Federal Bar Association

DC & Maryland Chapters: The 4th Annual Government Enforcement & Investigations Seminar 4 Hours CLE
2024-02-06 09:45 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse, 333 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20001
The D.C. and Maryland Chapters and Federal Litigation Section
of the Federal Bar Association
present
The 4th Annual Government Enforcement & Investigations Seminar (4 Hours of CLE)
featuring
Keynote: The Hon. Thomas B. Griffith & Benjamin L. Ginsberg
discussing their July 2022 report “Lost, Not Stolen”
Public Corruption Cases in 2024
Crypto & Sanctions: The New Frontier
– and –
A View from the (Chief Judge’s) Bench:
A conversation with the Hon. James K. Bredar, the Hon. James E.
Boasberg, the Hon. Royce C. Lamberth & the Hon. Beryl A. Howell
February 6, 2024
9:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse
Ceremonial Courtroom
333 Constitution Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
Includes 4 Hours of CLE, Lunch, and Post-Conference Reception
Questions? Contact Tom Barnard tbarnard( a t )bakerdonelson.com
or Eric Nitz enitz( a t )mololamken.com

Maryland Chapter: Trailblazing Series - Shattering Barriers: A Conversation with Hon. Willie J. Epps, Jr.
2024-02-27 12:00 - 13:00
In honor of Black History Month, we are honored to present the Hon. Willie J. Epps, Jr., Chief Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, to lead a discussion on the remarkable lives and careers of the first nine Black Americans to serve as federal judges. Like Robinson, the first Black federal judges blazed a trail and left an indelible mark on our society. Decades of institutionalized discrimination had created a federal court system that Judge A. Leon Higgenbotham, Jr. described as “both exclusionary and racially homogeneous.” During a time when segregation permeated nearly all aspects of American life—from schools to workplaces, restaurants, hotels, public restrooms, water fountains, and swimming pools—nine Black Americans were able to overcome these barriers. Judge Epps will address why and how presidents from Truman to Johnson named Black judges to the federal bench. He will discuss these judges’ backgrounds and key achievements, and he will lead a discussion of their lasting legacies and continued relevance today.
Presented by the Maryland Chapter’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, the FBA’s Diversity and Inclusion Standing Committee, and the Professional Development Committee.
[Register Online]

About the Presenter

Judge Epps was born in Natchez, Mississippi and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He has been a U.S. Magistrate Judge, Western District of Missouri since 2017. Judge Epps received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1985, and his A.B. from Amherst College in 1992. He had a wealth of experience before joining the bench, such as Judge Advocate & Captain, U.S. Air Force JAG Corps, 1995-1999; Assistant Special Counsel, The Waco Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice, 1999-2000; Solo Practitioner, The Epps Law Firm LLC, 2000-2003; VP & Deputy Compliance Officer/VP & Chief Compliance Officer, Charter Communications, 2003-2006; Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP, 2006-2013; Partner, Dowd Bennett LLP, 2013-2014; and Associate General Counsel & Head of Litigation, Edward Jones, 2014-2017.

