Larry Levy Honored as 2017 Republican Lawyer of the Year

Next Wednesday evening at the City Club of Washington, DC, the RNLA will host a reception honoring Larry Levy, who was selected by the RNLA Board of Governors as the 2017 Republican Lawyer of the Year.  RNLA's leadership praised Mr. Levy as very deserving of this honor:

RNLA President Elliot Berke praised the selection: “Larry is a true lawyer’s lawyer, and a consummate professional. I had the honor of nominating him to the RNLA board many years ago, and I couldn’t be happier to see him receive our Lawyer of the Year award. I thank him for all he’s done for the cause and his friendship.”

RNLA Chair Kimberly Reed highlighted Mr. Levy's core strengths: “In the decade I have known and worked with Larry Levy, I can attest to the values that Mayor Rudy Giuliani sees in him. Most importantly, he is dedicated to the United States Constitution and rule of law. On a personal note, Larry's steadfast dedication to the children who lost a parent or sibling on September 11th speaks volumes about his character. On behalf of the RNLA Board of Governors, I thank Larry for his service to RNLA and our mission.”

RNLA Co-Chair and former RNC General Counsel John Ryder added: “Larry has been a strong leader for the integrity of the ballot, for RNLA and for the country. He is truly deserving of Republican Lawyer of the Year.”

RNLA Executive Director Michael Thielen agreed: “Larry is one of the most influential lawyers I know; his influence is very broad. His efforts, both personally and professionally, in the 2016 election were essential to ensuring that it was an open, fair, and honest election that led to historic victories for Republicans at every level of the ticket. Yet he is very humble and would not ‘toot his own horn.’ Working with Larry for years has been one of my great pleasures, and I can think of no lawyer more deserving of being Republican Lawyer of the Year this year.” 

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani will attend the reception, and several very special guests, whose names we are not able to release, have also confirmed.  There is still time to purchase a ticket ahead of next Wednesday's celebration. 

RNLA Honors John Ryder as the 2016 Republican Lawyer of the Year

Tomorrow, the RNLA will present John Ryder with the 2016 Republican Lawyer of the Year Award at a reception in Washington, DC:

John Ryder has been named the 2016 Republican Lawyer of the Year by the Board of Governors of the Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA).  Mr. Ryder was selected as the 2016 Republican Lawyer of the Year in recognition of his outstanding professional accomplishments and years of service to the Republican Party and its ideals. He will be honored at a reception tonight at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C. 

RNLA Chair Randy Evans stated: “John’s leadership was key in guiding the Party through a successful Republican convention and RNC meetings leading up to the convention. John’s fairness and integrity were key to a successful process. This is just the latest contribution to the Party of a great Republican lawyer.” 

RNLA President Larry Levy stated: “The RNLA is privileged to count John Ryder among its ranks and indebted to him for his leadership, in particular with regard to redistricting, where he has long been one of the foremost leaders. Most importantly, John is, and always has been, a man of honor, as well as an outstanding lawyer. He is most deserving of the 2016 Award.” 

There is still time to RSVP to attend the reception in honor of Mr. Ryder.  Thank you, Mr. Ryder, for all you have done and all you will do in the service of the Republican Party and our country.

The RNLA Board of Governors Announces John Ryder as the 2016 Republican Lawyer of the Year

The Board of Governors of the Republican National Lawyers Association is pleased to announce the selection of John Ryder as the 2016 Republican Lawyer of the Year. This award recognizes lawyers for outstanding professional accomplishments and years of dedicated service to the Republican Party and its ideals.

Mr. Ryder will be presented the award at a special reception in his honor on September 27 at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C.  More details on the reception may be found here.  Photos from our 2015 Republican Lawyer of the Year Reception honoring Bobby Burchfield and featuring Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and RNC Chair Reince Priebus can be found here.

John Ryder has served the Republican Party in a variety of ways. He has been Chairman of the Shelby County Republican Party and served on the Tennessee State Executive Committee from 1986 to 1996 and from 2002 to 2014.

