 WASHINGTON BAR ASSOCIATION TO HONOR CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER JOHN PAYTON AT ITS ANNUAL LAW DAY BANQUET
By Ronald C. Jessamy, Sr.
The Washington Bar Association will present the organization’s Charles Hamilton Houston Medallion of Merit to John Payton, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. at its annual Law Day Dinner on Saturday, May 8, 2010. Mr. Payton is a former President of the District of Columbia Bar. He also served as Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia. Prior to taking the helm of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., He was a partner in the law firm of Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr. -- Cont’d on page 4.
 President’s Message
By Ronald C. Jessamy, Sr.
Leadership in the Profession. When the Washington Bar Association was formed in 1925, there was little, if any, opportunity for its members to join or participate in professional organizations in the larger community. I often mention how in today’s environment, WBA leaders not only join, but also assume leadership positions, in organizations at the local and national level. WBA leaders have always contributed significantly to the fiber and fabric of the legal community. I want to devote this, and future columns, to highlighting some of the leadership roles which some of WBA’s leaders have been elected or appointed to in the past several years. While this column focuses on some of the positions occupied by several WBA officers and directors in other organizations devoted to the profession and/or the practice of law, I will devote future columns that highlight the leadership roles WBA’s officers and directors have in organizations outside of the legal profession. -- Cont’d on page 2.
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