Managing Partner Kirsten Schlenger on the Supreme Thrill
October 23, 2014 | Written by Kirsten Schlenger
The International Network of Boutique Law Firms (INBLF) gathered in Washington D.C. October 9-10 for the annual INBLF Weekend and Black Tie Dinner. Our own Kirsten Schlenger was among the glamorously dressed attorneys from around the world who celebrated among the columns and colonnades of the Supreme Court. Here she writes about that experience.
Dining in the great hall of the Supreme Court, just outside the entrance to the Court, was a thrilling and inspiring experience. Misted by rain, we entered the building and ascended the grand marble stairs to the magnificent rooms of our highest court, including that most famous courtroom where the supreme law of the land is made. For a lawyer, an American, a lover of beauty and majesty, it was awe inspiring.
Moving between two gilded party rooms with lofty ceilings, we caught up with our INBLF network friends from around the country and the world, met new members, and gloried in our surroundings. Our speaker, Ken Feinberg, inspired us with his anecdotes of helping and listening to people who have survived disasters, and administering compensation for their loss. He recognized and applauded the important and very humane role that boutique firm lawyers play in helping people make sense of and get fair treatment when faced with trauma and disaster. We felt proud to be lawyers in that moment.
The Black Tie Dinner wasn’t the only event. Later in the weekend, I was delighted to present my friend and colleague, Emily Yiolitis, a corporate tax lawyer from Cyprus, with this year’s Alberto Lasherus Shine award, an award I was honored with last year. The weekend concluded with an elegant reception at the beautifully modern House of Sweden overlooking the Potomac River. After, we toured four Washington memorials at night: Martin Luther King, Jr., FDR, Vietnam War and Lincoln. Shining brightly in the darkness, we were all moved by what they reflect of our important and uniquely American history. My D.C. weekend with the INBLF was a most memorable adventure.