Washington Lawyer - January/February 2022 - 41

SPECIAL SECTION
D.C. BAR at 50 continued from page 29
comfortable with it and respected us.
That was an important accomplishment.
Most of the people on the
Board were men, most of them were
partners in big firms, most of them
were not accustomed to dealing with
women as equals. "
Fellow Board member Amy Loeser -
man Klein (formerly Scupi) navigated
those untested professional waters
alongside Roisman. " We were certainly
in the minority; we were treated a
certain way, and I think it was quite
unconscious on the part of other
Board members, " Klein says.
Inset shows Florence Roisman's
headshot for the Bar's 1972
election ballot.
Despite the initial adversarial interactions
at these meetings, Klein and
Roisman went on to develop
impactful friendships with some of
the Bar's first leaders, including former Bar presidents and Washington
legal legends Frederick B. Abramson and Jacob A. Stein. " I became
friendly with some of the Board members that I wouldn't have expected
to otherwise, like Jake Stein, " recalls Klein.
CLIENTS' SECURITY FUND continued from page 29
A panel of five trustees serving staggered five-year terms oversees the
fund. CSF Vice-Chair Brian Wolfman, a Georgetown Law professor who is
currently serving his second term, says he wanted to be a member of the
fund because of its importance in maintaining respect for the legal profession
generally and the D.C. Bar specifically.
" The Bar doesn't officially guarantee the actions of our members, "
Wolfman says, " but in a non-legal sense, in an ethical sense, we are
holding our members out as people who are deserving of being hired
by clients and give competent service to clients. When people don't
meet those standards, we need to make good on these promises of
ethical representation. "
Many of those serving on the fund contribute specialized knowledge
and experience. Wolfman says that his work as a litigator familiarized him
with the process of adjudication. Elizabeth Quinn, a shareholder at Trow
& Rahal, P.C. who currently serves as the fund's chair, says her experience
as an immigration attorney has been helpful in understanding claims
from immigrant claimants. The diverse backgrounds of the trustees contribute
to the group's ability to address claims arising from a variety of
practice areas. Every claim the CSF receives is " thoroughly considered, "
Quinn says.
Quinn appreciates the importance of the work done by the fund, both to
the individuals compensated and to the legal community as a whole.
" We're really there as a place of last resort for folks with no other remedy, "
she says. " I think it's immensely satisfying to know that there is a solution
for people who are in this predicament. They'll never get their time back,
For more information about the CSF, including the fund's Application for
Reimbursement and Rules of Procedure, call 202-780-2772 or visit www.dcbar.
org/csf.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
* WASHINGTON LAWYER 41
" It was really very interesting. The experience
grew over time, " Klein says of those years the
Board worked to establish a firm foundation for
the Bar.
For Roisman, moving from Washington, D.C., to
Indiana 25 years ago has given her new appreciation
of the Bar's impact not only on the
legal profession but also on the community it
serves. " I realize from this perspective how
wonderful the D.C. Bar is on every level. The
pro bono work of the D.C. Bar for 50 years has
been magnificent. Individual practitioners,
midsize firms, big firms - they have always
contributed, " says Roisman, the William F.
Harvey Professor of Law at Indiana University
Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
" I used to take it for granted when I was in D.C. Except for D.C., New York,
San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston, let me tell you out here in the
Heartland, there is nothing like that, " she continues. " What passes for pro
bono here is nothing compared to what goes on in D.C.
" I am very grateful for what the D.C. Bar has done, particularly with respect
for its support for pro bono activities, community activities.
And, also, the focus it has always had on real diversity and inclusion, "
Roisman says.
Amy Loeserman Klein
(formerly Scupi) was
elected to the Bar's first
Board of Governors.
but at least they are restored financially. For me, too, it makes it clear that
the Bar cares. The role of the fund is also to restore the reputation of the
Bar. "
In the past fiscal year, 14 new claims were filed with the CSF, requesting
more than $800,000 in reimbursement. Each claim is capped at $100,000.
Of 19 claims resolved, three were denied, and more than $200,000 was
reimbursed to claimants. Funds for reimbursement are drawn from
member fees allocated annually. In addition to hearing claims and
awarding claimants, the fund is also engaged in the subrogation and
recovery of money. In the past fiscal year, it recovered more than $70,000.
Hoffler was reimbursed $2,500, recovering the sum he paid his attorney.
" Like many other people, I had no idea that there was a fund that would
reimburse me, " he says. The return of the funds has enabled him to retain
new counsel and proceed with his application to the military board.
" That's a big help because I didn't end my case, " he says. " I needed that
$2,500 to move on. "
When speaking with newly admitted attorneys, Lewis asks them to note
the fund's existence and purpose. " If you ever have a client who comes
to you and tells you a story about a lawyer that has stolen from them, or
a bad experience with a lawyer, I want you to know about this, " she says.
" I want you to be able to point them in the right direction. "
Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
http://www.dcbar.org/csf http://www.dcbar.org/csf
Washington Lawyer - January/February 2022

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