The D.C. Bar Board of Governors has re-elected Susan M. Hoffman and Maureen F. Del Duca and elected three new members—Ellen M. Jakovic, Paul M. Smith, and Bruce V. Spiva—to serve on the DC Bar Foundation’s Board of Directors. The members, who were announced May 16, 2014, will carry out three-year terms beginning July 1, 2014. Marc L. Fleischaker, the current President of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, commented on the Board of Governors’ decision: “I am very pleased that we have added people of such high quality to our Board, as well as re-elected two terrific members. The work of the Foundation is critical to assuring that our low income residents have access to the courts, and counsel when necessary, and our Board is very engaged in making sure that we have adequate resources to help fund the outstanding legal service providers in our community.”
The three new members will fill two new seats and replace the expiring seat of John C. Cruden, President of the Environmental Law Institute, who has served on the Board of Directors since 2008. Hoffman and Del Duca have served on the Board of Directors since 2011.
Hoffman, who is the Public Services Partner at Crowell & Moring LLP, currently serves as the Board of Director’s Vice President and Chairs its Development Committee. Since graduating from George Washington Law School, Hoffman has worked on severalpro bono matters, including environmental and various public interest issues. She has been an especially strong advocate for women and children who are victims of abuse and domestic violence, lending her time and expertise to legal cases and several nonprofit organizations.
Del Duca, graduate of New York University School of Law, is the Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Litigation and Investigations at the Northrop Gruman Corporation. Prior to joining Northrop Gruman, Del Duca worked at Jenner & Block, the Federal Communications Commission, and AOL. Del Duca also serves as Chairperson on the Board of Directors for the Southern Center for Human Rights.
Jakovic, Partner in the Antitrust Practice Group at Kirkland & Ellis, LLP, has served as president of The Barristers, the Women’s Bar Association Foundation, and the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia. She currently serves on the Council for Court Excellence’s and the Bar Association of the District of Columbia’s boards of directors. She obtained both her A.B. and J.D. from Harvard University.
Smith, Partner at Jenner & Block, is the Chair of the Appellate and Supreme Court Practice and Co-Chair of the Media and First Amendment and the Election Law and Redistricting practices. A graduate of Yale University Law School, Smith has dedicated his life to promoting civil rights and liberties. He has presented oral arguments in 15 Supreme Court cases, including the landmark gay rights case, Lawrence v. Texas. Among the several awards he has received are the Thurgood Marshall Award, from the American Bar Association Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities, and the Progressive Champion Award, from the American Constitution Society.
Spiva, Partner at The Spiva Law Firm, PLLC and a graduate of Harvard Law School, specializes in antitrust, securities litigation, partnership disputes and class actions, in addition to devoting much of his time to issues involving consumer protection and housing discrimination. Spiva has also been active in securing Congressional voting rights for the residents of DC, previously serving as Chair of the Board of DC Vote and testifying before the United States Congress in favor of the D.C. Voting Rights Act.
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The District of Columbia Bar Foundation awards grants to DC civil legal services organizations, administers the publicly-funded DC Poverty Lawyer Loan Repayment Assistance Program, and provides technical assistance and training to the District’s civil legal services providers.