College Columns May 2018 | Page 2

Views from the Column:

On Being There, And The Larger Picture

Steven N. Berger,

Engelman Berger, P.C.

I was inducted in Class XXIV in 2013, and have made it to all but one induction ceremony since. This year’s induction, once again held in the courtyard of the National Portrait Gallery, highlighted the College in so many ways. The ceremony reminded me that though we may spend our days litigating for stay relief or negotiating the terms of a reorganization plan,

our profession still entails service to the public and our national institutions. That reminder sparks (or re-sparks) thoughts of whether and how I personally am participating in the loftier side of the practice.

My favorite part of the College’s induction ceremony is the spoken summary of the collective bigger picture accomplishments of the group of inductees. The causes and passions of our Fellows range broadly in the areas of charitable, civic and professional betterment. Over the years, mention has been made to, among others: charities dealing with hunger and literacy; churches, synagogues and other religious-based groups; museums; and civil and civic rights groups, ranging from LGTBQ rights to voter rights, civil liberties, literacy, addiction treatment and prevention.

Within the realm of betterment of the profession, we have heard of pro bono service projects, education of consumers, education of attorneys, and other legal initiatives. Of course, there is no ideological unanimity among our Fellows, such that in any given year, the summarized activities may even run counter to one another. For example, this year, we were told that certain inductees have been working on both sides of the issue of whether domicile as a basis of venue ought to be perpetuated!

In experiencing the annual recitation of these collective undertakings by our Fellows, I find hope for the future and take pride in being associated with the College. I hope you do too.

Officers

Marc A. Levinson

Chair

Mark D. Bloom

President

James L. Baillie

Vice-President

Hon. Joan N. Feeney

Vice-President

Grant T. Stein

Vice-President

Melissa Kibler

Treasurer

Taft A. McKinstry

Secretary

Board of Directors

Marc Abrams

Agustin Berdeja-Prieto

Daniel C. Cohn

Dennis Connolly

Lawrence D. Coppel

Jeffrey H. Davidson

Karen A. Giannelli

Jan M. Hayden

Annette W. Jarvis

James R. Kelley

Eric W. Lam

Hon. Neil P. Olack

Norman L. Pernick

Catherine Steege

Robert J. van Galen

Jane L. Vris

Ex Officio Directors

G. Christopher Meyer

Paul E. Harner, Chair, ACB Foundation

Board of Regents

Stephen D. Lerner

Chair, Board of Regents

Michael J. Goldberg (1st Cir.)

James L. Bromley (2nd Cir.)

David B. Stratton (3rd Cir.)

Douglas M. Foley (4th Cir.)

Berry D. Spears (5th Cir.)

Michael P. Coury (6th Cir.)

Kenneth J. Malek (7th Cir.)

Michael R. Stewart (8th Cir.)

Thomas E. Patterson (9th Cir.)

Kenneth L. Cannon, II (10th Cir.)

Sarah R. Borders (11th Cir.)

Prof. Ingrid Michelsen Hillinger

At Large

Hon. Jeffery P. Hopkins

At Large

Cynthia Nelson

At Large

Scholar-in-Residence

Prof. Ralph Brubaker

Counsel

R. Patrick Vance

Executive Director

Shari A. Bedker

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College Columns May 2018 Issue

Editors

Steven N. Berger

Lynnette R. Warman

Layout

Carole L. McNamara

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Email the Editors

We are considering adding content to the Columns and making other updates. If you have input on what you would like to see here, please email us at:

Steven N. Berger, [email protected]

Lynnette R. Warman, [email protected]

We value your input. Thank you!