CAPITOL ASSETS Spring/Summer 2013 J USTICE KENNEDY HEADLINES LUNCHEON Inside This Issue: President’s Message 3 Stephen Ayers 4 Suzan Murray 5 Spotlight on SCOTUS 6 Legislative Drafting 7 Conference Ethics Seminar 8 Upcoming Events 10 Justice Anthony Kennedy (Photo by Richard Litsey) On May 29, the Capitol Hill Chapter held its annual Supreme Court luncheon in the West Conference Room of the Court, at which Justice Anthony Kennedy spoke. The luncheon was the 38th Supreme Court luncheon hosted by the Chap- ter. Justice Kennedy was nominated by President Reagan as an Associate Justice in 1987 and was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 1988. Prior to his nomination, Kennedy worked in private practice in California as a Professor of Constitutional Law at the McGeorge School of Law and as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Justice Kennedy began his remarks by recalling his long association with the Fed- eral Bar Association. He recalled an FBA celebration of the Constitution at which he was scheduled to speak in 1987, shortly after reports began to circulate that he was being considered as a Supreme Court nominee. The Justice noted that he decided to have some fun with the media who were in attendance to report on the potential Supreme Court nominee. He asked the speaker introducing him to Capitol Assets Page 2 announce that Judge Kennedy had unfortunately been called away at the last minute, but that another ex- pert on the Constitution would be taking his place. At that point, Kennedy entered dressed in a white wig and colonial costume and intro- duced himself as James Madison. Without breaking character, he then proceeded to deliver an “insider account” of the drafting of the Con- stitution. The West Conference Room is decorated with portraits of past chief justices of the Court, and Kennedy spent some time discuss- ing his connections with several former chiefs. For example, he noted that growing up in California, he served as a page in the state Sen- ate, where he met Earl Warren Above: Attendees at the Supreme Court luncheon when he was the Governor of Cali- Below: Elizabeth Pugh and Justice Kennedy fornia. He was also friends with Warren’s children and described (Photos by Richard Litsey) Warren as a role model. Kennedy also spoke highly of for- mer Chief Justice William Rehnquist. He praised Rehnquist’s precision, organization, and sharp mind. He also mentioned that con- trary to the depiction of Rehnquist in the press as cold, he was one of the most genuine and warm persons that Kennedy knew. Chapter President Elizabeth Pugh thanked Justice Kennedy for his remarks and presented him with a porcelain box illustrated with one of the frescos from the Senate chamber. The fresco created by Constantino Brumidi represents the virtue of liberty, which Pugh noted is a value strongly defended in many of Kennedy’s opinions. Page 3 Spring/Summer 2013 Thank you so much for being a mem- government. I am delighted that we ber of the Capitol Hill Chapter. Our have members not only from the legis- chapter is unique in its membership lative and judicial branches, but from P RESIDENT’ S and focus among the Federal Bar As- the Department of Justice, the Small sociation’s chapters. For one, our Business Administration, the Depart- M ESSAGE chapter has more of a focus on legis- ment of Homeland Security, and the lative lawyering than most chapters. Department of Transportation. Many of our members work in the House or Senate or one of the legisla- Among our agency lawyer members, tive branch agencies, such as the Li- we have a special connection to the In- brary of Congress where I work. Our spector General community. Our for- monthly luncheons often feature lead- mer chapter president Tony Ogden is ers of these agencies, such as the the Deputy Inspector General for the Comptroller General, the Architect of Federal Reserve System and Epin the Capitol, or the Congressional Re- Christensen, who is on our leadership search Service Director. The chapter council, is the Counsel to the Inspector tries to focus its events on topics that General for the Smithsonian Institution. appeal to our legislative lawyers, such These members helped us arrange our Elizabeth Pugh as our international conference on leg- annual meeting a few years ago with Chapter President islative drafting and law reform that is the distinguished Glenn Fine who was profiled on page 7. the longtime Inspector General at the Department of Justice. Our chapter also has strong represen- tation by members of the judicial These aspects make the Capitol Hill branch. Our leadership council in- Chapter one of the more distinctive cludes representatives of the Supreme chapters within the FBA, not to men- Court, including the Clerk and Deputy tion