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News & Events

  • Remembering Ellen Eager, A CCE Pioneer

    Remembering Ellen Eager, A CCE Pioneer

    Ellen Watson Eager, who passed away after a long illness on March 16, was a “CCE Pioneer,” one of the first board members when the organization was formed in 1982. Founder Charles Horsky had drafted Ellen to serve on the Horsky Committee studying the newly-reorganized DC court system for the DC Bar. Once the report was published in the early 1980’s, Ellen was thoroughly committed to continuing to improve the administration of justice, lending her considerable insight and perspective as a “civic director.” In her more than 25 years of active board service, Ellen was a member of CCE’s Executive Committee, serving two multi-year terms, a perennial and active member of the Public Service Committee, a stalwart on the Jury Project that published its groundbreaking report in 1998, and a participant in several of CCE’s Court Observation Projects. For all of her many accomplishments, she received the Horsky Award in 2002.

  • CCE to Survey the DC Employer Community

    The Council for Court Excellence, as part of its DC Prisoner Reentry Initiative, is considering holding an educational forum for the DC employer community about recent and current developments in law and policy about hiring people with criminal records who represent ten percent of the District’s population.The survey will take less than 2 minutes to complete. We hope you’ll consider completing the survey or forwarding to the person in your firm or company that manages the hiring process for both professionals and administrative personnel: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FHD87HL

  • CCE Led Training on the New Truancy Law and the Court

    CCE Led Training on the New Truancy Law and the Court

    On March 28th, the Council for Court Excellence organized and facilitated a half day training on “The DC Accountability Amendment Act of 2013”: What You Need to Know about Truancy and the Court. The Family Court Training Committee of DC Superior Court hosted the training in the court’s Jurors’ Lounge where more than 100 attendees participated including judges, case intake court personnel, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and other interested stakeholders. Participants learned about the new truancy law and what is required by the schools before referring a truancy case to the Family Court Social Services Division (FCSSD) and the DC Office of the Attorney General.

  • Interview with CCE Executive Committee Member, Tyrone Parker

    Interview with CCE Executive Committee Member, Tyrone Parker

    Theodore Whitehouse, CCE Board Director, Reentry Project Committee Chair, and partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher recently sat down for a one-on-one conversation with Tyrone Parker, CCE Executive Committee member, a member of CCE’s Reentry and School Discipline project committees, and Executive Director of the Alliance of Concerned Men.

  • CCE Board Director, James D. Bishop, Wins 2014 Scoutt Prize

    CCE Board Director, James D. Bishop, Wins 2014 Scoutt Prize

    James D. Bishop, director of the Catholic Charities Legal Network of the Archdiocese of Washington, was named the winner of the 2014 Jerrold Scoutt Prize by the District of Columbia Bar Foundation. The prize is given out each year to a public-interest attorney who has devoted much of his or her career working with the District’s low-income residents, providing needed legal services with great compassion and proficiency.

  • 18th Annual Justice Potter Stewart Award Dinner Honorees

    The Council for Court Excellence is delighted to announce this year's recipients of the Justice Potter Stewart Award. Two awards will be presented this year, to Marc Fleischaker and Legal Counsel for the Elderly. A third award will also be presented to Pepco Holdings, Inc. in honor of their longstanding philanthropic efforts in DC. The honorees will be recognized at the 18th Annual Justice Potter Stewart Award Dinner on May 8, 2014.

  • DC Superior Court Adopts Practice Standards for Guardians ad Litem in Custody and Related Consolidated Cases

    The Superior Court of the District of Columbia issued an administrative order on January 24, 2014 to release Practice Standards for Guardians ad Litem (GAL) in Custody and Related Consolidated Cases. These practice standards were developed by the Family Court Domestic Relations GAL Standards Committee in consultation with representatives from the bench, the bar, and local community-based organizations that provide legal representation in Family Court.

  • Interview with CCE Finance Committee Chair, Julia Matthews

    Interview with CCE Finance Committee Chair, Julia Matthews

    CCE Executive and Finance Committee member Leslye Givarz recently sat down for a one-on-one conversation with CCE Executive Committee member and chair of the Finance Committee, Julia Matthews, who is a Vice President and Senior Banking Advisor at PNC Wealth Management.

  • U.S. Departments of Education and Justice Release New Federal Guidance on School Discipline

    U.S. Departments of Education and Justice Release New Federal Guidance on School Discipline

    On January 8th, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice jointly released federal guidance on school discipline. In a joint statement, these Departments stated that this guidance “will assist states, districts and schools in developing practices and strategies to enhance school climate, and ensure those policies and practices comply with federal law.”

