D.C. Bar Inducts New President, Honors Award Winners at 2026 Celebration of Leadership

D.C. Bar Inducts New President, Honors Award Winners at 2026 Celebration of Leadership

June 22, 2026

By Jeremy Conrad

Sadina Montani (left) turns over the reins of leadership to Diane Seltzer.

Approximately 300 people gathered at the Westin DC Downtown on June 18 for the D.C. Bar's annual Celebration of Leadership to honor excellence in service by individuals and organizations and to formally install Diane Seltzer as the Bar's 55th president.

Seltzer, principal of the Seltzer Law Firm, was sworn in by D.C. Court of Appeals Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby. After the passing of the gavel from outgoing D.C. Bar president Sadina Montani, Seltzer spoke about her intention to deliver on campaign promises to support the rule of law, the right of attorneys to represent the clients of their choosing, and the preservation of an independent and impartial judiciary.

"I know our members will do the work with me to keep the guardrails strong and sturdy during this time of unprecedented attacks on the judiciary and on lawyers," Seltzer said. "I am going to help our members find ways both within and outside of the Bar to defend the rule of law. My first president's column is about just that, and it has concrete ideas and suggestions."

Seltzer went on to describe efforts to ensure affordable access to artificial intelligence platforms and tools for solo and small firm practitioners. "We all need access to sophisticated, high-quality AI tools so we can best serve our clients and provide access to justice," she said. "So, I hope that during my term that becomes a reality."

Seltzer noted that her term officially begins on July 1, reflecting on the bittersweet nature of the date as it also marks the anniversary of her father's passing in 2023. But the beginning of her presidency has transformed one of the saddest days in her year to one imbued with meaning, purpose, and joy, she added.

Celebrating Excellence

Former Bar president Chad Sarchio once again hosted the gala, which included the presentation of the Bar's annual awards.

The D.C. Bar honored retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer with its 2026 Thurgood Marshall Award for his extraordinary commitment and initiative in pursuing equal justice and opportunity for all Americans.

Breyer delivered a moving acceptance speech in a prerecorded video, expressing the particular honor he felt as recipient of an award bearing Justice Marshall's name. "[Marshall] had confidence in America," Breyer said. "Read [his] great speech before the U.S. Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education … His argument, as I read it, was mostly, 'if you come out and say what you think - and say that this is unconstitutional, you will see [that] the American public is ready. It will enforce that constitutional provision' … Eventually, [he] proved to be right."

Bradley Weinsheimer, former associate deputy attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), was honored with the 2026 Beatrice Rosenberg Award for Excellence in Government Service. Weinsheimer called the recognition a profound honor, saying that a respect for the rule of law and a desire to bring justice to the people guided his 35-year government career.

"To serve the community, the whole community, requires acting with honesty, integrity, and principled discretion," Weinsheimer said. "Only then does the DOJ follow its motto of prosecuting on behalf of justice, not the politically powerful. Representing the United States means that you do not represent an ordinary client. Your client is not a political party or the president, nor is it any single individual," he continued.

"There is a line inscribed in the rotunda outside the attorney general's office that guided my career, as it must for any DOJ lawyer. In response to a concern from a justice that [former solicitor general Frederick Lehmann] was raising a point harmful to his argument, Lehmann responded, 'The United States wins its point whenever justice is done its citizens in the courts,'" Weinsheimer added.

John Jacob, partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, received the Laura N. Rinaldi Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year award for devoting nearly 1,800 hours of pro bono service since 2007, a commitment that included 133 hours of pro bono assistance in 2025. In his acceptance remarks, Jacob spoke on the importance of pro bono service and its value to young attorneys in their development at his firm.

McDermott Will & Schulte was named Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year. The firm achieved 100 percent participation, with partners contributing 5,604 hours of pro bono service in 2025, a year in which the office dedicated 7.3 percent of its billable hours to pro bono work.

Awards also went to the District of Columbia Affairs Community for Community of the Year and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association Educational Fund (AEF) for Voluntary Bar Association of the Year. The D.C. Affairs Community hosted a series of programs with the George Washington University Law School that spotlighted the District's unique relationship with the federal government. AEF is a nonprofit organization that supports local law students through charitable and educational activities, including direct financial support and the Robert E. Wone Judicial Clerkship & Internship Conference.

The Frederick B. Abramson Award, acknowledging innovation in program design and initiative in meeting an unmet need, was shared by the Voluntary Bar Leadership Institute and the D.C. Bar Top Workplaces Team.The full-day, in-person Voluntary Bar Leadership Institute on March 18, 2026, featured interactive workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities to promote learning, collaboration, and sustained connection across the voluntary bar community.

The Top Workplaces Team, led by D.C. Bar Chief Operating Officer Matthew Butler and Human Resources Director LaTanya Hunter, proactively engaged stakeholders across the Bar to determine how to improve and address critical issues raised in the annual staff engagement survey. The team also created opportunities for staff to provide direct feedback on topics such as benefits and performance reviews through listening sessions.