Andrew Jay Graham, co-founder of the law firm Kramon & Graham, P.A., has been selected for the Maryland Legal Services Corporation’s 2018 Arthur W. Machen, Jr. Award. The award recognizes Mr. Graham’s extraordinary efforts to improve the access of justice for low-income Marylanders.


 
“It is impossible to practice law in Maryland and not know about Andy’s remarkable dedication to improving the delivery of legal services to underserved Marylanders. In very concrete ways and for many years, Andy has positively affected the lives of countless people in Maryland,” said Kramon & Graham managing principal David J. Shuster. “He is most deserving of this prestigious award.”


 
MLSC created the Machen Award in 1985 as a tribute to Arthur W. Machen, Jr.’s outstanding contribution as a legal advocate for the underserved. It is presented to an attorney who has rendered extraordinary service in Maryland by increasing access to justice or by improving the civil legal services delivery system.


 
Past recipients of the award include Kramon & Graham principal M. Natalie McSherry, Hon. Benjamin L. Cardin, J. Joseph Curran Jr., Benjamin R. Civiletti, and E. Clinton Bamberger Jr.



Widely recognized as one of the state’s preeminent trial lawyers, Mr. graham’s commitment to civil justice is long-standing. At the earliest stage of his career in private practice, Andy volunteered to work at the pro bono Community Law Office in East Harlem while employed as an associate at Shearman & Sterling in New York City. In 1971, he moved to Baltimore to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney, where he worked until 1974. After a successful period of public service, Mr. Graham and fellow federal prosecutor Jim Kramon founded Kramon & Graham, P.A. Mr. Graham’s  commitment to community service remains a guiding principle of the firm.


 
“Although Andy would never call attention to it, many of us have seen up close his remarkable, tireless work to improve meaningful access to justice for Maryland’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Kramon & Graham chairman Philip M. Andrews. “Throughout his distinguished career, Andy has been a leader of the private bar in advocating expanded availability of civil legal services for our State’s economically disadvantaged individuals and families. Andy leads by example and his efforts are always effective, unwavering, and inspirational.”


 
In a career spanning more than four decades, Andy has held numerous board positions and leadership roles in professional and bar organizations. In recognition of his work, he has been honored with Maryland Legal Aid’s Executive Director’s Award, the Equal Justice Council’s inaugural Exemplar of Equal Justice Award, The Daily Record’s Leadership in Law Award, and the Maryland State Bar Association’s Litigator of the Year Award, among others.

 
Mr. Graham will receive the Machen Award at the MLSC Annual Awards reception held on December 3, 2018 at the Lord Baltimore Hotel.


 
About Kramon & Graham

Consistently recognized as one of Maryland’s leading law firms, Kramon & Graham has more than thirty-five attorneys providing litigation, real estate, and transactional services to clients across the country. The firm’s practices include commercial litigation, white collar and criminal defense, class actions, government contracts, professional liability defense, personal injury and wrongful death claims, state and federal appeals, asset recovery, real estate, transactions, and insurance coverage. For more information about Kramon & Graham, visitwww.kramonandgraham.com.

WASHINGTON – October 29, 2018 – Cindy Lewin, chair of Venable’s Nonprofit Organizations Practice in the Washington, DC, office, was selected by the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) National Capital Region’s Board of Directors as a special honoree of its Career Achievement Award, which honors the work of the region’s leading in-house practitioners and legal departments over the past year. The awards ceremony took place on October 25, 2018, at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner in McLean, Va. 

ACC program materials noted that, “For 20 years, Cindy Lewin was a powerful force in the nonprofit sector as general counsel and senior executive for three large organizations. Lewin was executive vice president and general counsel for Volunteers of America Inc. between1997 and 2006. She went on to serve as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary for the National Wildlife Foundation. Then, from June 2010 until November 2017, she was executive vice president and general counsel at AARP.” 

Lewin joined Venable in November 2017 and now chairs the firm’s Nonprofit Organizations Practice that serves more than 700 nonprofit clients nationwide. It has the country’s largest concentration of attorneys providing counsel and advocacy for charities, foundations, international NGOs, trade and professional associations, think tanks, arts and cultural institutions, schools, advocacy groups, and other nonprofit organizations. 

With approximately 2,500 members, ACC National Capital Region serves the professional needs of in-house counsel in Washington, DC, Virginia, and suburban Maryland. It is the regional chapter of the global ACC. ACC National Capital Region members participate in more than 80 professional development programs and community service events each year and keep connected through a variety of networking events and communications vehicles. For more information, visit www.acc.com/chapter/ncr.

About Venable LLP

Venable LLP is an American Lawyer Global 100 law firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. that serves as primary counsel to a worldwide clientele of large and mid-sized organizations, nonprofits, and high-net-worth entrepreneurs and individuals. With approximately 700 attorneys across the country, including California, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Virginia and Washington, D.C., the firm strategically advances its clients’ business objectives in the U.S. and around the globe. Venable advises clients on a broad range of business and regulatory law, legislative affairs, complex litigation and the full range of intellectual property disciplines. For more information, please visit www.Venable.com.