Faculty
Judge Michael J. Algeo
Resume (PDF)
Judge Michael Algeo is currently a Judge on the Circuit Court for Montgomery County having been appointed in November, 2005. He previously served as a Judge on the District Court of Maryland from 1999-2005. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he was a Senior Assistant States Attorney with the State's Attorneys office in Montgomery County and was the Supervisor of the Felony Trial unit. He also worked in private practice as counsel for Jordan, Coyne & Savits in Washington D.C., specializing in police liability, medical malpractice, and asbestos litigation. He served in the U.S. Air Force and is a Vietnam War Veteran.
Judge Algeo has taught Trial Advocacy at the National College of District Attorneys at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. He has also taught classes at the University of Maryland, and has lectured for the Maryland State Bar Association as well as the Montgomery County Bar Association. He is a 1983 graduate of the Washington College of Law and received the Washington College of Law Distinguished Alumnus award, the Montgomery College paralegal service award, the "Holding the Line on Underage Drinking", Community Service Award, and was recognized in 2005 by the Maryland Daily Record as that year's recipient of the prestigious Leadership in Law Award.
Phil Andonian, Esq.
Resume (PDF)
Phil Andonian is an attorney in the Trial Division at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS), one of the country's most respected public defender offices. There, he represents juveniles and adults charged with a wide range of criminal offenses, from misdemeanors to serious felonies. He was also the co-chair of PDS's 2007 Deborah T. Creek Criminal Practice Institute, an annual training seminar for the D.C. defense bar. Since the fall of 2007, Mr. Andonian has been an Adjunct Faculty Coach for the WCL Mock Trial Honor Society.
Prior to joining PDS, Mr. Andonian served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert E. Morin in the D.C. Superior Court and was a criminal-defense attorney for two years at Nolan, Armstrong & Barton, LLP in northern California.
Mr. Andonian received his B.A. in English and psychology from The University of Michigan in 1998 and his J.D. from Santa Clara University in 2002. Mr. Andonian is admitted to practice law in California and D.C.
Kenneth Armstrong, Esq.
Ken Armstrong grew up in Bethesda, MD, graduating with honors in History from Clark University. He received his J.D. degree from American University, Washington College of Law graduating in the top 25% of the class. Mr. Armstrong is a Partner at the firm of Donahue, Ehrmantraut & Montedonico, specializing in insurance defense practice for physicians, hospitals, and insurance carriers. Mr. Armstrong has been listed in Best Lawyers in America from 1997 to the present as well as Who's Who in American Law, 1994 to present, and Who's Who Among Outstanding Americans, 1995 to present. He has been elected as a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Mr. Armstrong was elected as Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, serving as the Maryland State Chair from 2002-2004. Mr. Armstrong regularly serves on panels, lectures and presents at seminars as an expert in the areas of general liability claims, litigation and claims management, risk management in medical malpractice, and changes in medical malpractice law.
Roy Austin is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery, LLP in the Washington, D.C. office. He is a member of the Trial Department. Mr. Austin also spent two years as an associate at Keker & Van Nest, LLP in San Francisco, where he worked on a variety of complex civil and white-collar criminal cases. During law school, Mr. Austin was president of the Black Law Students Association. He was vice chair of the Hinton Moot Court and recipient of the Finalist's Prize in the Hinton Moot Court Competition. As a board member of the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic, he argued a death penalty appeal. He was also an Earl Warren Scholar. After law school, Mr. Austin joined the Justice Department after serving as an Honors Program Summer Law Clerk.
