CCE's June Board Meeting

 CCE's Board and guests gathered on Thursday June 4 for our semi-annual meeting at Venable LLC, hosted by Board Directors Gregg Braker and Brian Schwalb. It was a particularly fitting venue given our keynote speaker, newly-elected Attorney General Karl Racine, served for many years as Venable's Managing Partner.  

Mr. Racine talked about his first 150 days following the election, during which his number one priority has been to stand up for and ensure the continued independence of his office. To guarantee he is in sync with the community, he has hired a Community Engagement Director. Several of his priorities include consumer protection, for which he plans to join forces with the US Attorneys Office to hold contractors accountable. He is also committed to improving the juvenile justice system and described his role, along with Councilmembers McDuffie and Grosso, in convincing the DC Superior Court to modify its policy on the shackling of juvenile defendants. He is also committed to open discovery for juveniles, and to diverting youth away from the system through diversion programs in the community.

Mr. Racine concluded his remarks by stating that he hopes to have regular contact with the Council for Court Excellence, perhaps to get our help in the area of legislative reform, and to take advantage of our many years of existence. He said he would like to use CCE's wisdom and broad relations to knock down silos and to increase collaboration across agencies.