THE GREATER WASHINGTON AREA CHAPTER, WOMEN LAWYERS DIVISION OF THE NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE GWAC FOUNDATION PRESENT:




THE 35TH ANNUAL


THE GREATER WASHINGTON AREA CHAPTER, WOMEN LAWYERS DIVISION OF THE NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE GWAC FOUNDATION PRESENT:
THE 35TH ANNUAL
Sponsored by Morgan Lewis
Welcome Remarks.......................................................... Bayliss Fiddiman, GWAC President
Treasurer
Welcome Remarks Carla Jordan-Detamore GWAC Foundation, Lift Every Voice and Sing.................................................*Recording*
Acknowledgement of Prior Award Recipients Jeanine Howard, Charlotte E Ray Chair
Presentation of Award Karen E Evans, 2019 Charlotte R Ray Awardee
Award Recipient Remarks............................................... Bridget Bailey Lipscomb
Acknowledgments and Closing Remarks Keela Seales, GWAC President-Elect
The Greater Washington Area Chapter, Women Lawyers Division, National Bar Association (GWAC) is a network of African-American women attorneys dedicated to the professional development of its members. We are committed to improving the quality of life in the Greater Washington D.C. area through a variety of activities, including educational programs and community service projects. For the 2021-2022 Bar Year, GWAC's theme is "living our mission, empowering our community, building our legacy "
In 1993, GWAC established a charitable arm - the GWAC Foundation, Inc. ("the Foundation"). The Foundation received its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service in 1995. That same year, GWAC provided the Foundation with its original endowment, which it has more than tripled in the past five years The work of the Foundation is performed entirely by volunteers with no paid staff In addition to community service endeavors, the Foundation also provides financial assistance to law students and law school graduates by means of book scholarships, bar scholarships and more recently, a Covid-19 Impacted Employment Assistance Award.
Since 1989, the GWAC Bar Association and the GWAC Foundation have recognized an outstanding African-American woman from the local bar in honor of Charlotte E Ray, the first woman admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and the first AfricanAmerican woman certified as a lawyer in the United States. In keeping with the mission of GWAC and the trailblazing spirit of Charlotte E. Ray, awardees demonstrate a strong commitment to community involvement, mentorship, advocacy, and excellence in the Metropolitan Washington community
Bridget Bailey Lipscomb is an Assistant Director in the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Environmental Torts Office. This office defends the United States in complex tort litigation based on damages from contaminants. Bridget supervises teams litigating multibillion dollar scientific cases that present complicated legal issues, which typically involve historical records and discovery databases that often exceed millions of pages of documents Prior to this role, Bridget was a Senior Trial Counsel in the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Torts Branch, Federal Tort Claims Act (“FTCA”) Office There, she commonly served as lead counsel defending the United States in complex tort litigation, including medical malpractice, law enforcement, and maintenance of federal lands, and provided guidance to Assistant United States Attorneys on complicated FTCA matters.
Before joining the Department of Justice, Bridget served as Legislative Counsel for United States Senator Lamar Alexander from Tennessee, where among other duties, she advised on all legal issues Bridget was the first African-American partner in a major law firm in Knoxville, Tennessee Prior to working in the United States Senate, Bridget was a partner at Lewis, King, Krieg & Waldrop, P.C. (currently Lewis Thomason), where she successfully tried primarily civil lawsuits in federal and state courts in various areas of the law.
Her bar activities include serving as a member of the DC Bar Board of Governors, Washington Bar Association 2nd Vice President, President of the Women’s Bar Association of D C, Vice President of Women’s Bar Association Foundation, and President of the Women’s Bar Association Foundation of D.C. from 2018 to 2020.
Among other honors in 2022, Bridget received the United States Department of Justice Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award, the Bar Association of the District of Columbia Annice Wagner Pioneer Award (150th Anniversary Gala), and the National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division Outstanding Woman Lawyer In Public Service Award (50th Anniversary)
Bridget received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, summa cum laude, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Grambling State University. She received her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law.
Congratulations to my wife, Bridget Bailey Lipscomb, on receiving the Charlotte E. Ray Award! I am very proud of your exceptional legal career and many years of service to the community.
Congratulations to Bridget Bailey Lipscomb on receiving the Charlotte E. Ray Award!
Congratulations to GWAC on 35 years of outstanding service!
-Florence Bailey, Ursula Bailey, Myra Bailey, Marvin Bailey, and Lawrence Lipscomb
CONGRATULATIONS!
GWAC and the GWAC Foundation would like to give a special thank you to Morgan, Lewis & Brockius LLP for serving once again as this year ' s sponsor. We would also like to give a big thank you to our past Charlotte E Ray Award recipients in attendance along with GWAC Past Presidents who have joined us Thank you to those who purchased advertisements as well. Proceeds received from your ad purchases will support the work of the GWAC Foundation to continue awarding deserving law students and law school graduates with scholarships and bar assistance awards. It is because of your support, engagement and leadership that both GWAC and the GWAC Foundation are able to successfully fulfill its respective missions and continue doing great work within the legal profession and in the community
President, Bayliss Fiddiman
President-Elect, Keela Seales
Immediate Past President, Renee Mims
Recording Secretary, Patricia-Joy Mpasi
Corresponding Secretary, Kimberlee Gee
Treasurer, Natasha Hudgins
Financial Secretary, Ebonee Johnson
Historian, Daraja Carroll
Judicial Liaison, The Honorable Tanya M Jones Bosier
Law Firm & Corporate Counsel Chair, LaFonda Willis
Judicial and Executive Appointments Chair, Dr. Tracey G. Jackson
Membership Chair, Racquell Perry
Employment & Professional Development Chair, Janell Bell
Charlotte E. Ray Chair, Jeanine Howard
Law Student Affairs Chair, Lucille Blackburn
Dinner Series Chair, Erinn D Martin
Program Planning Chair, Yvonne Burnley
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