Before entering private practice, Mr. Austin held several positions with the United States Department of Justice. As a Senior Assistant United States Attorney in the Fraud and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, he investigated and prosecuted federal program theft, money laundering, health care fraud, identity theft, mail and wire fraud, tax offenses and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. As a Senior Assistant United States Attorney in the Sex Offense Section of the D.C. USAO, he investigated and prosecuted homicide, sexual assault and child prostitution cases. Earlier, as a senior trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, he investigated and prosecuted violations of federal criminal civil rights statutes in federal courts across the United States. Mr. Austin has conducted thirty jury trials and has received numerous Special Achievement Awards. Mr. Austin is also an adjunct professor at the George Washington University Law School, where he teaches trial advocacy. He is also a faculty member with the National Institute for Trial Advocacy's (NITA) intensive trial skills courses. He has been a panelist or presenter at numerous events sponsored by the DOJ , National Institute of Corrections, Criminal Practice Institute, and other organizations. Mr. Austin is a member of the bars of the states of Illinois and California.
Mark Austrian, Esq.
Mark Austrian is a member of Collier Shannon Scott, PLLC, where he focuses in the areas of toxic torts, products liability, commercial litigation and courtroom technology. He is a member of the American Law Institute and the Defense Research Institute. Additionally, he is a Master of the William B. Bryant Inn of Court and on the Board of Directors of the Council for Court Excellence, where he serves on the D.C. Jury Project Study Committee.
Mr. Austrian graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Finance.
Judge DeLawrence Beard
Resume (PDF)
Judge DeLawrence Beard is currently the Chief Judge of the Montgomery County Circuit Court, a position he has held since 1996. Prior to his appointment as Chief Judge, Judge Beard was an Associate Judge on the Montgomery County Circuit Court from 1984 to 1996. Judge Beard has also served as a District Court Judge for Montgomery County, Public Defender for Montgomery County, and Senior Assistant State's Attorney in Montgomery County.
Judge Beard is a co-founder of the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association and a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, American Judicature Society, and Phi Beta Gamma Legal Fraternity. His awards include Governor's Citation, 1998; Meritorious Achievement Award, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Iota Upsilon Lambda Chapter, 1989; Charles Sumner High School Hall of Fame Award, 1985; Montgomery County NAACP Community Service Award, 1984; Omega Psi Phi Fraternity - Mu Nu Chapter Outstanding Citizen of the Year, 1982; J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association Award, 1993; J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association Legal Excellence Award, 2003; and History Makers, April 2003.
Michael P. Bruckheim, Esq.
Michael Bruckheim has enjoyed a diverse career litigating in the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia (OAG) where he has served for over 11 years. Mr. Bruckheim began in the General Crimes Section (now called the Criminal Section) where he conducted over 50 criminal trials. Mr. Bruckheim spent the majority of his career in the OAG's Civil Division where he defended the District of Columbia in local and federal courts against a variety of claims, including police misconduct, constitutional violations, employment discrimination, failure to accommodate people with disabilities, and personal injury. Mr. Bruckheim also has served as the Attorney/Adviser in the District of Columbia Office of Human Rights and as Chief of OAG's Criminal Section. Mr. Bruckheim currently litigates in OAG's Personnel, Labor & Employment Division where he represents the District's interests in all employment-related matters, including disciplinary actions, discrimination complaints, and disability compensation.
Since September, 2007, Mr. Bruckheim has served as an Adjunct Faculty Coach for the Washington College of Law's Mock Trial Honor Society. He received his B.A. cum laude from Brandeis University in 1993 and his J.D. from the American University, Washington College of Law in 1996. He is admitted to the Bars of the District of Columbia and Maryland.
Judge William M. Cave
Judge William Cave is a retired Chief Judge and Circuit Administrative Judge for the Sixth Circuit Court of Maryland, having been appointed in 1995. He previously served, from 1978 to 1993, as a Judge for the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland. Judge Cave served as Judge of the District Court of Montgomery County, Maryland from 1971 to 1978. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he was a Deputy States' Attorney in Montgomery County. Judge Cave also worked in private practice as a named partner for Allen, Spaulding & Cave.
Judge Cave has taught Trial Advocacy at the American University, Washington College of Law since 1989. He is a designated call back Judge for all Maryland District Courts and for Montgomery, Frederick, Carroll, and Prince Georges Circuit Courts. Judge Cave is a designated call back Judge for Mediations in Prince Georges County Civil cases. He also conducts private mediations and arbitrations.
