New Commission Members
The Commission on IOLTA welcomes new members Annette Kwok, Traci Ray, and Carolyn Witherspoon for the 2016-2017 bar year.
Annette Kwok is a member of the Patent Prosecution and Counseling Group for Venable LLP in Washington, D.C. Ms. Kwok is experienced in the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in the area of chemistry, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer products, and business methods. She is a member of the DC Bar Foundation Young Lawyers Network Leadership Council, where she serves on the IOLTA subcommittee.
Ms. Kwok is a member of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, where she currently serves as the Southeast Regional Governor. She held various board positions on the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area, including treasurer (2010-2012), president-elect (2012-2013), and president (2013-2014).
Traci Ray is the Executive Director at Barran Liebman LLP in Portland, Oregon, where she guides the firm’s management, marketing, attorney development, and administration. She is a past-president of the Multnomah Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section and currently serves as the president-elect of the Oregon Law Foundation, which administers IOLTA funds in the state.
Ms. Ray is a member of the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Division, where she dedicates time to the Webzine Board as the vice chair and associate editor, and serves on the Women Rainmakers Committee in the vice chair capacity. She was one of four national ABA LP Division Fellows for 2014-2015 and received the 2015 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award from the University of Oregon School of Law for her work within the legal profession and community.
Carolyn Witherspoon is a director at Cross, Gunter, Witherspoon & Galchus, P.C. in Little Rock, Arkansas, practicing in the areas of labor and employment defense, transportation law, and municipal/government law. She was a member of the Arkansas IOLTA Foundation Board from 1992-2002 and served as a past chair from 2001-2002.
Ms. Witherspoon served as a past president of the Pulsaski County Bar Association, Arkansas Bar Association, and Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers, and was a former member of the Executive Council of the National Conference of Bar Presidents. Additionally, she was a former member of the Citation Issues Committee of the American Bar Association and current member of its House of Delegates since 1997. In 2013, Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe appointed her to the Commission on Uniform State Laws.
2017 Winter IOLTA Workshops
The 2017 Winter IOLTA Workshops will take place in Miami, Florida on February 2-3, 2017 at the Hilton Miami Downtown. The IOLTA Workshops, co-sponsored by the ABA Commission on IOLTA and the National Association of IOLTA Programs, provide topical sessions for IOLTA program executive directors, staff members, and trustees. Registration information is available at https://www.americanbar.org/calendar/midyear.html.