About the Moderator
A journalist-turned-litigator, Chelsea Jones Crawford joined Brown, Goldstein & Levy in September 2015 and has extensive experience representing individuals and entities in complex civil matters, including federal civil rights litigation, serious personal injury and wrongful death, and commercial disputes.
At Brown, Goldstein & Levy, Chelsea has obtained some of the largest settlements in the State of Maryland. In 2021, she obtained a $6.5 million settlement on behalf of the family of Eric Sopp, an unarmed man in distress who was shot and killed by a Baltimore County police officer. In 2020, she helped obtain a nearly $8 million settlement for two men who were wrongfully convicted and imprisoned, and in 2018, she was part of a team that obtained a $9 million settlement on behalf of an innocent man who spent 21 years wrongfully incarcerated.
A former journalist covering daily news, Chelsea brings a passion for storytelling to every case. Chelsea has practiced before administrative agencies, courts across Maryland and in the District of Columbia, and in federal courts nationwide.
Prior to joining Brown Goldstein & Levy, Chelsea clerked for the Honorable Andre M. Davis on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and for the Honorable Stephanie A. Gallagher on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
During law school, Chelsea served as the Executive Articles Editor of the University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class, Vice-President of the Black Law Students Association, and member of the law school’s National Moot Court Team. Chelsea received the 2013 Elizabeth Maxwell Carroll Chesnut Prize, known as the “Dean’s Award,” for her scholarship, personal drive, and excellence in writing and was awarded Order of the Barristers.
Before law school, Chelsea spent several years working in broadcast news. She began her career at KYW-TV in Philadelphia, where she worked the news desk. She later joined National Public Radio’s flagship afternoon program, All Things Considered, as an Assistant Editor.
Chelsea is active in several bar associations and organizations in Maryland, including the Alliance of Black Women Attorneys of Maryland and the Monumental City Bar Association. She is also a member of the Baltimore City Trial Court Judicial Nominating Commission and served on Attorney General Anthony Brown’s Transition Team.
Chelsea has been recognized multiple times by Lawdragon for her work, including on the “500 Leading Litigators in America” list for 2024, the “500 X – The Next Generation” list for 2023, and the “500 Leading Plaintiff Employment and Civil Rights Lawyers” list for 2022 and 2023. Best Lawyers lists her as “One to Watch” in the Civil Rights Law, Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense (General Practice), Labor and Employment Law (Employee), Litigation (Labor and Employment), and Personal Injury Litigation (Plaintiffs) categories. She has also been selected a Maryland Super Lawyers Rising Star since 2018.

Maryland Chapter: Fireside Chat with Chief Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan
2025-02-06 12:00 - 13:00 | ZOOM
Our second fireside chat of the 2024-2025 bar year will be Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 12:00 PM with Chief Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan. This event will be virtual. Please use the Zoom link below to access the webinar.
Event registration: https://www.fbamd.org/fireside_chat_with_judge_sullivan
https://milesstockbridge.zoom.us/j/97296349647
Join via audio:
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Webinar ID: 972 9634 9647
International numbers available: https://milesstockbridge.zoom.us/u/aG4NrepS3
Join from an H.323/SIP room system:
H.323:
144.195.19.161 (US West)
206.247.11.121 (US East)
Meeting ID: 972 9634 9647
SIP: 97296349647@zoomcrc.com
WHEN
February 06, 2025 at 12:00pm – 1pm

Maryland Chapter: Introduction to Federal Practice Program and Admission Ceremony 2025
2025-03-07 12:30 - 16:30 | United States Courthouse, 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Courtroom 4C, Greenbelt, MD, 20770, United States
The Federal Bar Association Maryland Chapter’s Annual
INTRODUCTION TO FEDERAL PRACTICE PROGRAM AND ADMISSION CEREMONY
The Maryland Chapter of the Federal Bar Association is sponsoring a program for practitioners in Maryland’s Federal District Court and/or for attorneys who want to be admitted to the Court. The CLE program will cover topics that include:
– Introduction to the Courthouses and Lawyer Resources
– Highlights of Local Rules and Standing Orders
– Discovery and Discovery Disputes
– Mediation
– Motions Practice
The program will feature judges from the federal bench, as well as attorneys who regularly practice in the U.S. District Court. It also will include remarks and tips from the Clerk’s Office of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, and a presentation by Catherine “Katie” Curran O’Malley, Executive Director of the Women’s Law Center of Maryland, about opportunities to provide assistance to victims of domestic violence.
CLE Registration
The program will be held in Courtroom 4C in the United States District Court in Greenbelt and will start promptly at 12:30 p.m., with registration beginning at 12:00 p.m. The program will be followed by a reception.
An RSVP is required, but the CLE program is offered free of charge. Please RSVP on our website: https://www.fbamd.org/introduction_to_federal_practice_program_and_admission_ceremony_2025
Attorney Admissions
Attorneys who want to be admitted to the U.S. District Court must apply for admission and pay the $200 admission fee electronically through the Court’s website at https://www2.mdd.uscourts.gov/baradmapp/prerequisites.aspx.
Applicants must have a sponsor complete and sign the sponsor portion of the application, but sponsors need not attend the ceremony. Admission applications for the March 7, 2025 ceremony must be filed online by February 26, 2025. Applicants will be directed to register to attend the March 7th ceremony once their applications have been approved, but they must separately RSVP for the CLE program. The admissions ceremony will follow the CLE program and is scheduled for approximately 4:30 p.m. Admittees are welcome to have guests attend the ceremony. A reception will follow.
WHEN:
March 7, 2025, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.
(followed by reception 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.)
WHERE:
United States Courthouse
6500 Cherrywood Lane, Courtroom 4C
Greenbelt, Maryland 20770
CONTACT: Peter Nothstein · Peter.Nothstein@usdoj.gov