Judge Erik P. Christian
Resume (PDF)
Judge Erik Patrick Christian was appointed as Associate Judge for the District of Columbia Superior Court in July 2001. Prior to being appointed to the bench, Judge Christian served as Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, and as Legal Counsel for the Mayor of the District of Columbia. He has also distinguished himself as being appointed First Assistant United States Attorney for the District of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and as a Supervisor and Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Homicide Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
Judge Christian has served as instructor for the U.S. Attoreny's Office of Professional Development and Training Programs as well as an instructor for the National Institute in Trial Advocacy (NITA) Georgetown Law Center. Judge Christian graduated from Howard University, B.A., 1982 and Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1986.
Audrey Anne Creighton, Esq.
Resume (PDF)
Audrey Creighton is an Assistant Public Defender in the Montgomery County Maryland Office of The Public Defender. Ms.Creighton is one of two Hispanic bilingual attorneys in the office who handle serious felony cases. As such, Ms. Creighton has extensive trial experience, including more than eighty jury trials. During her seventeen years as an Assistant Public Defender, she has tried virtually every kind of criminal case, including several murder cases.
Ms. Creighton served as the eleventh President of the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association (MHBA) from 2003-2004, and continues to serve the MHBA as a board member. She is also a member of various committees for the MHBA. Additionally, Ms. Creighton serves as Secretary of the Montgomery County Bar Association, Chairs the Specialty Bar Associations Committee, and mentors two young lawyers. Ms. Creighton is also active in the Montgomery County Chapter of the State of Maryland Women's Bar Association. During the school year, Ms. Creighton sits as a judge for the Maryland State Bar Association Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition.
Judge Charles B. Day
Judge Charles Day was appointed a United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Maryland, on February 18, 1997. He principally serves at the Southern Division Courthouse, located in Greenbelt, Maryland. Prior to being appointed to the bench, Judge Day was a prosecutor in the Montgomery County State's Attorney's office, and later practiced law with the Washington, D.C. firm of Sherman, Meehan, Curtin, & Ain, P.C.
Judge Day was also a frequent legal commentator for CNN and other national television and cable broadcasters. Judge Day is an active member of various professional organizations and has served on the board of directors of a number of civic, charitable and Christian organizations. Judge Day received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland in 1978, his Master of Science degree from The American University in 1980, and his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Maryland in 1984.
Jonathan Fahey, Esq.
Jonathan Fahey is an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia Office. He practices in the Major Crimes section. He has been lead counsel on over a dozen jury trials in Federal Court. Previously, Mr. Fahey was an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Fairfax, Virginia.
Mr. Fahey earned a B.S. in Political Science from James Madison University in 1994 and his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1999. He is a member of the Virginia State Bar and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Bruce A. Fredrickson, Esq.
Bruce Fredrickson is a founding partner of Webster, Fredrickson, Correia & Puth PLLC, where he directs the civil litigation practice focused on the representation of employees in discrimination cases and related matters. In Hartman v. Powell, Mr. Fredrickson led the fight for the largest employment discrimination award in the history of the Civil Rights Act. Mr. Fredrickson reached the record $508 million settlement after individual class members had won forty-six of forty-eight trials, yielding awards of $25 million paid over and above the settlement. As a result of the historic Hartman v. Powell case, Mr. Fredrickson was named the 2000 Trial Lawyer of the Year by Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, and the 2001 Lawyer of the Year by the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association. Mr. Fredrickson is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and a frequent lecturer concerning employment discrimination law and trial techniques.
Mr. Fredrickson is a 1973 summa cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College, obtained his Juris Doctor in 1976 from The George Washington University National Law Center with high honors. Mr. Fredrickson was elected Vice-President of Public Policy for the National Employment Lawyers Association and serves on NELA's Board of Directors. Mr. Fredrickson is also a past President and Board member of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association.
Douglas F. Gansler, Esq.
