Congratulations to Jaime A. Marcos, Migeul A. Negron and Kenji Akaike of Marcos & Negron for winning the Pro Bono Publico Award. Read more about this deserving firm.

Travis Richardson has joined the Chicago office of Duane Morris & Hecksher.

Congratulations to Bina J. Patel and Patricia E. Hong on their promotion to partnership in the Washington, D.C. office of Banner & Witcoff.

Condolences to the family and friends of Judge Earl B. Gilliam on his passing. Judge Gilliam was the first African American judge on the San Diego Municipal Court, the San Diego Superior Court, and the federal district court in San Diego.

Congratulations to Karen Nobumoto on becoming the first woman of color elected as president of the State Bar of California.

Don Hubert is forming a new firm with Carolyn Quinn and Philip Fowler. The new firm will be called Hubert Fowler and Quinn and will specialize in complex civil litigation.

Paul D. Gutierrez and Vincent A. Ruiz from Gutierrez & Associates have joined Sideman & Bancroft in San Francisco.

Cook County (IL) Public Defender Rita Fry was the recipient of the Public Interest Law Intitiative Distinguished Public Service Award.

Jennifer M. Smith was elected to a partnership in the Washington, D.C. office of Holland & Knight. Congratulations!

Congratulations to Lauren G. Robinson on her election to partnership at Schiff Hardin & Waite in Chicago.

Eric S. Jackson was named a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi. Congratulations!

Congratulations to Carroll G. Robinson of Houston on his election as President of the Texas Association of Black City Council Members.

Michael Chu has joined the Chicago office of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal.

Ralph F. Boyd, Jr., a partner with Goodwin Proctor and Hoar in Boston has been nominated by President George W. Bush to become the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Congratulations to Jane J. Choi, Lisa L. Liou, and Ernest W. Torain, Jr. on their election to partnership in the Chicago office of Katten Muchin Zavis.

Condolences to the family and friends of civil rights lawyer Fred L. Lander, III on his passing in February.

Roberta Hayashi has joined the San Jose office of Skjerven Morrill MacPherson.

Victor P. Henderson has joined the Chicago office of Holland & Knight as its newest partner.

Congratulations to Herman Marable, Jr. on his election to a six-year term as a Michigan District Court Judge.

Congratulations to Joan Mei Haratani, a partner in the Oakland firm of Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May on her election as President of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area.

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Have some good, bad, happy or sad news you’d like to share with minority lawyers and others interested in diversity issues? E-mail any announcements or other news (personal or professional) to the Commission on Racial & Ethnic Diversity in the Profession at yamates@staff.abanet.org– of course, the Commission reserves the right to edit or refuse publication of any submission.