As Environmental Law Institute acting president Scott Schang prepares to step down, lawyers gathered to toast to his 12 years with ELI. We snapped Scott, right, with three other past ELI presidents: Scott Fulton, Leslie Carothers and Bill Futrell. Scott took over as acting president of the 46-year-old organization in January after John Cruden became US Assistant AG for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. Before joining ELI in '03, he did environmental law work at Cleary Gottlieb and Latham. He told the crowd that his connection with ELI started in '88, when Cleary gave him an ELI membership.

You stay at ELI for the people, said Scott, and a real belief in advancing the rule of law. A Yale and Georgetown Law grad, Scott was long editor-in-chief of ELI's prolific Environmental Law Reporter. The crowd laughed as he was presented with a framed copy of a mock ELR front page filled with jokes and memories from Scott's years with ELI.

The celebration was hosted at the Dupont Circle home of Paul Hastings environmental law partner Tom Mounteer, above, who's been a member of the ELI board for six years.

Nearby, we spotted ELI VP Martin Dickinson, who tells us he's retiring in December. He caught up with former DuPont VP, Assistant GC and Chief Anti-Trust and Environmental Counsel Martha Rees, who retired earlier this year after 42 years with DuPont. She's staying busy as an ELI board member and board chair of the Easter Seals for Delaware & Maryland's Eastern Shore.

Guests sipped on wine and enjoyed hors d'oeuvres from Corcoran Caterers. Here, Environmental Working Group GC Thomas Cluderay and Bergeson & Campbell owner Lynn Bergeson, who focuses on environmental law issues such as the Toxic Substances Control Act and European Union Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals and how they interact with emerging technologies.