Douglas F. Gansler was elected on November 7, 2006 as Maryland's 44th Attorney General. As Attorney General, Mr. Gansler has focused on environmental, public safety and consumer issues. Taking a strong stance on ensuring companies comply with Maryland's environmental laws, Mr. Gansler participated in reaching the largest air pollution settlement in the history of the United States, a $4.6 billion settlement with American Electric Power and reached a settlement with ExxonMobil which included a $4 million civil penalty, the largest ever levied for an oil spill in Maryland.
Prior to becoming Attorney General, Mr. Gansler served as State's Attorney for Montgomery County where his office was the first in the nation to fully implement Community Prosecution, becoming a national model for effective and innovative crime fighting. He also established the first domestic violence dockets, gang unit, internet crime unit, and Elder Abuse Task Force in Maryland. Before becoming State's Attorney, Mr. Gansler served as Assistant United States Attorney.
Mr. Gansler received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. He graduated cum laude from Yale University,
Mark A. Gilday, Esq.
Mark Gilday is a partner at Bregman, Berbert, Schwartz & Gilday, LLC in Maryland. His litigation practice includes the defense and prosecution of commercial lawsuits, contract disputes, employment disputes, construction disputes, personal injury lawsuits, and general civil litigation. Mr. Gilday is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts in Maryland and the District of Columbia, including trial and appellate courts. Mr. Gilday also represents clients in arbitration matters, including before the American Arbitration Association.
Mr. Gilday represents numerous business and real estate clients on a wide range of issues. For example, Mr. Gilday provides clients with general business advice, negotiates and drafts contracts (such as leasing, purchase and sale, construction, and employment), and assists clients with business development. Mr. Gilday received a B.A., Cum Laude, from the University of Maryland in 1982, and his J.D. from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in 1985. After graduating from law school, Mr. Gilday served for three years as an officer in the United States Marine Corps.
Judge Eugene N. Hamilton
Resume (PDF)
Judge Eugene Hamilton was appointed to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in 1970. He became Chief Judge of the D.C. Superior Court in 1993, the second African American to hold that office, and continues to serve as a senior judge. During his tenure as Chief Judge, he established an open community court, to which all persons were offered easy access as victims, litigants, witnesses, lawyers, staff and jurors. This tradition, started by Judge Hamilton, continues today. Judge Hamilton received his bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In his early career, he served as a Judge Advocate General Officer in the U.S. Army, where he acted both as trial and defense counsel in many general courts-martial. After completing military service, Judge Hamilton joined the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he was a trial attorney.
Judge Hamilton is an Adjunct Professor at the American University Washington College of Law and a Lecturer on Law at the Harvard Law School. Judge Hamilton is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Luke C. Moore Academy and Senior High School, which is the District of Columbia Public Schools' only nationally accredited alternative high school. He is a member of the Boards of Directors of the University of Illinois, LAS Alumni Association, the Youth Leadership Foundation and the Capital Area Food Bank. Judge Hamilton's commitment carries over into his personal life. Parents of nine children, Judge Hamilton and his wife, Virginia, have been foster parents to more than 40 children in the child welfare systems of the District of Columbia, the State of Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Barry Helfand, Esq.
Barry Helfand has forty-four years of experience as a litigator and is among the premier trial attorneys in the metropolitan area. The Washington Post reported that Mr. Helfand is "a canny and shrewd adversary who enjoys the limelight and the mental rush of legal competition. A prosecutor briefly during the 1960s, he has become one of the most sought-after criminal defense lawyers in the Washington area. His trial appearances attract large crowds of lawyers and casual observers." Super Lawyers Magazine named Mr. Helfand as one of the best lawyers in both Maryland and Washington, D.C. in 2009.
Mr. Helfand has taught criminal and civil trial advocacy at the American University, Washington College of Law for approximately ten years. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware in 1958 and his J.D. from the University of Maryland in 1963.