the fact that we are a relatively Clerk, as well as representatives of the small chapter– with just under 180 national judicial offices. In fact, these members at last count. Despite its members help us plan our annual Su- small size, our chapter is very active preme Court luncheon, which many with monthly luncheons and other spe- have described as the chapter’s pre- cial events such as our tours of the mier annual event. Capitol buildings, the Supreme Court luncheon, and our annual ethics pro- Because of our chapter’s location in gram (focused to our government attor- Washington, we also have a much ney membership). Thank you so much greater representation from govern- for being a part of our unique and vi- ment lawyers across all branches of brant chapter! Capitol Assets Page 4 A RCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL SPEAKS TO CHAPTER The Capitol Visitor Center also Stephen Ayers, the eleventh Archi- during his inaugural address is helps to manage the number of peo- tect of the Capitol, spoke at a Chap- later converted into 100 gavels, ple in the Capitol at any given time ter luncheon on April 3, 2013. He which the Architect gets to for- for safety reasons. Ayers discussed was appointed Architect by Presi- mally present to the President, how his office worked with Disney dent Obama in February 2010 and and the President gets to distrib- to learn best practices for efficient was confirmed by the Senate in ute as mementos of the occa- “people moving.” May 2010. sion. Chapter President Elizabeth Pugh Ayers began his presentation by One of the most monumental thanked Mr. Ayers for his fascinat- discussing the varied responsibili- projects that the Architect un- ing presentation and noted that their ties of the Architect, such as the dertook in the last few years professional relationship goes back Capitol buildings infrastructure, was the construction of the many years, from when Ayers visitor services, the Capitol’s statu- Capitol Visitor Center. At served as Superintendent of the Li- ary collection, the Capitol Power nearly 580,000 square feet, the brary Buildings and Grounds start- Plant, membership on the Capitol Visitor Center is the largest pro- ing in 2002. Police Board, the Botanic Gardens, ject in the Capitol's history and and the room selection and moving is approximately three-quarters process for House and Senate of- the size of the Capitol fices. itself. Since its opening in 2008, millions of peo- ple have visited the Cen- Another important role for the Ar- ter. Ayers spoke about chitect is overseeing the inaugural designing the Center as a ceremony every four years. Build- pathway to the Capitol, ing the inaugural platform must ac- and not as a destination tually commence the prior Septem- unto itself, much like the ber, even before a new President is famous Pyramid at the elected. The construction requires Louvre. For this reason, seven tractor trailers of wood, and views of the Capitol are the event requires transporting prominent throughout the 30,000 chairs, 500 portable toilets, Center courtesy of its and four miles of fencing. Mr. magnificent skylights. Stephen Ayers & Elizabeth Pugh Ayers revealed that the walnut plat- (Photo by Richard Litsey) form that the President stands upon Page 5 Spring/Summer 2013 C HAPTER LUNCHES WITH CHIEF VETERINARIAN On May 17, 2013, the Capitol Hill Chapter welcomed Murray also discussed her international work, such as Suzan Murray, Chief Veterinarian for the National anti-poaching efforts and international knowledge Zoo, to its monthly luncheon. Murray came to the sharing. Her work in other countries often requires a National Zoo in 2001 and is responsible for oversee- great deal of legal and diplomatic work by the Smith- ing the health care of the Zoo's entire animal collec- sonian staff ahead of the travel. Her work also in- tion. She spoke about the unique challenges of caring cludes infectious agent research, and Murray proudly for the Zoo’s large number of species, many of which noted that West Nile Virus was first diagnosed by a are endangered. For example, one of her initiatives zoo veterinarian. has been to teach animals to pose for a blood draw- ing, ultrasounds, and other medical procedures, which Chapter President Elizabeth Pugh thanked Murray for has vastly decreased the need to anesthetize animals. her engaging discussion, and Murray invited the at- Many animals will gladly hold out their hands to tendees to the open house at the Zoo’s Conservation draw blood if they are given a treat. and Research Center (CRC) in Front Royal, Virginia. Normally closed to the public, the Center holds an If anesthesia is necessary, Murray described the vari- open house one weekend each autumn to allow the ous ways that the Zoo uses to subdue animals.