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About UsFounded in 1990, GAYLAW is an independent, non-partisan bar association serving gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lawyers, law students, and legal professionals in the national capital area. GAYLAW works to advance the interests of the GLBT community, to be their voice within the legal community, and to improve their professional lives. An affiliate to the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association, GAYLAW acts in coalition with other local and national groups dedicated to GLBT concerns. GAYLAW's advocacy and activities on behalf of the GLBT community include:
Our MissionThe mission of GAYLAW is to advance the rights of persons in the GLBT community, to be their voice within the legal community, and to improve their professional lives. FundingGAYLAW, Inc., is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) tax-exempt corporation supported entirely by its members and other private contributors. Contributions are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes, but membership dues may be deductible as a business expense to the extent permitted by law. Board of DirectorsCO-PRESIDENTS:GLEN H. ACKERMAN is the managing member of ACKERMAN LEGAL PLLC, a general practice law firm committed to working toward the fair and equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans. In addition to serving as co-president of GAYLAW, Glen serves on the Regional Board of Trustees for Point Foundation, the nation's largest scholarship granting organization for LGBT students of merit, and on the Board of Mautner Project: The National Lesbian Health Organization, which works towards improving the health of women who partner who women including lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender individuals. Glen is the benefactor of the Ackerman-Gemette Scholarship Fund, which provides financial assistance to law students interested in advancing the rights of LGBT Americans. Glen earned his Juris Doctor degree from Capital University School of Law. SHARON E. MOORE, a native of Detroit, MI, brings more than 15 years of business and legal experience to the Equal Rights Center, including working for the Peace Corps in Washington, D.C., and working and living in Lagos, Nigeria, W.A. Ms. Moore worked as an investigator for the Legal Aid Society of Albuquerque Fair Housing Project and belongs to a consortium of businesswomen developing marketing strategies to bring Fair Trade crafts from women's cooperatives in South Africa to North American shops and consumers. Ms. Moore received a B.B.A. in Management from Howard University, and a J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law. SECRETARY:MATTHEW R. RUDOLPHI is an associate with Duncan, Weinberg, Genzer & Pembroke, P.C., a Washington D.C. based firm with offices in California and New York. Matt's practice focuses on energy and utility law, environmental law, communications law and municipal law. Before joining Duncan Weinberg, he spent time at Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief charity and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Prior to law school, Matt worked in the airline and fitness industries, and served his country as an 82nd Airborne Paratrooper. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Illinois and his J.D. from Rutgers University. TREASURER:PATRICK BROWNE is an associate at Crowell & Moring LLP.MEMBERS:MELISSA FELDER is an associate at Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP. LESLIE M. HILL is trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice. SHARRA GREER, Policy Director, Children's Law Center. Sharra E. Greer joined Children's Law Center as its first policy director in 2008. Sharra brings extensive policy experience with her to this new position as she developed the policy department at Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN). In addition to creating and supervising that policy department, she supervised the group’s successful legal services and impact litigation efforts. Sharra began her legal services work while at Rutgers Law School, when she worked at Camden Regional Legal Services. After law school, She was an associate with the firm of Weissman & Mintz, specializing in plaintiffs’ side employment discrimination and labor law. Sharra left Weissman & Mintz to serve as a staff attorney with the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP). There, Ms. Greer worked on cases before the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and represented plaintiffs’ in two class actions through NVLSP’s Agent Orange Resource Center. Recently, Sharra helped design and create Lawyers Serving Warriors, a program which provides pro bono legal services for returning veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Sharra graduated with honors from Rutgers in 1994 and received her BA from the University of Washington. KRISTIN MUENZEN is an attorney with the Department of Justice, Environmental and Natural Resources Division. ALLEN ORR, JR. is an associate in the International Practice Group at Baker & McKenzie LLP specializing in immigration law. JAMES SHOWEN LAW STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE:TAMI MARTIN is a second year law student at the American University Washington College of Law. She received her B.A. from Dartmouth College, where she studied international relations and political violence and rode on the Varsity Equestrian Team. At the Washington College of Law, she is the Senior Articles Editor for The Modern American, a publication dedicated to diversity and the law, and enjoys studying media law and the First Amendment. Contact GAYLAWGAYLAW If you encounter any problems using this website, please email us. |