by Denise Warner
President, Forest Hills Citizens Assocation
The Forest Hills and Chevy Chase Citizens Associations are pleased to announce that Walter Smith, Esq., the executive director of DC Appleseed, will moderate their DC attorney general candidates’ forum on Thursday, October 9th from 7:30–8:30 p.m. at Forest Hills of DC (formerly the Methodist Home), 4901 Connecticut Avenue, NW.
All five candidates will participate. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and there is a candidate “Meet and Greet” at 7:00 p.m.
The attorney general is the District of Columbia’s chief legal officer. Previously appointed by the mayor, voters approved an amendment in 2010 that created an elected position. The election on November 4th is the first opportunity for DC voters to choose their attorney general. Among other duties, the attorney general advises the mayor and chief of police on legal matters. The office investigates ethics, civil rights and other equity concerns within the DC government and its agencies and with elected officials.
Attendance is free. Voters may submit written questions in advance or on the evening of the forum.
Please submit questions to: Amy Wilczynski, Amytheangel@comcast.net or Denise Warner, Denise.Warner29@yahoo.com.
Mr. Smith’s biography:
Walter Smith, Executive Director, DC Appleseed
Mr. Smith has been the executive director of DC Appleseed since 2001. Previously, Mr. Smith served two years as the Special Deputy Corporation Counsel at the D.C. Office of the Corporation Counsel, now the Office of the Attorney General. There he focused on addressing the many receiverships in the District, supervising litigation affecting the school system, setting up pro bono assistance for the District from private law firms, and bringing a suit before a three-judge federal court seeking voting representation for the District in Congress.
Mr. Smith practiced for 16 years at the law firm of Hogan Lovells, where he specialized in appellate litigation. For several years, he served as a partner and full-time director of the firm’s pro bono practice. He also served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy JAG Corps. Mr. Smith has argued numerous cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and the D.C. Court of Appeals.
Mr. Smith has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma and a law degree from Harvard Law School. He served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Charles Clark on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
In 2011, Mr. Smith received the President’s Award from the Washington Council of Lawyers. In 2007, the Legal Times named him one of the “90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the last 30 years.”