About
PRESIDENT'S LETTER TO THE BAR
The Court of Federal Claims Bar Association joins, in a single organization, attorneys of the private bar and federal government. Since its founding in 1978, the Bar Association has supported the Court and promoted justice in disputes between the United States and its citizens. That mission remains as critical as ever in 2023.
History of the CFC Bar Association
The Court of Federal Claims Bar Association was founded in 1987. The principal purpose was to support the Court in its efforts to administer justice in the most efficient, fair, and expeditious manner. Visionaries including the former Chief Judge Loren Smith, James Brookshire, David Cohen, Clarence Kipps, Steve Lambert, Mildred Seidman and Randolph Thrower (who was the Bar Association’s first president) launched the association as an adjunct to what had come to be known as the “Peoples’ Court.”
BAR LEADERSHIP
President
Leah V. Durant
Law Offices of Leah V. Durant & Associates, PLLC
Washington, DC
President Elect
Julia Collison
President Emeritus
David Harrington
U.S. Department of Justice
ENRD Natural Resources Section
Washington, DC
Treasurer
William C. Bergmann
Baker & Hostetler LLP
Washington, DC
Secretary
Scott Bolden
U.S. Department of Justice
Washington, DC
Term Expiring December 2024
Corinne Niosi
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Division
Washington, DC
Jessica Olins
mctlaw
Seattle, Washington
Marissa Piropato
U.S. Department of Justice
ENRD Natural Resources Section
Washington, DC
Robert Shapiro
Duane Morris LLP
Washington, DC
Term Expiring December 2025
Jason Bergmann
U.S. Department of Justice
Tax Division
Washington, DC
Meredith Daniels
Conway Homer
P.C.
Boston, MA
Bob Wagman
Bracewell LLP
Washington DC
Amanda Tantum
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Division
National Courts Section
Washington, DC
Term Expiring December 2026
Brian Herman
U.S. Department of Justice
ENRD Natural Resources Section
Washington, DC
Steve Davis
True North Law
St. Louis, MO
Tracye Howard
Wiley LLP, Washington, DC
Madelyn Weeks
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Division
Torts Branch
Washington, DC
The Honorable Elaine D. Kaplan
Chief Judge
U.S. Court of Federal Claims
The Honorable Loren A. Smith
Court Liaison to the Bar Association
Clerk of the Courts
Lisa Reyes
U.S. Court of Federal Claims
PAST LEADERS
| 1988 | Randolph W. Thrower |
| 1989 | James Brookshire |
| 1990 | James L. Malone III |
| 1991 | Steven C. Lambert |
| 1992 | Mildred L. Seidman |
| 1993 | Robert K. Huffman |
| 1994 | Gregory A. Smith |
| 1995 | Edward J. Passarelli |
| 1996 | Marshall J. Doke, Jr. |
| 1997 | David M. Cohen |
| 1998 | Philip A. Nacke |
| 1999 | Margaret M. Sweeney |
| 2000 | Thomas J. Madden |
| 2001 | David D. Gustafson |
| 2002 | Lewis S. Wiener |
| 2003 | John L. Euler |
| 2004 | David A. Churchill |
| 2005 | Steven I. Frahm |
| 2006 | Nancie G. Marzulla |
| 2007 | Marc A. Smith |
| 2008 | Brad Fagg |
| 2009 | Melonie J. McCall |
| 2010 | Steven P. Hollman |
| 2011 | Bryant G. Snee |
| 2012 | Luke Levasseur |
| 2013 | Rob Stewart |
| 2014 | Lewis S. Wiener |
| 2015 | Mary Abate |
| 2016 | Altom Maglio |
| 2017 | Edward J. Passarelli |
| 2018 | William Bergmann |
| 2019 | James Connor |
| 2020 | James Boland |
| 2021 | Allison Kidd-Miller |
| 2022 | Jon Burd |
2022 |
Results of the 2022 ElectionThe following were elected at the December 2, 2022 annual meeting/election to serve terms beginning on January 1, 2023: Officers * Pursuant to the CFC Bar Association Bylaws, David Harrington, the 2022 President-Elect, automatically succeeds to the position of President on January 1, 2023.* Board of Governors (3-year term) |
2021 |
Results of the 2021 ElectionThe following were elected at the December 2, 2021 annual meeting/election to serve terms beginning on January 1, 2022: Officers * Pursuant to the CFC Bar Association Bylaws, Jon Burd, the 2021 President-Elect, automatically succeeds to the position of President on January 1, 2022. Board of Governors (3-year term) Board of Governors (2-year term) |
2020 |
Results of the 2020 ElectionThe following were elected at the December 2, 2020 annual meeting/election to serve terms beginning on January 1, 2021: Officers * Pursuant to the CFC Bar Association Bylaws, Allison Kidd-Miller, the 2020 President-Elect, automatically succeeds to the position of President on January 1, 2021, and current President, James Boland, serves as Immediate Past President. Board of Governors (3-year term) |
| 2019 |
Results of the 2019 ElectionThe following were elected at the November 14, 2019, annual meeting/election to serve terms beginning on January 1, 2020:
Officers: President*: James Boland (Venable LLP) * Pursuant to the CFC Bar Association Bylaws, James Boland, the 2019 President-Elect, automatically succeeds to the position of President on January 1, 2020, and current President, James Connor, serves as Immediate Past President. Board of Governors (3 year term): Scott Bolden (Civil Division, Intellectual Property Section, U.S. DOJ) |
| 2018 |
Results of the 2018 Annual ElectionThe following were elected at the November 14, 2018 annual meeting/election to serve terms beginning on January 1, 2019: Officers: President*: James Connor (Civil Division, U.S. DOJ) Jon Burd (Wiley Rein LLP) |
| 2017 |
