John Murph

Washington, D.C.

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Articles

D.C. Bar CEO Bob Spagnoletti Wins Bolton Award for Outstanding Leadership

5 days ago | dcbar.org | John Murph

The Association for Bar Professionals (NABE) has chosen D.C. Bar CEO Robert J. Spagnoletti as the recipient of its 2025 Bolton Award for Outstanding Bar Leadership, the organization’s highest accolade for professional excellence. Spagnoletti will be honored at NABE’s Annual Meeting in Toronto in August. Spagnoletti said he was “speechless, which is extremely rare,” when he received the call from NABE President Whitney von Haam.
International Jazz Day in Abu Dhabi a ‘Learning Experience’ for All Involved

1 week ago | downbeat.com | John Murph

By John Murph I May. 5, 2025 This year’s edition of International Jazz Day served as its most peculiar chapter so far as jazz luminaries from various regions of the globe — including the U.S., Panama, Japan, China, Morocco, Iraq and India — swarmed down on Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which hosted the annual event’s main April 30 concert.
Judicial & Bar Conference Offers Look Into the Future of Law

2 weeks ago | dcbar.org | John Murph

Artificial intelligence and its impact on the legal profession was the central topic of discussion at the 2025 Judicial & Bar Conference on April 25 that drew nearly 500 attendees. Held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, the conference opened with reports on the state of the D.C. Court of Appeals and D.C. Superior Court and highlighted the D.C. Bar’s accomplishments in the current fiscal year, including its emphasis on training lawyers for the future of law.
D.C. Bar Announces 2025 Award Winners

1 month ago | dcbar.org | John Murph

The D.C. Bar has selected the winners of its 2025 Annual Awards honoring individuals and organizations whose outstanding work and exceptional projects benefited Bar membership, enriched the legal community, and expanded access to justice. The following awardees made important contributions to the advancement of the legal profession and provided critical assistance to the District’s most vulnerable populations. Frederick B.
Meet President-Elect Candidate Diane Seltzer

2 months ago | dcbar.org | John Murph

The D.C. Bar’s 2025 general and Communities elections will run from April 15 to June 4. Eligible voters will receive an email link to their ballots via Survey & Ballot Systems, an independent vendor administering the elections. Results of the elections will be announced on the Bar’s website and during the 2025 Celebration of Leadership on June 26. Here, get to know Diane Seltzer, one of two candidates running for D.C. Bar president-elect for the 2025–2026 term.
Nearly 500 Tax Professionals Explore What’s Ahead in Tax Policy, Administration, and Enforcement

Jan 21, 2025 | dcbar.org | Jeffery Leon |John Murph |Jeremy Conrad

The new year and new administration bring the potential for big shake-ups in the tax world. At the 2025 D.C. Bar Tax Conference on January 15–16, tax experts explored what’s next in tax policy, with key provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expiring this year and with President Donald Trump promising to impose tariffs on foreign-made goods. Panelists also discussed areas where legislators on both sides of the aisle can find common ground.
Meshell Ndegeocello Preaches ‘The Gospel’

Oct 15, 2024 | downbeat.com | John Murph

Interview, From the Magazine, Meshell Ndegeocello By John Murph I Oct. 15, 2024 It was less a matter of “if” and more of “when.” Meshell Ndegeocello’s transfixing new album, No More Water: The Gospel Of James Baldwin (Blue Note), seems an inevitability when one considers her career trajectory.
Musical Fireworks Light up 20th Annual D.C. JazzFest

Oct 8, 2024 | downbeat.com | John Murph

Live, Lakecia Benjamin, James Morrison, Terri Lyne Carrington By John Murph I Oct. 8, 2024 The 20th anniversary of the D.C. JazzFest (Aug. 28–Sept. 2) commenced with a bang. Alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin gave the musical equivalent of a radiant fireworks display inside the Embassy of Australia.
BADC Celebrates D.C. Judges, Welcomes New President-Elect Higuchi at Judicial Reception

Oct 2, 2024 | dcbar.org | John Murph

At its annual Judicial Reception on September 30, the Bar Association of the District of Columbia (BADC) welcomed Shirley Ann Higuchi as its president-elect for 2024–2025, the first Asian American to hold the position in the organization’s 153-year history. The BADC also honored six District judges who have retired or are taking senior status: Jennifer M. Anderson, John M. Campbell, Anita Josey-Herring, Peter A. Krauthamer, and Hiram E. Puig-Lugo of D.C. Superior Court and Beryl A.
Charles Willoughby and Risa Berkower Join Superior Court Bench

Aug 19, 2024 | dcbar.org | John Murph

On August 19, D.C. Superior Court Chief Judge Anita Josey-Herring administered the oath of office to new Associate Judge Charles J. Willoughby Jr. and Magistrate Judge Risa Berkower. A native Washingtonian, Judge Willoughby served for the past 10 years as an assistant United States attorney (AUSA) with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, where he was appointed deputy chief of the General Crimes Section’s Case Initiation Unit in 2023.