Judge Stephen P. Johnson
Judge Stephen P. Johnson has served as Associate Judge for the District Court of Maryland for Montgomery County since 1998. Before being appointed to the bench, Judge Johnson worked as a sole-practitioner specializing in litigation. He also served as Senior Assistant County Solicitor for Howard County, Maryland. Judge Johnson served as Assistant County Attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland. He is a member of the Mental Health, Alcoholism and Addiction Committee, 2000-03, Maryland Judicial Conference.
Judge Johnson earned his B.A. from Duke University and his J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law in 1969. He has been an adjunct faculty member for WCL's Trial Advocacy Program since 2002.
John F. Karl, Esq.
John Karl is a partner at Karl & Tarone, a law firm in general practice with an emphasis on complex and federal litigation. He has been in private practice since 1979. Since 1985, Mr. Karl served as an Adjunct Lecturer at The American University's Washington College of Law, where he currently teaches a seminar on Complex Civil Litigation and Civil Trial Practice. Mr. Karl received his J.D. from the Washington College of Law of The American University in 1979. He holds an Honors B.A., an M.A., and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
Mr. Karl is a member of the Bars of the Supreme Court of the United States, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of Florida, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia,and the United States Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Fourth and Federal Circuits. He served as President of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers from 1996 to 1998. He has been on the Board of Directors of this association since 1994.
Mr. Karl has served as a Mediator and an Arbitrator in the District of Columbia Superior Court since 1986. He has served as a member of the D.C. Bar's Attorney-Client Arbitration Board since 1990. The Board resolves fee disputes and claims of attorney malpractice.
James K. Lay, Esq.
Resume (PDF)
Jim Lay is the co-founding partner of Carter & Lay, PLLC in Alexandria, Virginia. The firm was established in March 2006. Mr. Lay practices labor, employment and business law including general civil and commercial litigation in state and federal courts. He has served as General Counsel to various labor organizations and Virginia corporations. Prior to establishing Carter & Lay, Mr. Lay was a named partner at the Law Offices of James K. Lay, PLLC and Lay, Ippolito & Dillard, PLLC. From 2000 to 2003, Mr. Lay was an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney for the Office of the Alexandria Commonwealth's Attorney where he prosecuted felony cases comprised of white-collar, firearms and narcotics offenses. He previously served as professional staff to the United States Senate Select Committee for POW/MIA Affairs, and as a Legislative Assistant to the Virginia General Assembly.
Mr. Lay has been an adjunct faculty member at American University Washington College of Law since 2002, teaching legal rhetoric and pretrial civil litigation. He received his J.D. in 1998 from George Mason University School of Law. Mr. Lay also earned an M.A. in International Transactions and a B.A. in Philosophy, both from George Mason University.
Nicole Lehtman, Esq.
Nicole Veronica Lehtman is a Trial Attorney for the United States Department of Justice, Criminal Division Office of International Affairs. Previously Ms. Lehtman was an associate at Astigarraga, Davis, Mullins & Grossman. Ms. Lehtman was also an Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia.
Ms. Lehtman graduated from the American University, Washington College of Law, Washington, D.C. with a JD, cum laude, in May, 2000 and earned her B.A. with honors from the University of Miami in 1996. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.
Judge Michael D. Mason
Judge Michael Mason has served as an Associate Judge in the Montgomery County Circuit Court, since March 18, 1994. Prior to that appointment, Judge Mason was an Assistant State's Attorney in Montgomery County. He received his B.A. in Economics from Georgetown University, and graduated cum laude from the George Washington University School of Law in 1974.
Admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1974, Judge Mason is a member of the Montgomery County Bar Association, having served as Chair, criminal law section, 1985-86; Administration of Justice Committee; Executive Committee, 1986-87; Chair, Lawyer Referral Committee, 1991-92; Chair, District Court Bench & Bar Committee, 1992-93; and Chair, Circuit Court Bench & Bar committee. Judge Mason is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of The Treatment and Learning Centers, and the Executive Committee of Parents for Options in Special Education.
