CLC's Kennedy Center Rooftop CelebrationDavid Neinstein. Pat Lylo spearheaded Bisnow’s social media push with marketing director Sylvie Cancellier (who takes smiling very seriously).

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September 27, 2011

CLC's Kennedy Center Rooftop Celebration

Send story tips to our legal reporter Roksana Slavinsky.

The Children’s Law Center is DC’s largest legal nonprofit. Who can resist an organization that gives pro bono support to over 1,200 at-risk District kids each year? Judging from the Kennedy Center’s packed rooftop terrace restaurant and over $685K raised at CLC’s latest Helping Children Soar benefit last week, lawyers inside the beltway are as enthusiastic about it as we are.

DC Superior Court Chief Judge Lee Satterfield excels behind podium and bench alike. With him are benefit co-chairs Tina Kearns (Pillsbury DC managing partner) and Joe Figini (CGI GC) and CLC exec. director Judith Sandalow. The Judge is introducing Senator Mary Landrieu, winner of the ’11 Distinguished Child Advocate Award (which Judith tells us is fair turnaround, since the Senator presented Judge Satterfield with the same award in '06).

Sen. Landrieu shakes hands with Tina post-award. She's co-chair of both the Congressional Coalition on Adoption and the Senate Foster Youth Caucus, as well as leveraging funds for beneficial programs through her membership on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Though her district is in Louisiana, Senator Landrieu also helped CLC launch its guardian ad litem program and works with CLC to strengthen the District’s foster care system.

Jones Day took home the ’11 Children’s Pro Bono Champion Award. Lit partner Carmen McLean and DC partner-in-charge Greg Shumaker are happy to accept on the firm’s behalf. Carmen helped get Jones Day involved with CLC after her first pro bono project; the firm has now taken on over 30 cases.

Outside, we spotted Blank Rome’s Hardy Vieux, Tara Leiter, and Humera Ahmed with MD AG Doug Gansler. The day after the benefit, Doug headed over to his annual fundraiser (rumor is it may be for a run at MD governor). As well as working with CLC, Hardy co-chairs his office’s pro bono committee and was the DC Bar’s Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year in ’10. Tara focuses on maritime law. (Maybe she was standing outside to keep an eye on any happenings on the water?)

Judith Sandalow and Prince Charitable Trusts’ Len Berman flanked by a couple of CLC board members: former Covington superlitigator Tony Herman and Nancy Sidamon-Eristoff. For Tony, September is more than the month DC endured endless rainstorms: it's also when he started new positions as FEC GC and chairman of CLC’s board.

Former Rep. of 36 years and House Transportation committee chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) and Steve Cline.

The day before CGI GC Joe Figini pulled in WMACCA’s prize for Outstanding In-House Counsel, we spotted the CLC board member acting as co-chair here (and heard him say “it’s a busy week”). He's with Cooley DC employment chair Connie Bertram and associate Chris Kimball, both of whom also do pro bono work for CLC.

GE’s Laura Molinari, Stephen Walls, and Aimee Imundo. Aimee made big moves to bring GE and her former firm, Arnold & Porter, on board to partner with CLC to take on pro bono cases. She tells us Laura just finished one case where she helped two siblings stay in the same home.

McDermott global trademark prosecution head Joanne Ludovici-Lint and IP associate Chris Paulraj. We're not surprised Chris ended up in the IP sector: before he turned to law, he took home degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Polymer Science.

Hogan Lovells commercial practice area leader Robert Waldman (who was on the integration committee when the two legacy firms merged last year, after joining Hogan & Hartson in ’74) and Stradley Ronon’s Rachel Tausend. Rachel got her start as a helping hand in the Peace Corp on the Solomon Islands; she now acts as a Guardian Ad Litem in child custody cases through CLC. Her connection to Judith started even earlier: Judith’s father, Terrance Sandalow, taught Rachel at U. of Michigan's law school. It looks like we caught her just as she was imagining those days in college.

Stradley Ronon nonprofit & religious organizations chair Mark Chopko, M&A chair Ted Segal (you may remember him from his former post as DLA Piper DC managing partner), and recent add Ranan Weil. This is Ranan’s first event as a member of this firm—he joined from Bingham McCutchen a few days ago.

Judith Sandalow’s mother, Ina Sandalow (who flies in annually from Ann Arbor for the event), chats with board member and Jones Day partner Carmen McLeanand Ruth Gramlich. If you were wondering where Judith gets her boundless energy, it must be in the genes.

RISING FROM WITHIN

Some apprentices just get coffee. We put ours to work. Bisnow’s college apprenticeship program grew from putting hamsters at a typewriter and hoping for the best into a vibrant training experience that recruits top talent. Emily Rotolo produced a Bisnow event with events ace David Neinstein. Pat Lylo spearheaded Bisnow’s social media push with marketing director Sylvie Cancellier (who takes smiling very seriously). Mike Mazzara worked closely with HR director (and chest-hair advocate) Will Friend. At the end of the summer we offered them full-time employment. Want to apply for a Bisnow apprenticeship? Know someone who might? Email [email protected]. Send story tips to our legal reporter Roksana Slavinsky.

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