Results of the 2017 Annual ElectionThe following were elected at the Annual Meeting/Election on December 7, 2017 for terms beginning on January 1, 2018: Officers: President*: William Bergmann (Baker Hostetler LLP) Board of Governors (3 year term): Mary Abate (Tax Division, U.S. DOJ) * Pursuant to the CFC Bar Association Bylaws, William Bergmann, the 2017 President-Elect, automatically succeeds to the position of President on January 1, 2018, and current President, Edward Passarelli, serves as Immediate Past President. |
| 2016 |
Results of the 2016 Annual ElectionThe following were elected at the Annual Meeting/Election held on November 15, 2016 for terms beginning on January 1, 2017: Officers: Board of Governors (3 year term): Board of Governors (2 year term): Board of Governors (1 year term): * Pursuant to the CFC Bar Association Bylaws, Edward Passarelli, the 2016 President-Elect, automatically succeeds to the position of President on January 1, 2017, and current President, Altom Maglio, serves as Immediate Past President. |
| 2015 |
Results of the 2015 Annual ElectionThe following were elected at the Annual Meeting/Election held on November 19, 2015 for terms beginning on January 1, 2016: Officers: President*: Altom Maglio (Maglio Christopher & Toale) Board of Governors (3 year term): Stacey Grigsby (Boies Schiller) * Pursuant to the CFC Bar Association Bylaws, Altom Maglio, the 2015 President-Elect, automatically succeeds to the position of President on January 1, 2016, and current President, Mary Abate, serves as Immediate Past President. |
COMMITTEES
STANDING COMMITTEES
This committee is responsible for planning and organization of “brown bag” educational programs held at the Court throughout the year. In addition to organizing programs of general interest to the Bar, the committee coordinates with the substantive committees to hold programs addressing each of the major substantive areas of the Court’s jurisdiction.
Marissa Piropato
U.S. Department of Justice
ENRD Natural Resources Section
Washington, DC
Davené Walker
U.S. Department of Justice
ENRD Natural Resources Section
Washington, DC
Steve Davis
True North Law
St. Louis, MO
This committee is responsible for developing and implementing strategies for maximizing new membership, as well as for ensuring retention of existing membership.
Alex Hontos
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Minneapolis, MN
Julia Collison
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Division
Torts Branch
Washington, DC
Bob Wagman
Bracewell LLP
Washington, DC
This committee is responsible for electronic publication of the Newsletter, which provides the Association’s members and the general public with information on upcoming Bar Association and Court events, as well as other topics of interest. The Newsletter includes Q&A’s featuring Judges, Special Masters, and Court Staff, providing insight into those decision-makers and staffers who are essential to the Court’s success.
Leah Durant
Law Offices of Leah V. Durant & Associates
Washington, DC
Julia Collison
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Division
Torts Branch
Washington, DC
SPECIAL COMMITTEES
This Committee assists the Board with the promotion and administration of the Bar Association’s annual Carole Bailey Scholarship.
Amanda Tantum
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Division
National Courts Section
Washington, DC
The Governance Committee is responsible for evaluating, monitoring, and developing recommendations with respect to Board policies and practices, organizational structure, Board roles and responsibilities, new Director education, Board composition, and strategic planning.
Julia Collison
David Harrington
U.S. Department of Justice
ENRD Natural Resources Section
Washington, DC
Jon Burd
Wiley
Washington, DC
Robert Shapiro
Duane Morris
Washington, DC
David Harrington
U.S. Department of Justice
ENRD Natural Resources
Section Washington, DC
William Bergmann
BakerHostetler
Washington, DC
This committee facilitates the operation of a private-bar pilot program for representation of pro bono plaintiffs in cases referred by the Court.
Jessica Olins
Maglio Christopher & Toale, P.A.
THROWER AWARD
The 2018 Randolph Thrower Award, which is presented by the Court of Federal Claims Bar Association to an individual who has provided ”exceptional service to the Bar,” was awarded on November 14, 2018, to Edward J. Passarelli, Deputy Chief of the Natural Resources Section of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. Ed was recognized for his many outstanding contributions to the Bar Association, over a period of more than 25 years, including his having served two terms as President of the Association. Most recently, Ed revitalized and significantly enhanced the Association’s “Brown Bag” series, which benefits both bench and bar by presenting programs focusing on the major areas of substantive law within the Court’s jurisdiction or topics of general interest to litigants.
The award is named for the first president of the Bar Association, Randolph Thrower, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 100. A fascinating read on his storied legal career can be found here, and includes an account of Thrower’s resignation as Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service during the Nixon Administration in 1971, years before Thrower became our first Bar Association president in 1987.
Right Image: Presentation of the 2018 Thrower Award
L-R: Mary Abate, Rob Stewart, Edward Passarelli
2002: James Kinsella and Nancie G. Marzulla
2003: F. Brook Voght (presented posthumously) and Marc A. Smith
2004: Lewis S. Wiener
2005: Mildred L. Seidman
2006: Carole Bailey
2007: James E. Brookshire and Steven C. Lambert
2009: Brett Stohs and Dan Buchner
2016: Don Grove
2017: Jeffrey Chiow
2018: Edward Passarelli
