Don’t Miss Your Chance to Attend the Most Exciting Law & Society Ever! By Pete Anderson & Carl Horn, Co-Chairs If you haven’t already registered for what promises to be a compelling Law & Society Luncheon, there is still time. The Luncheon is Thursday, November 19, at the uptown Hilton Hotel – and there is a great deal of excitement surrounding this year’s speakers: Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton, coauthors of the New York Times bestselling book, Picking Cotton. Those who have seen or heard our speakers on The Today Show, 60 Minutes, NPR’s Diane Rehm Show, or other media will attest to the power of their timely message. The deadline to register is Thursday, November 12, 2009. Not only is this a mustattend event, it is also an opportunity to receive one hour of CLE Ethics credit. The story behind Picking Cotton is a moving and dramatic one, beginning with the violent 1984 rape of a 22–year–old college student, Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, who was convinced that the man she picked out of a police lineup, Ronald Cotton, was her assailant. Tried, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment, Cotton served 11 years in North Carolina’s Central Prison in Raleigh – until DNA testing proved that he was innocent of the crime of which he stood convicted. But more than just another example of the potential unreliability of eyewitness testimony, or the conviction of an innocent man, this is a moving personal story of apology and forgiveness. Your Co-Chairs are grateful to those who have generously agreed to serve on this year’s
Law & Society Committee: Allain C. Andry, IV of Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson; John H. Beyer of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein; Joey H. Foxhall of Alston & Bird; Molly L. McIntosh of K&L Jennifer ThompsonGates; Daniel A. Cannino Merlin of Johnston, Allison & Hord; Valerie B. Mullican of Winston & Strawn; Kenneth B. Oettinger, Jr. of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice; Fred P. Parker, IV of James McElroy & Diehl; George W. Sistrunk, III of Hamilton Moon Stephens Steele & Martin; Catherine E. Thompson of
McGuireWoods; and Henry B. Ward, III of Moore & Van Allen. The Law & Society Committee would also like to thank the Charlotte of School of Law for generously agreeing to cosponsor this Ronald Cotton exciting event. To order a firm sponsor table or reserve one or more tables (each seating 10), please call or e-mail Leah Reed at the Mecklenburg County Bar 704/375-8624 or lreed@meckbar.org. A form for reservations of less than ten is on the MCB Web site - www.meckbar.org.
2009–10 MCB MBF Law & Society Luncheon Registration $35/person Lunch only $75/person Lunch and 1-hour CLE credit Name ____________________________________________________________________________________ Company name ____________________________________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________________________________________ E-mail ___________________________________________________________________________________ Phone _______________________________________Fax__________________________________________ I am enclosing a check payable to Mecklenburg County Bar TOTALING ______________________________________ Please mail your registration form and check by 11/12/09 to Law & Society Luncheon, 438 Queens Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28207
Nominations Sought for Julius L. Chambers Diversity Champion Award Nominations are being sought for the Mecklenburg County Bar Julius L. Chambers Diversity Champion Award to be presented in the spring of 2010 at the McMillan Fund Dinner. The Diversity Champion Award recognizes an individual who embodies high ethical standards, unquestioned integrity, consistent 4
competence, and who champions diversity in the legal profession. Criteria may include one or more of the following: ■ Facilitates recruitment, hiring, retention, and promotion of diverse individuals in the legal profession. ■ Provides outstanding service and education to the community at large by unifying and November 2009
uplifting diverse people of all backgrounds. ■ Promotes ideals of diversity in the legal profession. Send your nominations by January 29, 2010 to Stephanie A. Marella, Diversity Coordinator, Mecklenburg County Bar, 438 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207, or via email at smarella@meckbar.org. www.meckbar.org