienced attorneymentors are paired with new-practitionermentees. The mentors share their experiences and wisdom with their mentees. Both mentors and mentees build relationships with each other, involve themselves in the Montgomery County Bar Association, and network with other mentors and mentees. With their involvement, each can learn from one another. If you have been practicing law for less than seven years and would like guidance from a mentor, we encourage you to apply to get a mentor. All applications to be a mentor or mentee are available at They can be submitted at any time to Rosalyn Tang at rozduke02@gmail.com or Eby Kalantar at ebtehaj@gmail.com. Eby Kalantar, Co-Chair Rosalyn Tang, Co-Chair Mentor-Mentee Committee 10 The Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD Newsletter May, 2015

11 Protecting our Community takes the Character Character For more than 40 years, has provided Maryland and Washington D.C. residents with skilled guidance in all aspects of personal injury cases. Auto Accidents Medical Malpractice Product Liability Professional Negligence Wrongful Death Andrew E. Greenwald Burt M. Kahn Walter E. Laake, Jr. Timothy F. Maloney Steven M. Pavsner Steven B. Vinick Community Prince George s County Montgomery County District of Columbia jgllaw.com

12 COMMITTEES & SECTIONS ADMINISTRATIVE LAW SECTION May 6, 2015 October 7, 2015 September 2, 2015 November 4, 2015 Section meetings will be held on the 1st Wednesday from 5-6PM, during the months of January through May; and September through November. There will be no meetings during the months of June, July, August, and December. We will meet in the conference room of the bar association building, 27 West Jefferson Street, Rockville, Maryland. Our next meeting will be held on May 6th at 5:00PM. We will meet in the conference room of the bar association building, 27 West Jefferson Street, Rockville, Maryland. The Honorable Zuberi Bakari Williams, Associate Judge for the Montgomery County District Court will be our guest speaker for this meeting. He will be discussing How Practicing Administrative Law Can Assist Your District Court Practice. This should be a very interesting and informative discussion and we are looking forward to your attendance. Please note this is not limited to Administrative Law Section members. All members of the Bar Association for Montgomery County are welcome to attend. The Administrative Law Section is investigating efforts to coordinate with the Pro Bono Program to create a list of attorneys that may be interested in volunteer opportunities at Administrative Hearings. We will update you on the status of this effort. We are hopeful that we will be able to facilitate these volunteer opportunities. If you are interested in volunteering at Administrative Hearings, please let Erin M. Cohen (ErinMichelleCohen@gmail.com) know and you will be added to the list. The Administrative Law Section is looking to put on a CLE in the Fall. We are in the beginning stages of planning the CLE. Current topic ideas include: Who is the Office of Administrative Hearings; Motor Vehicle Administration Hearings; Social Security Administration Hearings; Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; and Department of Social Services Hearings. If you have suggestions for topics you are interested in hearing about or are interested in being involved in the planning, then we want to hear from you. We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on May 6th. John Henderson, Chair BUSINESS LAW SECTION Please join us for a CLE Seminar entitled The M&A Process For Privately Owned Companies presented by Ed Davis and Greg Caruso of Harvest Business Advisors. This seminar will provide an overview of the process of selling privately owned companies including issues of value, structuring the transaction, and common deal killers. The event will be held on May 7, 2015 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm in the Classroom of the Bar Association Building in Rockville. For registration, please visit the BAMC website or use the CLE insert included with this newsletter. CLE credit will be available and a light dinner will be provided. Karen Shapiro, Chair CIRCUIT COURT BENCH BAR COMMITTEE MEETING DATES May 6, 2015 June 3, 2015 All meetings are open and any members of the BAMC are welcome to attend the meetings. All meetings will be held on the 1st Wednesday of the month at 8:00 a.m. in the Administrative Judge s Conference Room on the 3rd floor of the North Tower of the Circuit Court building in Rockville. The Clerk of the Court, Barbara Meiklejohn, brings the following matters to your attention: Civil Department: When filing a new suit, address for all parties per MD Rule An original pleading shall contain the names and addresses, including zip code, of all parties to the action. Every pleading and paper of a party represented by an attorney shall be signed by at least one attorney who has been