Anthony Morella, Emeritus
Anthony Morella was professor of law and co-director of the Trial Practice Program. He is among the longest standing faculty members at the Washington College of Law. In his time at American University, he has served as associate dean of the Washington College of Law; vice president and general counsel for American University; university marshal; chairman of the University Senate; assistant secretary to AU's Board of Trustees; and general counsel to American University. Also, he served as secretary-treasurer, National Association of College and University Attorneys; delegate of AU to the National Collegiate Athletic Association; fellow, John Sherman Myers Society; member of the Board of Trustees, Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia; member of the Board of Trustees, Montgomery and Prince George's Counties (Maryland) Continuing Legal Education Institute; president, Court Practice Institute, Chicago; trustee, United States Capitol Historical Society and the Children's Inn at the National Institutes of Health. In 1973, he served as cocounsel for Respondent, Hon. John J. Sirica, Richard M Nixon v The Honorable John J Sirica, 487 F.2d 700 (1973). In his career, he served as confidential aide to the U.S. Attorney General and special assistant to the director, U.S. Bureau of Prisons. He was legislative assistant to Hon. George Meader and to John V. Lindsay; and attorney advisor to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He was partner at Raysor, Barbour & Morella in Washington, D.C. and senior partner at Hewes Morella, Gelband & Lamberton, P.C., also in Washington. He is recipient of many awards and honors. Mr. Morella received his J.D. from the Washington College of Law and an A.B. from Boston University.
Paul Morella, AEA
Paul Morella is from Washington, DC and has performed professionally in regional theater, film, television and radio for over 25 years.
Mr. Morella's credits include leading roles and world premieres at some of the most prestigious theatres in the country, including The Shakespeare Theatre, Arena Stage, the Kennedy Center, the Studio Theatre, Signature Theatre, LA Theatre Works, the National Players, American Showcase Theatre, the Delaware Theatre Company, the Contemporary American Theatre Festival, and many others. No stranger to lawyers, he received unanimous critical acclaim and a Helen Hayes Award nomination for his portrayal of Roy Cohn in Angels In America, and has appeared as prosecuting attorney Horace Gilmer in the world premiere of To Kill A Mockingbird, as well as attorney Jarreld Schwabe opposite Julia Roberts in The Pelican Brief. Additional film credits include The Replacements (with Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman), The Hunley (with Armand Assante), That Night (with Juliette Lewis), Diner (directed by Barry Levinson), Liberty (with George Kennedy and Chris Sarandon), and A Man Called Hawk with Avery Brooks. Onstage he has worked with Julie Harris, James Farentino, Senator Fred Thompson, Marsha Mason, Robert Prosky, and M. Emmett Walsh, among others, and was a regular on the NBC television series, Homicide: Life On The Streets. He has worked on the HBO series, The Wire, and was a regular cast member of the CBS television show, The District, with Craig T. Nelson. An M.F.A. (Acting) graduate of Catholic University, he has also portrayed three felons and two victims on the Fox- TV series, America's Most Wanted, and was recently chosen as one of only two actors to be featured on their special 700th Capture episode. In addition to Clarence Darrow, he has presented such historical figures as John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, and most recently appeared as Teddy Roosevelt in a world premiere production on behalf of the Kennedy Center and the White House Historical Society. He also teaches the Art of Persuasion as part of the Trial Advocacy Program at the Washington College of Law. He is a member of the Screen Actors' Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Actor's Equity Association.
Steven M. Pavsner, Esq.
CV (PDF)
Steve Pavsner, a shareholder in the Litigation Group of Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A., has extensive experience in personal injury litigation, including the prosecution on behalf of victims of product liability cases, medical, legal, accounting and other professional negligence cases, class action litigation, business disputes and other complex civil litigation.
Mr. Pavsner is a 1972 cum laude graduate of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and a 1975 graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center. He is a member of the Adjunct Faculty at American University Washington College of Law, where he teaches courses in advocacy in the high-tech courtroom, medical liability and public policy.
