The Honorable Jean S. Baron, District Court Judge for Prince George’s County, attended the International Women Judges Conference in Uganda in May. Female judges from around the world participated in the Conference, which addressed worldwide concerns relating to the theme of Access to Justice.

Kevin L. Shepherd, co-chair of Venable LLP’s Real Estate Practice Group and chair of its Finance Committee, has been elected chair-elect of the nearly 30,000-member Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section of the American Bar Association. Sherpherd will serve a one-year term as chair-elect and will become chair of the Section in September 2005.

James W. Bartlett, III, a Principal of Semmes, Bowen & Semmes, P.C., has been elected Secretary of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, an Affiliated Organization of the American Bar Association whose membership consists of lawyers involved in maritime matters, judges active in matters involving admiralty issues, admiralty law professors and non-lawyers involved in the maritime field.

After 10 years as Senior Assistant County Solicitor for Howard County, Katherine L. Taylor has returned to the private practice of law. The Law Office of Katherine L. Taylor, P.A., will be located at Dorsey Manor House, 5100 Dorsey Hall Drive, Ellicott City, Maryland 21042; (443) 420-4075.

The firm of Lerch, Early & Brewer, Chartered, announces that Robin L. Dierbeck has joined the firm as an associate in its real estate transactions and business and tax law departments.

John W. Steele, III, vice president and general counsel of The Rouse Company, and Robert J. Kresslein, a principal in the law firm of Severn, O’Connor & Kresslein, P.A., have been named to the Sheppard Pratt Board of Trustees, a group of 25 volunteer members.

Danielle Cover

Teju Rau, who previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Phillip T. Caroom of the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, has opened her own law practice at 170 West Street, Annapolis, Maryland 21401; (443) 482-9011.

Whiteford, Taylor & Preston L.L.P. announces that Thurman W. Zollicoffer, Jr., has rejoined the firm as a partner. Since leaving the firm in 1999, Zollicoffer has served as a City Solicitor for Baltimore City.

Danielle Cover and Bobbie G. Steyer have joined the law firm of Weinberg & Schwartz, L.L.C., as associates.

Cordier Law Offices LLC announces the addition of Carlotta A. Woodward to the firm, where she will pursue the general practice of law. Woodward previously worked as the law clerk for the Honorable Ann S. Harrington.

Bobbie G. Steyer

Demetrios Datch has joined the firm of Troutman Sanders LLP as an associate in the Corporate and Securities Practice Group at the firm’s Tyson’s Corner office.

In its first-ever ranking of top Washington attorneys, The Washington Business Journal has named Piper Rudnick Pro Bono Partner Elizabeth R. Dewey a co-winner in its Young Guns category. Venable, LLP, Partners Elizabeth Hughes and George Pappas were named as finalists in the awards.

Donald W. Usher was appointed to the position of Superintendent of the National Park Service Law Enforcement Training Center in Brunswick, Georgia. He will direct the basic and advanced law enforcement training mission for the National Park Service.

Donald W. Usher

Todd Gustin has joined the Baltimore office of McGuireWoods LLP as an associate in the firm’s Commercial Litigation Department.

Robert C. Erlandson, a partner at Lord & Whip, has been nominated by the Defense Research Institute to chair the Workers’ Compensation Committee for a second consecutive year.

Michael Conron, a partner in the law firm of Venable LLP, has been elected a member of the American Law Institute (ALI) by the organization’s Executive Board. The ALI drafts and then publishes various restatements of the law, model codes and other proposals for legal reform. Its membership consists of judges, practicing lawyers and legal scholars from all areas of the country as well as some foreign countries, selected on the basis of professional achievement and demonstrated interest in the improvement of the law.

Fred Warren Bennett, Gary E. Bair, Michael R. Pearson and Rachel Marblestone Kamins announce the formation of Bennett & Bair, LLP, 6301 Ivy Lane, Suite 419, Greenbelt, Maryland 20770; (301) 220-1570. The new law firm will concentrate in the area of criminal defense in state and federal courts at the trial, post-conviction and appellate levels.

The Law Offices of Garrow & Evans, L.L.P., have relocated to 1200 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Suite 560, Washington, D.C. 20036; (202) 467-5550.

Miles & Stockbridge P.C. has won a 2004 WebAward from the Web Marketing Association for its newly revamped website and content management system, www.milesstockbridge.com. The Baltimore law firm’s website, which was designed and built by the Baltimore office of Weber Shandwick Worldwide, was named an “outstanding website” in the 2004 competition.