admitted to the practice law in this State. MD Rule Criminal Department: Please submit blank orders with your motions. The Criminal Department requires verification that you are member of the Bar in good standing before requesting blank Subpoenas. Family Department: When filing a Motion to Consolidate please include an original and a copy for each consolidated case. For a Writ of Garnishment please file the original request and three (3) copies for service. When orders are submitted with a motion please proofread your orders. In the Family Department alone there were over seventy-five (75) orders that needed to be sent back for corrections. Finance Department: Please encourage your clients to submit a change of address if they move. This will also help the Finance Department when sending refund checks for costs and fines. The Clerk would like to know of any concerns, questions or suggestions you might have regarding her departments and/or procedures. Phone: ; bmeiklejohn@mcccourt.com. ATTORNEY OPENING BUSINESS LAW DEPARTMENT 25 West Middle Lane Rockville, Maryland main 12 The Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD Newsletter May, 2015

13 COMMITTEES & SECTIONS As a reminder, the BAMC s Circuit Court Bench-Bar Committee will serve as a vehicle by which an attorney member of the Bar may informally and anonymously express a comment regarding a judicial member of the Circuit Court bench. In this regard, the Bench-Bar Committee, through its chair or other designated committee or subcommittee members, whom receive a comment about a judge through a telephone call or correspondence, then will exercise its discretion to determine whether the comment is of an appropriate nature to communicate to the subject judge, in an anonymous manner. The BAMC is fortunate to have judges and attorneys who value informal avenues of communication that enhance the opportunity to reduce conflict between attorneys and judges, and improve both the access to, and the administration of, justice in Montgomery County. If you have any concerns to bring to the Committee s attention, please feel free to contact any Committee member or Co-Chairs David C. Merkin at (301) or david@merkinlawgroup.com; or Michael A. Taylor at (301) , mtaylorlaw@aol.com. David Merkin, Co-Chair Michael Taylor, Co-Chair COLLABORATIVE LAW SECTION Please join us for our May 19th meeting from 5:30-7pm in the BAMC upstairs conference room (27 West Jefferson Street, Rockville, MD) when we will have an interactive presentation by Chetana Bhat, LCPC, NCC, on Emotional Triggers, Reactions, and Managing Reactions. Ms. Bhat will provide information about managing your emotional triggers and reactions and also about how to work with people when they are triggered. This program was rescheduled from February due to snow. On June 9th, former co-chair Suzy Eckstein will be joining us to talk about the Maryland Uniform Collaborative Law Act passed by the Maryland Legislature in 2014 and the new collaborative law Rules adopted by the Maryland Court of Appeals in March. Each meeting includes time for networking and a light dinner provided by Realtor Jeanne Koerber of RE/MAX Town Center. Everyone is welcome to attend our meetings especially practitioners who are new to Collaborative Law. You do not need to be a member of our Section or collaboratively trained to attend. RSVPs are appreciated but not required: Joan Weiss at weissattorney@comcast.net. LJ Pelham, Co-Chair Joan M. Weiss, Co-Chair COMMERCIAL LITIGATION SECTION The Commercial Litigation Section will meet on May 12th from 8 to 9 am at the offices of Stein Sperling in Rockville. Information about the speaker for the May meeting will be distributed through the listserve. Please RSVP to Crystal Vereen at cvereen@steinsperling.com. Mary Lombardo, Co-Chair Michael Neary, Co-Chair COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMITTEE Coaching Through Conflict: Effective Communication Strategies for Amicable Co-Parenting Relationships Mar ry y Atwater, PsyD. y... Collaborative Collaborative M Mediation e d ia ti o n SServices ervices m maryatwater.com a rya twa te r. co m May, THE SPRING SPECIAL OLYMPICS GAMES ARE COMING! WHEN: Sunday, May 3, 2015; 8:30a.m. - 3:30 p.m. WHERE: Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, Old Vic Blvd., Olney, MD We are looking for awesome Volunteers for the Spring Games, which are primarily track and field, but also includes tennis and bocce! Volunteer roles include set-up, registration, award tent administration and oversight, and hands-on participation with the track and field and other events. Stay tuned for more specific volunteer information on the Special Olympics listserve and in the BAMC weekly bar blast! If you are interested in volunteering, please The Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD Newsletter (Continued on following page) 13

