Washington Lawyer - July/August 2019 - 22

ANA SARAGOZA
Future Lawyer

Ana Saragoza's interest in the law began while serving with Teach for America
in the District of Columbia, where she witnessed students dealing with issues
such as immigration, housing, and custody. Her desire to help those in need of
access to legal services led her to the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, where she
served as a bilingual intake coordinator from 2016 to 2018.
These experiences prepared Saragoza for law school - she'll be entering her
second year at American University Washington College of Law in the fall -
and put her on the public interest track. This summer, Saragoza will be working
for the Legal Counsel for the Elderly focusing on housing cases, and in the fall
she will be interning with the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia.
Saragoza is excited about the new leadership at the D.C. Bar and its continued
emphasis on the importance of pro bono service. "I was excited when Susie
Hoffman was elected as D.C. Bar president," Saragoza says. "I thought it was
really significant because it showed that Bar members really value public
service, and we need the next generation of lawyers to be as passionate about
public service as Susie is."
Outreach to local law schools is one area where Saragoza feels the D.C. Bar can
increase its engagement. Many law students may be unaware of the wideranging programs and volunteer opportunities available at the Bar, particularly
at the Pro Bono Center's Landlord Tenant Resource Center, Advice & Referral
Clinic, and more.
Saragoza believes the Bar can continue to be relevant in the legal community
by taking an active role in bar exam preparation, sponsoring scholarships for
students to take preparation courses or offering its own classes to help improve
passage rates.

GARY THOMPSON
Commercial Litigator

Practicing in the District of Columbia since 1990, Gary Thompson has seen how
technology has revolutionized the way legal work is done. Today's law practice,
with advancements such as electronic court filing and access to online research
databases, is a far cry from his days as a new attorney.
"In my first office, we didn't have a computer," recalls Thompson. "We all used to
spend hours and days and weeks in libraries with piles of law books, and we
date-stamped documents with a real date-stamper."
Thompson began his career at Kaye Scholer (now Arnold & Porter), and over
the past 29 years he has served in a variety of roles at various firms, including
as managing partner of the D.C. office of Reed Smith LLP. In 2019 he founded
Thompson HD, a boutique firm that handles commercial litigation, hospitality
law, and insurance recovery, with partners Julie Hammerman and Kristin Davis.
As a small firm practitioner, Thompson considers the D.C. Bar's resources and
support to be integral to his firm, and he recommends that the Bar continue
its focus on the small law firm community.
"We're all in ones and twos and threes and fives, but together we make up most
of the lawyers in the city," says Thompson.
Despite the prevalence of smartphones, apps, and new legal tools, Thompson
says that "the practice of law still revolves around being an advocate for the
client." Certain skills, such as being a strong writer and strong oral advocate, will
always be at the core of what lawyers do, Thompson says, and professionalism
is still key to a long career.
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JULY/AUGUST 2019

"Over the years the
lawyers who sustain
their practices well and
rise above the competition are those who stick
to the clients' cases and
are cordial and amicable
with everyone," Thompson says.
When it comes to the
role of the D.C. Bar,
Thompson says the
organization should
continue to serve its
core constituents,
including the underserved communities
that rely on the D.C. Bar
Pro Bono Center for
critical civil legal
services. It is also important for the Bar to stay
abreast of tech developments in the law and engage with younger attorneys
and law students, Thompson says.
"We have to know [what] younger lawyers expect from our profession, and to
listen and provide mentorship to them," Thompson adds. "The Bar is a gathering point for lawyers. It fosters that culture."

https://www.dcbar.org/

Washington Lawyer - July/August 2019

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