Spring 2023 Wone Conference

Spring 2023 Robert E. Wone Judicial Clerkship & Internship Conference

In 2003, Robert E. Wone, then an associate at Covington & Burling LLP and a former law clerk to the Honorable Raymond A. Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, wanted to introduce minority law students in the Greater Washington, D.C. area to the value of judicial internships and clerkships. Robert organized the inaugural Judicial Clerkship and Internship Conference, which was held at the Howard University School of Law.

In August 2006, shortly before Robert was to be sworn in as the President of Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area (APABA-DC), Robert tragically lost his life in a violent crime. The Wone Conference was renamed in his honor and memory.

The Wone Conference is an annual event that brings together judges and former clerks to provide minority law students with information about clerkships and internships in a wide range of tribunals—appellate, trial, federal, state, and administrative. For over fifteen years, the Wone Conference has drawn a diverse group of law students from the D.C. area who are eager to gain a better understanding of what it means to be a judicial law clerk or intern.

Now an annual tradition for over a decade, the Wone Conference continues to draw a diverse group of law students who are eager to gain a better understanding of the application and selection processes for clerkships and internships at all levels of the federal and state judiciaries.

AEF thanks the judges, law clerks, and volunteers for contributing their time and efforts to the Wone Conference, as well as to the various law schools for hosting, and to the law firms, bar associations, and organizations that have been sponsoring partners throughout the years.

2023 Robert E. Wone Conference and Reception

This year, the Wone Conference is co-sponsored by the Asian Pacific American Bar Association Educational Fund (AEF), Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the District of Columbia (APABA-DC), Capital Area Muslim Bar Association (CAMBA), Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia (HBA-DC), Iranian American Bar Association (IABA), and South Asian Bar Association of the District of Columbia (SABA-DC).

2023 Wone Conference Schedule

Saturday, February 4, 2023 | University of the District of Columbia – David A. Clarke School of Law

Opening Remarks

Chrysalis Borja—Staff Counsel at the IAM National Pension, Benefit, and 401(k) Funds (AEF and UDC Law ‘20)—introduces Dean Twinette Johnson, J.D., Ph. D, Acting Dean of UDC Law.

Dean Twinette Johnson, J.D., Ph. D, Acting Dean of UDC Law

The Honorable Zuberi Bakari Williams, District Court of Maryland, Montgomery County

State Trial and Superior Courts Panel

The Honorable Zuberi Bakari Williams (Left), The Honorable Carlos F. Acosta (Center), The Honorable Kenia Seoane Lopez (Right), The Honorable Magistrate Shelly Mulkey (Podium)

The Honorable Carlos F. Acosta, Montgomery County Circuit Court
The Honorable Kenia Seoane Lopez, Superior Court of the District of Columbia
The Honorable Zuberi Bakari Williams, District Court of Maryland, Montgomery County

Moderated by: The Honorable Magistrate Shelly Mulkey, Superior Court of the District of Columbia

Recorded Message from The Honorable John M. Tran, Fairfax County Circuit Court

Federal District Courts Panel

The Honorable Theodore Chuang (Left), The Honorable Jia Cobb (Right), Andrew Guiang (Podium)

The Honorable Theodore Chuang, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
The Honorable Jia Cobb, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Moderated by: Andrew Guiang, Williams & Connolly LLP (former clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York)

Administrative and Specialty Courts Panel

The Honorable Kalyan Deshpande (Left), The Honorable Dania Ayoubi (Center), The Honorable Armando O. Bonilla (Right), Erika V. Suhr (Podium)

The Honorable Dania Ayoubi, Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings
The Honorable Armando O. Bonilla, U.S. Court of Federal Claims
The Honorable Kalyan Deshpande, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Moderated by: Erika V. Suhr, Department of Justice - Tax Division, Criminal Enforcement Section (former clerk for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee and Superior Court of the District of Columbia)

Clerking with a Judge Panel

Starting from Left to Right: Harleen Gambhir, Young Choi, Moyosore Koya, Andrew Wone, Christopher Pascual

Young Choi, U.S. Department of Justice (former clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas)
Moyosore Koya, McDermott Will & Emery (former clerk for the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland)
Christopher Pascual, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (former clerk for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia)
Andrew Wone, Federal Trade Commission (former clerk for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia)

Moderated by: Harleen Gambhir, Elias Law Group LLP (former clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts)

Appellate Courts Panel

The Honorable Florence Pan (Left), The Honorable Loren AliKhan (Center), The Honorable Patricia Millett (Right), Minsuk Han (Podium)

The Honorable Loren AliKhan, District of Columbia Court of Appeals
The Honorable Patricia Millett, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
The Honorable Florence Pan, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

Moderated by: Minsuk Han, Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick PLLC