14 COMMITTEES & SECTIONS (Continued from preceding page) contact Emily Gelmann, or Revee Walters, We have a Special Olympics Volunteer Listserv! To sign-up for the listserve please contact Emily Gelmann at the address above. DO YOU LOVE PUPPIES? So do we! The Community Outreach Section is partnering with Lost Dog & Cat Rescue to sponsor a dog adoption event on Saturday, May 30, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. at the Rockville Pike PETCO, 1507 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. We will be providing the rescue with 10 volunteers to serve as dog handlers for the event! The adoption event is coupled with a collar and leash drive. Please bring all new or gently used leashes and collars to the event, or contact Emily Gelmann, at egelmann@steinsperling.com to arrange a prior pick up. Donations may also be dropped off ahead of time with Emily Gelmann at Stein Sperling, 25 West Middle Lane, Rockville, Maryland Lost Dog & Cat Rescue is a 501(c)(3) organization that has rescued over 4500 dogs and cats since They rescue all of their animals from high-kill shelters in and around the DC area. They also take on high risk medical cases including puppies with parvo! As part of BAMC s sponsorship we are hosting a Booster campaign to support the rescue! All you have to do is buy a t-shirt and the profits go to the rescue! Go to booster.com/gonetothedogs to support the cause. We hope to see you on May 30 to volunteer, donate, or adopt a new dog! If you would like to volunteer for this event CRIMINAL LAW SECTION The Criminal Law Section will be cosponsoring a Pro Bono Post-Conviction Training Session with the Office of the Public Defender and Shulman Rogers. The Pro Bono Post-Conviction Training Session will be held on May 7th from 12pm-2pm at Shulman Rogers, Park Potomac Ave., 6th Floor, Potomac, MD For info and to RSVP, contact Brittany Leister at bleister@opd.state.md.us or Janet Hager, Co-Chair Peter Larson, Co-Chair DISTRICT COURT BENCH BAR COMMITTEE May 7, 2015 Meetings will be held on the 1st Thursday of the month at 8AM in the Judges Conference Room in the District Court building, 191 East Jefferson St., Rockville, MD, unless otherwise noted. The District Court Bench Bar Committee held its March meeting on April 2, Civil Matters: The civil office is complaining that attorneys are not following routine practices with their court filings. Some of the issues are: A) Filing new suits An original complaint with exhibits, plus a complete copy for each defendant, should be filed by counsel. B) Discovery Attorneys are filing discovery requests and discovery responses. This is not to be done. In fact, it is prohibited by the Rules of Procedure. C) Large filings If you have a large amount of exhibits with a pleading, do not use one of the big copper staples to fasten all your pleadings or exhibits together. It is difficult for the clerk to remove these staples. D) Stamp filed copies If you want a copy of a pleading (Continued on page 19) DAMAGES Kackzkowski v. Bolubasz household services employee stock options reduction to present value McClinton V. White hedonic damages employee stock options ERISA MCARE s-corp mitigation cost of capital personal maintenance productivity cost of capital fringe s-corp hedonic damages productivity earnings reduction to present value employee stock options please Emily Gelmann at the hedonic damages front pay reduction to productivity employee stock options Kackzkowski v. Bolubasz household services household services address above. For more information vices employee about Lost Dog & Cat Rescue go to lostdogrescue.org. DAMAGES life present expectancy value s-corp hedonic damages IT DOES NOT stock MATTER options McClinton V. productivity White hedonic damages MCARE household ser. White WHAT SIDE OF THE BELTWAY YOUR CASE IS ON, s-corp Kackzkowski v. Bolubasz If you have any thoughts or com- personal maintenance productivity cost of capital ments for the Committee, productivity please earnings reduction to present value fringe s-corp ERISA McClinton V MCARE cost of capital earnings mitigation employee stock options contact Emily Gelmann at productivity hedonic damages front pay cost of capital IT S ECONOMICS TO US. hedonic damages productivity employee stock options PERSONAL INJURY EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION reduction COMMERCIAL to present DISPUTES value egelmann@steinsperling.com or Revee life expectancy employee stock options Kackzkowski v. Bolubasz household services life expectancy s-corp household ser. Bolubasz household services employee stock options McClinton V Walters at rwalters@offitkurman.com. WINNER BEST EXPERT: reduction to present value McClinton V. White cfes@cfes.com LEGAL INTELLIGENCER 2013 hedonic damages MCARE Emily Gelmann, employee Co-Chair stock options ERISA NEW MCARE JERSEY LAW JOURNAL s-corp DAMAGES Kackzkowski v Revee Walters, Co-Chair mitigation cost of capital personal maintenance productivity cost of capital s-corp earnings earnings reduction to present value 14 The Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD Newsletter May, 2015

