ABA Section of Business Law
ABA Section of Business Law
Business Law Today
May / June 2000
Section sound bites
Spring Meeting Success
The Section recently held its 25th annual Spring Meeting in Columbus, Ohio. This meeting attracted nearly 1,400 attendees. Of those, approximately 250 were attending for the first time. More than 55 CLE programs and 200 committee and subcommittee events were held during this four-day event.
If you are interested in purchasing program materials, check out the Section’s home page at www.abanet.org/buslaw for a list of available materials or call the Section office at 312/988-5588. If you would like to buy audiotapes of CLE programs, call Teach ’em Inc. at
1-800/225-3775.
Pro Bono winners
At the Spring Meeting, the Pro Bono Committee recognized the contributions of William C. Kelly Jr. of Washington, and the General Electric Corporate Legal Organization of Fairfield, Conn., as recipients of the National Public Service Award. This award, given to an individual and a firm/corporate law department, was created to recognize significant pro bono services rendered to the poor in a business context.
Kelly, of the Washington law firm of Latham & Watkins, was instrumental in increasing his firm’s total number of pro bono hours from 2,000 to 6,200 hours a year.
General Electric Corporate Legal was recognized for its substantial pro bono services to community-based nonprofit organizations.
Glass Cutter Award
At the Section Luncheon in Columbus, the 9th Annual Glass Cutter Award was presented to Renie Y. Grohl of Washington. This award recognizes a woman who has achieved outstanding success in breaking through barriers in the practice of business law.
Grohl currently serves as the Section Budget Officer, an Ad Hoc Member of the Council Committee on Finance, and a liaison to the ABA Board of Governors Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on Section Finances.
CLEO Scholars recognized
Two years ago, the Section established the Section of Business Law CLEO (Council on Legal Education Opportunity) Scholarship, an annual scholarship program to assist CLEO fellows in completing law school and to encourage participation of women and minorities in Section activities.
Congratulations to this year’s CLEO Scholars: M. Jeamilette Castro, DePaul University College of Law, Chicago; Rocio M. Diaz, University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville; Khadizeth Toure, Walter F. George School of Law, Mercer University, Macon, Ga.; Andre Wright, University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison; and Armando Zambrano, University of California, Hastings College of Law, San Francisco.
Business Law Ambassadors recognized
This year, the Section established its Ambassadors Program. It offers outstanding business lawyers of color the chance to gain leadership roles within the Section, and to aid the Section in its outreach to other minority lawyers.
Congratulations to the initial class: Rhonda D. Harjo, U.S. Department of the Interior, Division of Indian Affairs, Washington; Keith M. Harper, Native American Rights Fund, Washington; Ellen Kuo, legislative attorney to the chairman of the Banking and Financial Services Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, Washington; Willie E. Shepherd, Patton Boggs, L.L.P., Denver; and Michael W. Sillyman, Kutak Rock, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Authors recognized
At the Spring Meeting, the Section recognized the authors of recently published Section books:
• Timothy R. Zinnecker: The Default Provisions of Revised Article 9
• Jan Witold Baran: The Election Law Primer for Corporations, Second Edition
• Committee on Corporate Governance, Subcommittee on Conduct of Directors’ and Shareholders’ Meetings, subcommittee chair, Eric Orlinsky: Handbook for the Conduct of Shareholders’ Meetings
• Committee on Corporate Laws, Reporter, Michael P. Dooley: Model Business Corporation Act Annotated, 98/99 Supplement
• Editor Sally M. Henry: The Portable Bankruptcy Code and Rules, 2000 Edition
• Authors: Ralph J. Rohner, Fred H. Miller; Editors: Robert A. Cook, Alvin C. Harrell and Elizabeth Huber: Truth in Lending.
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