Judge Irma S. Raker
Judge Irma Raker has served as a judge on the Court of Appeals of Maryland since 1994. Prior to that appointment, she served on the Circuit Court for Montgomery County and the District Court of Maryland. She also served as an Assistant State's Attorney for Montgomery County and as a partner in the law firm of Sachs, Greenebaum and Tayler. Since 1981, Judge Raker has chaired the Committee to Draft Pattern Jury Instructions in Maryland. She has also been an adjunct professor in Civil and Criminal Trial Advocacy at the Washington College of Law from 1980 to the present.
Judge Raker received the 2007 Margaret Brent Award from the American Bar Association (ABA). Among Judge Raker's other commendations are the Century of Service Award by the Montgomery County Bar Foundation, the Ninth Annual Dorothy Beatty Memorial Award for Significant Contribution to Women's Rights by the Women's Law Center, and the Robert C. Heeney Award by the Maryland State Bar Criminal Law Section. The Maryland General Assembly recognized her outstanding contributions to the advancement and welfare of women in Maryland. Judge Raker was named the Syracuse Outstanding Alumnus by the Syracuse University Alumni Association of Maryland. She was recognized by The Daily Record as one of "Maryland's Top 100 Women" in 1998, 1999, and 2001, and was a recipient of The Daily Record's Leadership In Law Award in 2001.
Judge Nelson W. Rupp, Jr.
Judge Nelson Rupp has served as an Associate Judge on the Montgomery County Circuit Court since January 17, 1997. Prior to his appointment, Judge Rupp served as Senior Assistant State's Attorney, Montgomery County, 1973-77; Member, Alternative Community Services Commission, City of Rockville, 1975-80; Assistant Public Defender, Montgomery County, 1977-80; Deputy State's Attorney, St. Mary's County, 1980-81; Assistant State's Attorney, Prince George's County, 1981-83; and Associate Judge, Montgomery County, District Court of Maryland, September 23, 1993 to January 16, 1997.
Judge Rupp received his J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law in 1974. He is a member of the Maryland and D.C. Bar, and his awards include the Outstanding Jurist Award, Montgomery County Bar Association, 1995. On November 17, 2006, Judge Rupp was awarded The Daily Record's Leadership in Law Award. The award honors those who contribute significantly to the legal profession.
Peter R. Sherman, Esq.
Peter Sherman is an Adjunct Professor at the American University Washington College of Law, teaching Civil Trial Advocacy and a seminar in family law. Mr. Sherman graduated from Indiana University Business School (B.S., with distinction, 1961) and Georgetown University (LL.B., 1964, LL.M., 1966). He was a member of the Board of Editors of the Georgetown Law Journal, 1963-1964. A co-founder in 1968 of a District of Columbia general practice law firm most recently known as Sherman, Meehan, Curtin & Ain, P.C., his specializations were family law and civil litigation for many years, narrowing primarily to family law in the 1980s. Mr. Sherman litigated numerous civil and family law cases and argued more than 20 cases in courts of appeals. In 2003, he retired from active practice. Mr. Sherman has been qualified on several occasions as an expert in the District of Columbia Superior Court.
A member of the Task Force on Race and Ethnic Bias in the District of Columbia Courts (1990-1992), and the District of Columbia Superior Court Family Division Rules Revision Committee (1991-1996), Mr. Sherman is also a former Fellow of and Arbiter certified by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. His awards include the E. Barrett Prettyman Fellowship in Trial Advocacy, 1965-1966.
Paul T. Stein, Esq.
Paul Stein received a B.A. degree from the University of Maryland and a J.D. degree from the Washington College of Law of the American University. Mr. Stein is Board Certified as a civil and criminal trial advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and has received the International Academy of Trial Lawyers Award for superior proficiency in the Art and Science of Trial Advocacy. In March 2003, he was elected as a fellow to the American College of Trial Lawyers. Mr. Stein served in the States Attorneys' Office for Montgomery County, Maryland from 1970 to 1975, both as a paralegal and as an assistant state's attorney where he was responsible for the prosecution of serious felony matters and the management of a trial team. Mr. Stein has taught litigation to paralegals at the University of Maryland as well as criminal and family law to bar groups and the community. He currently teaches in the Trial Practice Program at the American University as an adjunct professor.