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19 COMMITTEES & SECTIONS (Continued from page 14) back, you must provide a self address stamped envelope to the court. E) Incorrect forms Some attorneys are using the limited Affidavit for posting and/or publication for routine summons service. This is not to be done. The service of a summons by posting or publication requires a court order to authorize this service. Criminal Matters: Announcements regarding criminal and traffic cases The Court has adopted a new procedure for hearing alleged violations of pretrial release where defendants have been assigned to the Pre-Trial Supervision Unit [PSTU]: Instead of being scheduled on a random basis, the Court will consider PTSU violations only on Tuesdays in Rockville District Court, Courtroom 513. The exact time these cases will be heard will depend on the length of the Tuesday Preliminary Inquiry docket, where persons charged with DUI are being advised to hire Counsel. Preliminary Inquiries usually start at 8:30 a.m., so PTSU violations will probably be heard not later than 10:00 a.m. Other Administrative Matters: A) Late Continuance Requests Even if by consent, if a last minute continuance request is not ruled on by the court date, the parties are not excused from appearing. B) Oral Exams Counsel should check the rules on limitations for filing Oral Exams. The rules specify that only one Oral Exam maybe taken without leave of court. If more than one Oral Exam is desired, counsel should follow the rules in requesting a leave of court and provide the basis. Reg Bours, Co-Chair Richard London, Co-Chair EDUCATION LAW SECTION MEETING DATES May 8, 2015 Meetings will be held on the 2nd Friday of each month in the upstairs conference room of the Bar Association building. David Bach, Co-Chair Pat Hoover, Co-Chair ELDER LAW SECTION May 20, 2015 Meetings will be held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month from 8AM - 9AM in the upstairs conference room of the Bar Association building, unless otherwise noted. The last Elder Law Section meeting of the season will take place on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at 8am at Bar Headquarters. Maryland Delegate Kathleen Dumais will speak and discuss legislation enacted in Annapolis this session. Please note this meeting is the THIRD Wednesday of the month, not the usual second Wednesday of the month meeting date. Morris Klein, Chair FAMILY LAW SECTION 2015 Section Meeting/Event Dates May 5, 2015 Annual Family Law Update 5:00 p.m. in Courtroom 3E JENNIFER FAIRFAX Adoption Law Reproduction Law Surrogacy Donor Agreements Domestic, Second Parent and Relative Adoptions Fellow of the AMERICAN ACADEMY OF Assisted Reproductive Technology Attorneys 827 Woodside Parkway Silver Spring, MD fax: jfairfax@jenniferfairfax.com Member of RESOLVE Mid-Atlantic Region Licensed in Maryland and the District of Columbia Fellow of the AMERICAN ACADEMY OF Adoption Attorneys June, date TBD Family Law Section Practitioner of the Year & Endof-Year Celebration THANK YOU! First, we would like to thank our Law Day presenters, Walter C. Pennington, CPA, David S. De Jong, Esquire, Scott M. Strickler, Esquire, Alan Zipp, Esquire, and Sandra A. Brooks, Esquire, for an entertaining and informative presentation. With the combined knowledge, expertise, and credentials this panel boasted, their presentation could have filled a full day seminar, yet this group managed to pack an impressive amount of information into just under two hours! Thanks to Erin Kopelman, Esquire, as well for a great job in organizing the presentation. We would also like to thank the organizers and presenters of the Rita Rosenkrantz Basic Family Law Training, including John S. Weaver, Esquire, Scott M. Strickler, Esquire, Deborah L. Webb, Esquire, Casey Weinberg Florance, Esquire, Heather Q. Hostetter, Esquire, and Howard B. Soypher, Esquire. Your contributions to this annual seminar further enhanced its reputation as a must attend course for all budding Family Law practitioners. Finally, as the end of our tenure as Section Co-Chairs draws near, we would like to extend our utmost and sincere thanks and appreciation to all of our committee members. In particular: Sandy Brooks and Rob Weinberg for planning timely and insightful Section Programs. Your efforts made sure that our FL Section meetings were informative and entertaining every month; John Weaver and Christina Hughes for planning a year s worth of informative and engaging CLEs; Samantha Kravitz and everyone at Delaney McKinney, LLP for throwing another fabulous Holiday Party; Erin Kopelman for putting together a great Law Day program with a terrific panel of speakers; Sylvia Borenstein for providing the legislative updates for our Section; Amanda Vann for keeping our Section social; and (Continued on following page) May, 2015 The Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD Newsletter 19