In 1996, he was elected to the Republican National Committee from Tennessee. He brought with him over two decades of experience litigating redistricting cases in Tennessee, the cradle of one person, one vote. On the RNC, he was appointed to the Redistricting Task Force in 1997 by Chairman Jim Nicholson. Ten years later, he was asked to Chair the Redistricting Committee of the RNC by Chairman Michael Steele.

Perhaps more importantly, John has been a leader in the area of the Rules of the Republican Party. He served on the RNC Standing Committee on Rules from 1996-2004 and from 2008-2016. He has served on the Convention Rules Committee in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. He served as a member of the Temporary Delegate Selection Committee in 2008-2010, a committee which helped develop and refine the presidential nominating system.

In 2013, Chairman Reince Priebus appointed John as General Counsel of the RNC, a position he still holds. The RNC General Counsel is a volunteer position. Given the challenges of the past year, this means that John has donated countless hours to the Republican Party.

Additionally, he has been a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1984, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 and as an alternate in 1992. He was a Presidential Elector in 1988 and 2004.

He is a member of the Board of Governors of the RNLA.

John is a member of the adjunct faculty of Vanderbilt University School of Law, where he teaches Election Law.

John is a member of Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh in Memphis, Tennessee, where his everyday practice is concentrated in the areas of commercial litigation and bankruptcy. Mr. Ryder has represented secured lenders, unsecured creditors committees, trustees and debtors in the bankruptcy process. He has served as trustee and receiver. He has participated in a number of major bankruptcies, including The Julian Companies, Microwave Products, Wexner & Jacobsen, FCS, Braniff and others. He is a frequent lecturer on bankruptcy and commercial law topics.

Mr. Ryder served as Shelby County Assistant County Attorney from 1978 to 1990 and from 1994 to 2014. He edited the Laws of Shelby County Annotated, the first compilation of Private Acts affecting Shelby County. He served as Delinquent Tax Attorney for Shelby County from 1990 to 1994, and he served as member of the Shelby County Home Rule Charter Commission and presently represent the Shelby County Election Commission.

Top GOP Leaders Honor 2015 Republican Lawyer of the Year Recipient Bobby Burchfield

Last month, the RNLA honored Bobby Burchfield as the recipient of the 2015 Republican Lawyer of the Year.  Many gathered to celebrate the accomplishments that Bobby has done for the Republican Party including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus as well as President and CEO of American Crossroads, Steven Law.

A few of the highlights from the speeches:

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell:

“It’s really a pleasure to come by and join you in saluting Bobby.  One of the wonderful things about my career is that I have been able to work with a lot of great lawyers, and none greater than Bobby.  He is truly top-of-the-line.”

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus

“Bobby Burchfield to me…when you consider being a lawyer, what it means to be a lawyer and to wake up every day and want to be great at your job and know and practice the law and serve your clients and do it in a way that sort of lights up a room, that’s what I think about when I think of Bobby Burchfield.  Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said practicing and learning the law is like eating sawdust without butter…and he does it with such happiness.”

President and CEO of American Crossroads Steven Law

“Bobby Burchfield is the smartest most capable Republican lawyer that I know.  One of the most distinctive qualities that I would say about Bobby is his wisdom—he has figured out what is important in life a lot more than many of us and a lot earlier than many of us.” 

Recipient of the President of the Lawyer of the Year Award Bobby Burchfield

When referring to three important principles including that the people are sovereign over the government; the importance of free market capitalism; and free robust and unfettered debate:

"These principles unite us and this organization – the Republican National Lawyers Association and its members have a key role in defending them.  I have deep respect and admiration for the RNLA and all of its members and for this reason I am truly honored to accept this award. "

The RNLA thanks all of the speakers and sponsors of this wonderful event, and congratulates Bobby on receiving this award.  To view all of the speeches in their entirety, click here.

The 2014 Republican Lawyer of the Year: Mark Braden

The Board of Governors of the Republican National Lawyers Association is pleased to announce the selection of E. Mark Braden as the 2014 Republican Lawyer of the Year. This award recognizes lawyers for outstanding professional accomplishments and years of dedicated service to the Republican Party and its ideals.

