Private: New Chair and Members of ACS Board of Directors

ACS is pleased to announce that Paul M. Smith, a partner at Jenner & Block and member of the firm's Management Committee, has been elected as Chair of its Board of Directors and that Ronald Klain, former Assistant to President Clinton and Chief of Staff and Counselor to Vice President Al Gore, has joined the Board. In addition, the Board has elected two student members to one-year terms: Karen Dunn, a 3L at Yale Law School; and Tim Supler, a 3L who founded the student chapter at Appalachian School of Law.

Paul M. Smith is a partner in the Washington, DC office of Jenner & Block. He is a member of the Firm's Management Committee; Co-Chair of the Firm's Appellate and Supreme Court practice; and Co-Chair of its Media and First Amendment practice. Mr. Smith graduated in 1976 from Amherst College and received a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law Journal. He was a law clerk for Judge James L. Oakes of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1979-80, and a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr from 1980-81. Mr. Smith hasmaintained an active Supreme Court practice for two decades, arguing eleven Supreme Court cases, including his landmark victory in Lawrence v. Texas. He also serves on the Boards of Directors of the Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund and the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.
Ronald Klain is Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Revolution LLC, a firm recently launched by AOL co-founder Steve Case. Previously, he served as Assistant to President Bill Clinton, as well as Chief of Staff to Vice President Al Gore and Attorney General Janet Reno. In his capacity in the Clinton administration, Mr. Klain directed judicial selection efforts and led the confirmation teams for high-profile nominees including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Attorney General Janet Reno. From July 1989 to July 1992, Mr. Klain was Chief Counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he directed the Committee's professional staff in its work on matters of constitutional law, anti-crime and drug policy, and major judicial nominations. Mr. Klain was previously a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Byron R. White during the Court's 1987 and 1988 Terms. He graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University in 1983, and magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1987, where he was an Editor of the Harvard Law Review.
Outgoing Board Chair Teresa Wynn Roseborough said, "Paul and Ron are both extraordinary lawyers, with an equally extraordinary commitment to meaningful justice under our legal system. Their experience, insight and dedication to ACS's mission will prove invaluable in helping ACS expand its presence over the coming years."
"I'm excited to serve as the Chair of ACS's Board," said Mr. Smith, "and pleased that Teresa's continued participation on the Board will give us the continued benefit of her superb talents and experience." Executive Director Lisa Brown said, "Teresa's guidance and leadership have been central to ACS's extraordinary growth over the past two years. We look forward to maintaining that momentum under Paul's expert leadership, and with the addition of Ron's formidable experience and insight. We're also excited to have the perspective of Karen and Tim as we establish plans for the future. Together, we will shift the public debate about our nation's laws and policies to reflect a meaningful commitment to equality, liberty and justice."
Mr. Klain, Ms. Dunn and Mr. Supler join current Board members Frederick M. Baron; Stephen P. Berzon; Iris Y. Gonz?