20 COMMITTEES & SECTIONS (Continued from preceding page) Donna Van Scoy for heading up the Family Law Practitioner of the Year award committee and assisting with our June festivities (more info on this below). We very much appreciate your efforts and those of the other members of the FL POY subcommittee. Our success as a Section was the result of the efforts of all of these folks and the participation of our fantastic members. It has been a pleasure to work with all of you! Section Meetings, Events & Upcoming CLE s: Our Annual Family Law Update will take place on May 5th from 5:00-8:00pm in Courtroom 3E. Bryan Renehan, Esq. and Paul Reinstein, Esq. will present new family law cases and legislative updates from the past 12 months. Please be sure to register for the Family Law Section End-of-Year Celebration to be held in June. At this event, we will be honoring our previous Family Law Practitioner of the Year Award recipients AND will announce this year s winner! Registration forms will be ed through the list serve and will also be available on our Bar Association website: This is a great way to celebrate the end of the bar year with your peers, and to celebrate or past and current award winners! Casey Florance, Co-Chair Chris Roberts, Co-Chair IMMIGRATION LAW SECTION We will be holding our monthly luncheons from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the upstairs conference room of the Bar Association Building. Experienced immigration attorneys will present on a topic and answer questions. We encourage all of you to participate in these brown-bag luncheons; no matter the topic of each session, you can always bring questions you have about cases and ask the friendly members of our Section about them. RSVPs for the lunch meetings are not necessary, but appreciated. Upcoming monthly luncheon meeting: 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 20 o Speaker: Eric Singer o Topic: Advanced Discussion on the Section 212(h) Waivers What topics interest you for CLEs or luncheons? Willing to be a mentor? Interested in speaking at our monthly luncheons? Contact us via at parva@fattahi-law.com or mariag@glinlaw.com to share your ideas and to let us know about your availability for further collaboration. Parva Fattahi, Co-Chair Maria Glinsmann, Co-Chair LAW FIRM MANAGEMENT SECTION MEETING DATES May 28, 2015* *to be held at Shulman Rogers offices Meetings will be held at 8:00 a.m. on the 3rd Thursday at the offices of Hostetter Strent, 7201 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 675, Bethesda, MD, unless otherwise noted. Amy Strent, Chair LAWYER ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE MEETING DATES May 13, 2015 All meetings will be held at 5:00p.m. in the upstairs conference room of the Bar Association building, located at 27 West Jefferson St., Rockville, MD. During the past year, our Committee has handled a number of referrals and met with one of our judges regarding one of those referrals. Renee Wang, Ph.D. In March, Lisa Kaplan, LCSW-C, CAC, the counselor for the State Bar Assistance Program, was invited to attend our meeting. We do not have a paid counselor available to our referrals but Ms. Kaplan agreed to make herself available as an additional resource for those in need of her assistance. Lisa is available on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday and her direct phone number is Our Mission Statement is as follows: The BAMC Lawyer Assistance Committee is comprised of members of our association whose sole purpose is to help our colleagues. We are a resource put in place to help lawyers, including those whose practices may be adversely affected, to better cope with such problems as depression, substance abuse, personal problems, stress, burnout, etc. All referrals to the Committee are strictly confidential and may be anonymous. This confidentiality is statutory. (See, Bus. & Occup. Art ). The Maryland Lawyers Rules of Professional Conduct exempt from reporting requirements information received in the course of participation in our assistance program. (See, Rule 8.3 (c) ). Referrals to our committee come from Judges, members of the Bar, family and friends. We respond whenever the need for assistance presents itself. Our committee has resources, professional and otherwise, that can help colleagues who find themselves in crisis. We strive to assist so as to minimize any negative effect on lawyers and their practices. Paul Ethridge, Co-Chair Deane Shure, Co-Chair Serving the DC/MD/VA area he ro Translation & Interpreting Ms. Wang is one of the few that hold all three certifications nationwide. She has extensive interpreting experience in trials, mediations, depositions, including ITC-337 hearings and intellectual property litigations and depositions. She also provides legal document translation. 20 The Bar Association of Montgomery County, MD Newsletter May, 2015