Mark will be presented the award at a special reception in his honor on July 22.  More details are here.  Photos from our 2013 Republican Lawyer of the Year Ceremony honoring George Terwilliger and featuring Senators Jeff Session and Ted Cruz and RNC Chair Reince Priebus are here Some details on that reception are here.

Mark Braden concentrates his work principally on the law of the political process, including work with election and campaign agencies, voting issues, redistricting, and ethics and lobbying regulations—areas in which he has substantial knowledge and unusual experience. Mark spent 10 years as Chief Counsel to the Republican National Committee prior to joining BakerHostetler. He is widely recognized for his knowledge on state election laws, having served as Chief Counsel to the Ohio Elections Commission and Election Counsel for the Secretary of State in Ohio. Mark has played a large part in campaign finance and was the father of "soft money" as originally used in national campaigns.

Mark is also RNLA’s counsel and a longtime member of its board. 

Mark is a member of the adjunct faculty of George Washington University and was Special Election Law Counsel to the United States House of Representatives' Administration Committee. He has testified before congressional committees and the Federal Election Commission, and his experience in the legal and political arena has resulted in invitations to lecture at universities and institutes nationwide. He has authored Election Reform in the United States after Bush v. Gore, ed. Grofman & Alvarez, Chapter: "Entering the Political Thicket" (Cambridge University Press, 2013).

Mark has represented Republican members of, or candidates for, the United States Senate, United States House, Governors, former Cabinet Secretaries and Presidential Candidates on campaign financing, and ethical issues/criminal and civil enforcement. Mark also assists nonprofit organization in such context, advising on issues related to fundraising restrictions, ethical concerns based on lobbying requirements, and completed campaign funding issues.

Mark has been lead counsel in redistricting/Voting Rights Acts litigation in recent cycles in Ohio, New York, Wyoming, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Georgia, Nevada, Maryland, and Connecticut. He has argued at the U.S. Supreme Court and state Supreme Courts throughout the country, in which the redistricting at issue was affirmed.

Mark has been a principal lawyer in many of the largest recounts in political history, including recount and contests litigation in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, California, North Carolina, Virginia, Illinois, New Jersey, Washington, and New Mexico. Mark was a key negotiator for convention contracts and site city agreements for the 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1992 Republican National Conventions. Mark has also served as international election consultant on a dozen different national election systems for International Republican Institute (IRI), International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), National Democratic Institute (NDI), and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Recap: 2013 Republican Lawyer of the Year Honoring George Terwilliger

George Terwilliger (Center) the 2013 Republican Lawyer of the year with(L-R) RNLA Chair Randy Evans, RNLA Board of Governors member Chuck Cooper, Senator Ted Cruz, Mr. Terwilliger, Senator Jeff Sessions, 2004 Lawyer of the Year Dick Wiley, and former White House Counsel Fred Fielding

Tuesday evening, RNLA held a reception in honor of the 2013 Republican Lawyer of the Year George J. Terwilliger III.  The reception featured stars of both the legal and political world gathering together to honor George’s incredible career. 



RNC Chair Reince Priebus congratulates Mr. Terwilliger.

The reception led off with a strong showing by former Virginia Senator John Warner. Although no longer in office, he has not lost a step.  RNLA 2012 Lawyer of the Year J.C. Boggs then introduced RNC Chairman Reince Priebus who both saluted George and thanked the RNLA.  Reince spoke about working with George back when he was the RNC General Counsel and working with RNLA as much as he is allowed to by law. 

Next, Senator Jeff Sessions spoke.  Senator Jeff Sessions had glowing remarks of George and discussed their time together as fellow U.S. Attorneys.  Senator Sessions also discussed current events a bit. He was incrediblly gracious and stayed around afterwards to meet the attendees.  Senator Sessions will always be an RNLA favorite and is a past winner of the RNLA Ed Meese Award. 

A few of George’s collegues, friends and those near and dear to him also spoke about him.  First, a key colleague in his government and professional career, Tim Flanigan, former Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel.  Next was former RNLA Chair David Norcross who spoke about George’s incredible career in political law.  Last in this group of speakers was George’s favorite, his son Zachary Terwilliger.  His son would neither confirm nor deny the rumor that George was born with his beard. 