Mr. Stein serves as a court-appointed mediator for the Circuit Court of Montgomery County and as a panel chair for medical malpractice hearings for the Maryland Health Claim Arbitration Office. Formerly, he served as Chairman of the Montgomery County Commission on Landlord and Tenant Affairs, as a member of the Executive Committee of the Montgomery County Bar Association, Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, as President of the Central Maryland Chapter of the United States Navy League, as a member of the Economic Development Commission for the City of Rockville, and as a member of the Board of Directors and Finance Committee of the Hebrew Home of Washington, D.C.
Katherine Winfree, Esq.
Kay Winfree was appointed Chief Deputy Attorney General for the State of Maryland in 2007. She was appointed Principal Deputy State's Attorney for Montgomery County in 1999. During her career, she has prosecuted a number of significant cases. These include the Beltway snipers, John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, who terrorized the Washington metropolitan area in October 2002; Robert Lucas, who murdered Monsignor Thomas Wells in the rectory of Mother Seton Catholic Church in Germantown; and Zacharia Oweiss, a prominent physician who beat his wife to death in their Potomac home.
Ms. Winfree graduated in 1973 from the College of William and Mary, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1975, where she was Note Editor of the Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. Following law school, she was accepted into the Honors Program of the United States Justice Department, where she served in the Appellate Section of the Criminal Division from 1976 to 1980. In 1980, she was appointed as an Assistant United State's Attorney for the District of Columbia, where she served in the Appellate, Misdemeanor and Felony Trial, Chronic Offender, Homicide, Economic Crime and Public Corruption Sections. Ms. Winfree also served as Chief of the Misdemeanor Trial, Economic Crime and Public Corruption Sections. During her tenure as a federal prosecutor, she was the recipient of the Harold Sullivan Award honoring her as the top prosecutor from among 350 Assistant United States Attorneys. In addition to numerous Special Achievement Awards for outstanding performance, she received the FBI Director's Superior Performance Award for leading a major federal money laundering investigation and prosecution of two major automobile dealerships and their employees that resulted in 19 convictions and more than three million dollars in forfeitures.
Judge Patrick Woodward
Judge Woodward has served as a Judge on the Court of Special Appeals for Montgomery County since May 26, 2005. Prior to his appointment, he served as Associate Judge, Montgomery County Circuit Court, from May 7, 1998 to May 25, 2005. Judge Woodward served as an Associate with the Law Offices of Rourke J. Sheehan, 1974-78; as Partner, Sheehan & Woodward from 1978-80; Partner, Jackson, Campbell & Parkinson; and Director, Jackson & Campbell, P.C. from 1980-87. He acted as a sole practitioner from 1987-91 before his appointment to the Montgomery County District Court, which lasted from 1991-1998.
Judge Woodward received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1973. He served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Edward S. Northrop, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, from 1973-74. Judge Woodward served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Captain from 1974-75. His awards include the President's Citation, Montgomery County, Maryland Bar Foundation, 1986; the Champion for Children Award, Maryland Citizen Board for Review of Foster Care for Children, 1996; and the Outstanding Jurist Award, Montgomery County Bar Association, 1997.
William Xanten, III
Bill Xanten, a homicide detective with the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C., brings nearly two decades of law enforcement experience to the classroom - ranging from lead investigator on dozens of Homicide and Critical Assault cases to providing key testimony at more than 500 local, state and federal court proceedings including criminal trials and grand juries.
Detective Xanten is a frequent guest speaker at colleges and universities and helped train prosecutors and police officers in Belize as part of a U.S. Department of Justice program in Central America. As a gang intelligence investigator, he has delivered strong anti-drug/anti-gun messages to students in District of Columbia Public Schools. And as a former patrol officer, he brings street-sense to his teaching mission.
Agencies from the Metropolitan Police Department to the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia have honored Detective Xanten with numerous law enforcement awards for his expertise in solving cases and advancing the law enforcement profession.