History
The Capitol Hill Chapter was formally constituted on January 16, 1963, in response to the recognition by members of the DC Chapter of the need for a chapter to serve the special requirements of Capitol Hill lawyers. Six years earlier, in 1957, a Capitol Hill section of the DC Chapter had been established to acknowledge the different functions performed by the legislative lawyer and the executive branch lawyer. The first section President was Congressman Torbert Macdonald (D-MA). Former Congressman William Hungate (D-MO), who later served as a Federal judge, was a subsequent Chapter President.
The original Capitol Hill section listed a membership of approximately 40 lawyers. Today, the Chapter has approximately 180 members. At its inception in 1963, the Chapter had a governing Council of 14 persons that included representatives from the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Library of Congress-then the component organizations constituting the Chapter. In 1972, the FBA National Executive Committee added the Supreme Court to the Chapter’s component jurisdiction, and the Court’s Justices were made honorary members of the Chapter. The General Accounting Office (now Government Accountability Office) became a Chapter component soon thereafter followed by the Government Printing Office. The Chapter’s constitution was amended in 1996 to add to the Chapter’s governing Council a component unit consisting of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, the Federal Judicial Center, the United States Sentencing Commission, and the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. The Chapter’s constitution was again amended in 2013 to allow attorneys working for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the Architect of the Capitol, the Congressional Budget Office, and the Capitol Police to join the Chapter’s Council as voting members.
The Capitol Hill Chapter has been known for the relatively high number of Chapter officers and members who have gone on to assume national office in the FBA. Marian Herring, in 1973, was the Chapter’s first woman President.
Past Presidents
Capitol Hill Section of the DC Chapter, Federal Bar Association, established in 1957
1957-59 Torbert H. Macdonald (D-MA)
1959-60 James E. Palmer
1960-61 Cyril F. Brickfield
1961-62 Edward McCue III
Capitol Hill Chapter, Federal Bar Association, established January 16, 1963
1962-63 Thomas P. Kerester
1963-64 Erwin Krasnow
1964-65 Vincent A. Doyle
1965-66 Francis Rosenberger
1966-67 Frank R. Hammill, Jr.
1967-68 George Pavlic
1968-69 Justinus Gould
1969-70 Waldo Moore
1970-71 William Hungate (D-MO)
1971-72 John J. Kominski
1972-73 James A. Lanigan
1973-74 Marian Herring
1974-75 Herbert L. Spira
1975-76 Lee McElvain
1976-77 Joseph E. Ross
1977-78 Paul G. Dembling
1978-79 William P. Shattuck
1979-80 Paul S. Wallace
1980-81 Charles O. Campbell
1981-82 Mary Ann Gilleece
1982-83 Robert E. Feidler
1983-84 Patrice A. Lyons
1984-85 Charles L. Browne, III
1985-86 Janice E. Rubin
1986-87 Raphael Perl
1987-88 Kenneth E. Swab
1988-89 Francis J. Lorson
1989-90 Elaine L. Sierra
1990-91 Robert A. Lincoln
1991-92 Jackie A. Goff
1992-93 Herbert I. Dunn
1993-94 Ralph Oman
1994-95 Gregory A. Scott
1995-96 Craig Winslow
1996-97 Craig Winslow
1997-98 Anthony J. Zagami
1998-99 Melanie Gilbert
1999-00 Adam Vodraska
2000-01 Melissa Mueller
2001-02 Bruce Kasold
2002-03 William K. Van Horne
2003-04 Diane Wolf
2004-05 James G. Scott
2005-06 Warren Burke
2006-07 Susan Sawtelle
2007-08 Adam Bramwell
2008-09 Paul Vamvas
2009-10 T.J. Halstead
2010-11 Anthony Ogden
2011-12 Matthew McGhie
2012-13 Elizabeth Pugh
2013-14 Amy Bowser
2014-15 Jeff McDermott
2015-17 Geoff Cheshire
Awards
2013
Federal Bar Association
CHAPTER ACTIVITY PRESIDENTIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Federal Bar Association
MERITORIOUS NEWSLETTER AWARD (Capitol Assets)
Federal Bar Association
SPECIAL RECOGNIATION FOR FBA SECTION/DIVISION and CHAPTER PROGRAM COLLABORATION (Capitol Hill Chapter/Criminal Law Section/Environmental and Natural Resources Section/International Law Section)
International Legislative Drafting Conference
2012
Federal Bar Association
CHAPTER ACTIVITY PRESIDENTIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Federal Bar Association
MERITORIOUS NEWSLETTER AWARD (Capitol Assets)
2011
Federal Bar Association
CHAPTER ACTIVITY PRESIDENTIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
2010
Federal Bar Association
PRESIDENTIAL CITATION AWARD
Presented in recognition of “A Luncheon with Justice Sotomayor.”
2009
Federal Bar Association
OUTSTANDING NEWSLETTER RECOGNITION AWARD
Federal Bar Association
PRESIDENTIAL CITATION AWARD
Presented in recognition of “A Luncheon with Sam Donaldson, ABC News Correspondent”.
Federal Bar Association
CHAPTER ACTIVITY PRESIDENTIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Presented in recognition of “The FBA Capitol Hill Chapter Facebook Page”.
2007
Federal Bar Association
CHAPTER ACTIVITY PRESIDENTIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Presented in recognition of the Capitol Hill Chapter’s accomplished chapter activities in the areas of Administration, Membership, Outreach and Programming
Federal Bar Association
CHAPTER ACTIVITY PRESIDENTIAL CITATION AWARD
Presented in recognition of program on “How Capitol Hill Really Works: The Legislative Drafting Process”.
Federal Bar Association
CHAPTER ACTIVITY PRESIDENTIAL CITATION AWARD
Presented in recognition of luncheon with Joan Winship, Executive Director, and Anne Goldstein, Human Rights Education Director, International Association of Women Judges.
2006
Federal Bar Association
CHAPTER ACTIVITY PRESIDENTIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Presented in recognition of the Capitol Hill Chapter’s accomplished chapter activities in the areas of Administration, Membership, Outreach and Programming
Federal Bar Association
CHAPTER ACTIVITY PRESIDENTIAL CITATION AWARD
Presented in recognition of annual luncheon at the Supreme Court of the United States.
2005
Federal Bar Association
CHAPTER ACTIVITY PRESIDENTIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Presented in recognition of the Capitol Hill Chapter’s accomplished chapter activities in the areas of Administration, Membership, Outreach and Programming
Federal Bar Association
CHAPTER ACTIVITY PRESIDENTIAL CITATION AWARD
Presented in recognition of luncheon with Director Leonidas Ralph Mecham, Administrative Office of the Courts.
Federal Bar Association
CHAPTER ACTIVITY PRESIDENTIAL CITATION AWARD
Presented in recognition of annual luncheon at the Supreme Court of the United States..
Federal Bar Association
CHAPTER ACTIVITY PRESIDENTIAL CITATION AWARD
Presented in recognition of luncheon with Hon. David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States.
2004
Federal Bar Association
CHAPTER ACTIVITY PRESIDENTIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Presented in recognition of the Capitol Hill Chapter’s accomplished chapter activities in the areas of Administration, Membership Outreach and Programming
Federal Bar Association
CHAPTER ACTIVITY PRESIDENTIAL CITATION AWARD
Presented in recognition of the Catered Luncheon with Justice Antonin Scalia, Supreme Court of the United States