The Children's Law Center's annual Helping Children Soar Benefit at the Kennedy Center raised $1.2M this year to help DC's at-risk children. The nonprofit assists 5,000 children and families each year, with a mission to improve children's lives by leveraging the legal, medical and educational systems. A group of honorees pose with CLC executive director Judith Sandalow, right: event co-chair Justin Gray, Latham DC managing partner Alice Fisher, Andrea Gray, and Sen. Robert Casey, who accepted the Distinguished Child Advocate Award on behalf of the late Rep. William Gray.

Gray Global Advisors' Justin Gray—son of the late Rep. William Gray—co-chaired the event with The Raben Group's Robert Raben. Both discussed their personal connections to CLC's work, which for Justin was the combination of helping the most vulnerable populations and supporting young adults and children with disabilities, something that his parents both emphasized. His father, who'd been Chairman of the House Budget Committee, House Majority Whip, and CEO of the United Negro College Fund—where his fundraising generated the college fund $1.5B—was known for his dedication to education, healthcare, and disability access rights.

More than 400 guests attended the gala. Covington litigator and former FEC GC Tony Herman, right, just stepped down as CLC board chairman after four years. We snapped him with CLC's Brian Shook and Ramshead Advisors' Deborah Wilson, who joined CLC's board a couple of weeks ago. (Check out some of our past CLC gala coverage from 2014, 2012 and 2011.)

On the rooftop terrace, we found the new CLC board chairman, Stradley Ronon corporate & securities practice group chair Ted Segal, right (with Hibu's David Sharman and CLC board member and Ernst & Young assistant GC Melissa Wiley). Ted tells us that his three top goals for the upcoming year are deepening CLC’s relationship with the legal community to expand access to justice for DC’s kids; increasing CLC’s visibility and financial support; and using his professional talent for building partnerships to help CLC further develop strong corporate relationships.

The rain held off long enough for us to snap a group of Latham attorneys celebrating the firm being honored with the 2015 Children's Pro Bono Champion Award. The award was accepted by DC managing partner Alice Fisher, right.