George got up and gave a very heartwarming speech thanking many close to him.  George took a moment to recognize one special member of the crowd, a member of Seal Team 6, Peter Osyf.  Mr. Terwilliger also recognized his partner and fellow RNLA Award Winner, Fred Fielding in the audience.  Mr. Fielding was the 2013 RNLA Ed Meese award winner. 

2004 Republican Lawyer of the Year, Dick Wiley wrapped up the master of ceremonies duties, but the program was not quite done. 

The program closed with Senator Ted Cruz.  Senator Cruz was introduced by his former law partner Chuck Cooper.  He spoke about just missing George at Morgan Lewis and more importantly Senator Cruz spoke about working with George for long and insane hours in Florida in 2000 during the craziness that was the effort to confirm President George W. Bush’s narrow victory in 2000.  Mr. Terwilliger was a leader in that effort. 
 

Senator Cruz also spoke about the importance of the law, even in the Senate.  His speech was powerful and made an impact on the attendees.  The Senator was gracious enough to shake hands and take pictures with many of the attendees afterwards.

As important as the speeches and presentations were, the event was also thoroughly enjoyable to all who attended it.  In addition to share a glimpse into the career and life of one of the foremost Republican lawyers, guests were able to meet and get their pictures with the legal elite of law and politics. 

Congratulations to George.  We are proud to honor him as the 2013 Republican Lawyer of the Year. 

Please take a look at some of the pictures from the event here.

The Rise of the Fourth Branch

Yesterday, at the Federalist Society's Executive Branch Review Conference an extensive debate about the Rise of the Fourth Branch took place. RNLA’s Lawyer of the Year George Terwilliger took part. He spoke on the Criminal Law at the Federal Level Panel and started by saying that:

Liberty is the cornerstone of our constitutional system and that economic liberty is affected by over-criminalization because it is an economic drag.

He then went into talking about the Fourth Branch with respect to criminal law saying:

Criminal law has its place but that place is to protect the means and instrumentalities of commerce, not the power to enforce arbitrary regulations. These regulations are offensive to principles of fundamental fairness because people don’t know what the regulations are. There also can be disagreements about the interpretation of the regulations. Congress empowers agencies to write the regulations and the regulations define the crimes.

He argued that in order to correct this problem there needs to be a:

Rededication to fairness based on knowing and intentional conduct. Congress also needs to be held accountable because we shouldn’t be regulating commerce through criminal statutes.

Other speakers at the event included Former Congressman David McIntosh, Law Professor Jonathan Turley and Senator Ted Cruz.

Congressman McIntosh started by talking about how as the regulatory state has exploded, regulatory rights have disappeared. He also brought up issues with Separation of powers because Government agencies have the ability to circumvent the intended boundaries established by the constitution. Another practical problem is what constitutes due process in an agency action because the scales are usually heavily weighted in favor of the Agency. Especially with the adoption of the Chevron doctrine, which states that Agency interpretation, is given significant weight in court cases.

Professor Turley spoke about how the founders tried to arrange the branches in such a way that they were captured in orbit. With the rise of the Fourth Branch, administrative agencies have become insulated and independent. Our government wasn’t designed for four branches and that this transition is dangerous because unaccountable Federal agencies are dominating the government.

Senator Cruz talked about the expansion of the “Administrative State” and how it is "one the scariest things" of our time. He said the government is about two things: Power and Accountability. Bureaucrats who are not accountable to the people make these decisions. He ended by saying that the constitution was designed as chains bind the mischievous government.

The rise of the Fourth Branch is a frightening phenomenon because under Obama the government keeps growing as more and more nonelected bureaucrats are put into positions where they can impact Americans with additional regulations. At this point it’s unrealistic to think that even Obama has authority over all of these regulations being put onto small businesses and ordinary Americans. What we should be striving for is a smaller government that is more accountable to the people and not one that arbitrarily imposes regulations that harm our economy.

           

After his display yeaterday, it is only fitting that George Terwilliger will be honored as the Republican Lawyer of the Year on June 25, 2013 at the Capitol Hill Club.