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Chairman Phil Mendelson 2
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A PROPOSED RESOLUTION 6
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 9
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To reappoint Ms. Laura Hankins to the Commission on the Selection and Tenure of Administrative 12
Law Judges of the Office of Administrative Hearings. 13
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RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 15
resolution may be cited as the “ Commission on the Selection and Tenure of Administrative Law 16
Judges of the Office of Administrative Hearings Laura Hankins Reappointment Resolution of 17
2026”. 18
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Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia reappoints: 20
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Ms. Laura Hankins 22
Quesada Street, NW 23
Washington, DC 20015 24
(Ward 4) 25
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as a voting member of the Commission on the Selection and Tenure of Administrative Law Judges 27
of the Office of Administrative Hearings, established by section 9 of the Office of Administrative 28
Hearings Establishment Act of 2001, effective March 6, 2002 (D.C. Law 14 -76; D.C. Official 29
Code § 2-1831.06), to serve a 3-year term to end April 30, 2029. 30
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution, 31
upon its adoption, to the appointee, to the Commission on the Selection and Tenure of 32
Administrative Law Judges of the Office of Administrative Hearings , and to the Office of the 33
Mayor. 34
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 35
LAURA E.HANKINS
LEGAL EXPERIENCE
PUBLICDEFENDERSERVICE,Washington,D.C.GeneralCounsel. 2016- present
ResponsibleforprovidingcounseltotheexecutivemanagementteamonissuesrelatedtoPDSoperations;researchandanalyzelegalissuesconfrontingtheagency,includingprofessionalethics;provideprofessionalethicstrainingtonewemployees;assessandprovideadviceforreducinglegalriskstotheagency;representPDSandworkwithoutsidecounselonlegalmattersinvolvingPDS;assistwithdraftingPDSpublications,includingbudgetsubmissionsandinternalpolicies;andsupervisemultiplePDSdivisions.
SpecialCounseltotheDirector. 2000-2016Workedonlegislativemattersonbehalfoftheagency;testifiedbeforetheD.C.CouncilandconsultedwithCouncilmembersoncriminaljustice,juvenilejustice,andmentalhealthlegislation.
ServedontheD.C.CriminalJuryInstructions(“Redbook”)DraftingCommitteetodraftnewinstructionsandreviseexistinginstructionsinlightofrecentcaselaw.ServedasagencyrepresentativetoandvotingmemberoftheD.C.SentencingandCriminalCodeRevisionCommission;helpedtocreatetheD.C.VoluntarySentencingGuidelinesandwritetheGuidelinesPracticeManual.ServedasagencyrepresentativetotheD.C.CriminalCodeReformCommissionresponsibleforrevisingtheentirecriminalcodefortheDistrict.
Staff Attorney. 1992 - 1997,
RepresentedindigentjuvenilesandadultschargedwithcrimesintheSuperiorCourtoftheDistrictofColumbia.Litigatedcasesandnegotiatedpleas.Interviewedclientsandinvestigatedcases.Wroteappellatebriefs.EditedchaptersoftheD.C.CriminalPracticeInstituteManual.Identifiedandcoordinatedsocialservicesinaidofsentencing.Supervisedjuniorattorneys.
UDCDAVIDA.CLARKESCHOOLOFLAW,Washington,D.C. 2022-2023AdjunctProfessor,LawyeringProcessI&II.Taughtlegalanalysisandwritingtofirst-yeareveningstudents;taughtconceptsofobjectiveandpersuasivelegalwriting;providedsubstantialfeedbackonstudents’writtenworkandmootarguments.
NAACPLEGALDEFENSE& EDUCATIONALFUND,INC.,Washington,D.C. 1997-2000AssistantCounsel,CriminalJusticeProject.Representedinmatesinbothfederalandstatepost-convictionproceedings;succeededinhavingthreewrongfullyconvictedmenfreedfromprison.Assistedinpreparingtwopardonapplications,bothofwhichwereultimatelygrantedbyPresidentClinton.Representeddefendantandledjointdefenseofco-defendantsintrialproceedingsinUSS.DistrictCourt,NorthernDistrictofAlabama.Providedexpertiseonissues
relatingtoimprovingstateindigentdefensesystems.Consultedwithotheradvocacygroupsandstateandfederallegislatorsoncriminaljusticeissues,particularlywithrespecttotheireffecton
theAfricanAmericancommunity.AppearedtwiceonABCNewsNightlinetodiscusspost-convictioncases.
EDUCATION
HARVARD UNIVERSITY, J.D. cum laude 1992
BROWN UNIVERSITY, B.A., economics 1987
BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
LEGAL ETHICS COMMITTEE, D.C. Bar 2010 – 2016; 2023-present
The Legal Ethics Committee issues opinions and provides guidance to the Bar on the
interpretation and application of the DC Bar Rules of Professional Conduct. The Committee meets
monthly to discuss the opinions drafted by the members of the Committee.
ABA CRIMINAL JUSTICE SECTION SENTENCING TASK FORCE, Washington, DC 2018 - present
Act as the National Legal Aid & Defender Association liaison to the ABA CJS Sentencing Task
Force. The Task Force meets semi-annually and is charged with updating the ABA Standards for
Criminal Justice: Sentencing.
RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT REVIEW COMMITTEE, D.C. Bar 2015 - 2022
The Rules Review Committee, through monthly meetings and subcommittee working
groups, reviews the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct for possible revisions and amendments.
CAMPAIGN FOR YOUTH JUSTICE, Washington, DC 2009 - 2018
Vice Chair, Board of Directors. Advocacy organization working to end the practice of trying
and sentencing children under the age of 18 in the adult criminal justice system.
SEE FOREVER FOUNDATION, Washington, DC 1997 - 1999
Member, Board of Directors and volunteer. Originally, an organization that ran a job
training and tutoring program connected with a pizza business; now an organization that runs the
Maya Angelou Public Charter Schools.
NATIONAL VOTING RIGHTS INSTITUTE, Boston, MA 1994 - 2006
President, Board of Directors. Litigation and public education group challenging the
constitutionality of the campaign finance system on equal protection grounds.
Admitted to the District of Columbia Bar, November 1992. Admitted to practice before the United
States Supreme Court, April 1998; the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Circuit, December 2017; and the United States District and Bankruptcy Courts for the District of
Columbia, December 2017.