Maryland Chapter: Resolving Discovery Disputes in Maryland’s Federal and State Courts
2025-04-03 12:00 - 13:30
Resolving Discovery Disputes in Maryland’s Federal and State Courts
A free webinar co-sponsored by the MWELA Bench Bar Committee, the Bar Association of Montgomery County and the FBA-Maryland Chapter.
Please join us on April 3, 2025, for a panel on how to avoid and resolve discovery disputes in federal and state courts in Maryland. Two experienced judges in Maryland, one on the federal bench and the other on the state bench, will compare and contrast the procedures, substance, and practices between their courts. In addition, you will hear from two practitioners on best practices in addressing and resolving common discovery disputes in federal and state court.
Speakers/Opening Remarks:
Maria Salacuse, President, Federal Bar Association, Maryland Chapter
Pilar Nichols, President, Montgomery County Bar Association
Panelists:
Hon. Gina L. Simms, U.S. District Court, District of Maryland
Hon. Rachel T. McGuckian, Associate Judge, Montgomery County Circuit Court
Nat P. Calamis, Carr Maloney
James Hannaway, Sanford Heisler
Moderator:
R. Scott Oswald, Managing Principal, The Employment Law Group, P.C.
This webinar will be conducted over Zoom and does not offer CLE credit. Registrants will receive Zoom login details on the day before the event.
Please Note:
– Advanced registration is required to receive the Zoom link.
– CLE is not offered for this program. Recording is not permitted.
To register, please click here.

Maryland Chapter: 2025 FBA Maryland Chapter's Annual Luncheon
2025-04-11 12:00 - 14:00 | Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor, 300 Light Street, Baltimore, 21202, United States
Please register below for individual tickets to the 2025 FBA Maryland Chapter’s Annual Luncheon. Reception begins at 12:00 p.m. Luncheon will begin promptly at 12:45 p.m. The lunch options are:
Honey Thyme Glazed Breast of Chicken Summer Squash | Farro | Heirloom Carrots (V)
Roasted Salmon Pommery Mustard Sauce (GF) (V)| Everything Bagel Spiced Asparagus | Buttered Whipped Potatoes (GF)
Balsamic Cauliflower Steak & Roasted Root Vegetables | Almonds | Jasmine Rice
Kosher meal
All meals include salad and dessert.
For organizations wishing to reserve full tables, please register separately using this link: Table Reservations (Group RSVPs)
Should you have a special request or require an accommodation, please email msaudek@gej.law
WHEN
April 11, 2025 at 12:00pm – 2pm
WHERE
Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor
300 Light Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
United States
Google map and directions
CONTACT
Mark Saudek · msaudek@gejlaw.com

Maryland Chapter: Demystifying Federal Clerkships - A Conversation with Judges and Law Clerks
2025-04-16 16:30 - 18:30 | University of Baltimore School of Law, 1420 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
Please join the Maryland Chapter of the Federal Bar Association on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 4:30 PM at the University of Baltimore School of Law for a panel discussion with United States District Judge Paula Xinis, United States Magistrate Judge Ajmel A. Quereshi, United States Magistrate Judge Charles D. Austin, and former federal judicial law clerks on creating pathways to federal clerkships and an overview of the application process. A reception will follow the panel discussion.
WHEN: April 16, 2025 at 4:30pm – 6:30pm
WHERE: University of Baltimore School of Law
CONTACT: Alana Glover alana.glover15@gmail.com
Please register on our event page: https://www.fbamd.org/demystifying_federal_clerkships

Maryland Chapter: Virtual Fireside Chat with The Honorable Nicole G. Berner
2025-06-11 12:00 - 13:00
The Maryland Chapter of the Federal Bar Association invites you to attend the virtual fireside chat with the Honorable Nicole G. Berner.
Please RSVP here.
CONTACT
Anatoly Smolkin: Asmolkin@gejlaw.com