  • CCE Program: “Secret Courts, Secret Law”

    CCE Program: “Secret Courts, Secret Law”

    CCE’s Board was treated to a special panel program on December 12th organized by the CCE Bench Bar Media Dialogue Project, entitled “Secret Courts, Secret Law.” The panel discussed a wide range of thought-provoking questions, including under what circumstances are secret courts created in the US legal system? What are the unique challenges that arise with regard to litigating secret law or before secret courts? What might the public not appreciate about the costs of secret courts/secret law and are these costs unavoidable? Could secret courts be differently configured while still respecting the underlying justification of secrecy? How does “precedent” work in a system in which the rulings at issue are not publicly available? What are the broader impacts that secret courts and secret law have on our common law system? What lessons should we take away from the military commissions/FISA Court with regard to the desirability of secret law and secret courts? These were a selection of the interesting issues discussed. All in all, it was a well-received and informative program.

  • CCE Releases Compliments and Complaints Guide

    CCE Releases Compliments and Complaints Guide

    The Council for Court Excellence is pleased to present its Compliments and Complaints Guide. This guide gathers in one place information about how to submit compliments or comments and how to make and resolve complaints about any professional in the DC justice system. The information in this guide comes from sixteen courts and agencies in the District that provided details about their compliment and complaint referral process.

  • A Conversation with Chief Judge Richard W. Roberts

    A Conversation with Chief Judge Richard W. Roberts

    CCE Board Director Michael Hays of Dow Lohnes (soon to merge with Cooley, LLP) recently sat down for a one-on-one conversation with CCE Executive Committee member and Public Service Committee Chair, Chief Judge Richard Roberts of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

  • Consensus about DC Post-Arrest Legislation

    There was consensus among the groups testifying in support of the Post-Arrest Process Clarification Amendment Act of 2013, Bill #20-323, at a hearing before the DC Council Judiciary Committee on November 21. CCE, along with the DC Metropolitan Police Department, the DC Police Union, the DC Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the DC Office of the Attorney General, largely commented that CCE's report was “excellent” and provided needed clarity for police and citizens. The legislation was co-introduced by DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and Councilmember Tommy Wells, and co-sponsored by Councilmember Mary Cheh.

  • Jury Nullification in DC

    The recent posting of a “jury nullification” poster in the Judiciary Square metro resulted in an interesting Washington Post story and brought attention to the issue of jury service, a critical civic responsibility that merits more attention. In 2012, there were about 40,000 people summoned for jury service and almost 500 trials held in both the DC Superior Court and the US District Court for DC.

  • Congratulations to Author (and CCE Board Director) Larry Hobart

    CCE Board Director Larry Hobart, a former journalist, has just published Basalt City, a historical novel that covers the infamous assault by the Ku Klux Klan on Catholics, Jews and blacks in 1922 Oregon. Actual minutes from a Klan Klavern in La Grande, Oregon, served as a basis for his historical novel.

  • DC Chamber Recognizes Industrial Bank with Major Award

    CCE’s Board Leader Industrial Bank and its President B. Doyle Mitchell were honored in late October at the DC Chamber’s Choice Awards and Gala with its “Lifetime Legacy Award.” The recognition, first given in 2009, honors individuals and decision-makers who, through their leadership, direction, and commitment, have contributed to the life and vibrancy of the District of Columbia.

  • Korematsu v. United States (1944)

    Korematsu v. United States (1944)

    Thirty years ago next month, justice delayed finally arrived for a pioneer of racial equality, Fred Korematsu. The most famous challenger of the Japanese-American internment had his conviction overturned as a result of information showing the government had withheld vital evidence from the both the Supreme Court and Mr. Korematsu’s defense team, led by CCE founder Charles Horsky.

  • Prestigious Ollie May Cooper Award to Ron Jessamy

    Prestigious Ollie May Cooper Award to Ron Jessamy

    Judges, lawyers, law students, and family and friends of Ronald C. Jessamy gathered last week at the Howard University Law School to witness the Washington Bar Association’s presentation to him of the 35th annual Ollie May Cooper Award, and to hear the 33rd Annual Founder’s Lecture given by Professor Charles J. Ogletree of Harvard Law School.

  • CCE mourns the loss of Board Director Thomas J. Mikula

    CCE mourns the loss of Board Director Thomas J. Mikula

    CCE mourns the loss of Board Director Thomas J. Mikula, who passed away on October 9, 2013. Tom had served as the Board representative for Goodwin Procter since 2007, and as a member of the Executive Committee since 2010. He was a member of the Awards Selection Committee for the annual Justice Potter Stewart Award Dinner since 2009, and served as chair of the committee from 2011 – 2013.

  • CCE Board Directors Recently Honored

    CCE Board Directors Recently Honored

    Three CCE Board Directors were recently recognized for their leadership within the Washington, DC legal community. CCE congratulates all of the honorees!

 
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