SEATTLE - The University of Washington School of Law recognized four distinguished alumni last night at the 2007 Alumni Recognition Banquet. This year's award recipients are:
Ms. Polly McNeill '87
Service Recognition Award
Mr. Jerry McNaul '68
Mr. Chang Rok Woo '83
Distinguished Alumni Award
Mr. Todd Larson '88
Henry M. Jackson Distinguished Public Service Award
(l to r) Jerry McNaul '68, Chang Rok Woo '83, Dean W.H. Knight, Polly McNeill '87, and Todd Larsen '88.
Following are biographies of the award recipients:
Ms. Polly McNeill '87
“Polly McNeill is a catalyst for change through her commitment to and engagement with the UW School of Law. Polly’s support of student groups and scholarship is unquestioned.” (Gail Stone ’92)
Polly McNeill, recently named CEO of the Summit Law Group in Seattle, is an
expert in environmental law and land use. Her practice involves dealing with
unique problems associated with contaminated property, and she has negotiated cleanups, contractual allocations of risk, and prospective
purchaser agreements under both federal and state laws. She has managed land use development and permitting for many industrial
and commercial developments. In addition to practicing in state and federal courts, Polly works with many local jurisdictions and most
state regulatory agencies, including the Department of Ecology, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, and the Department of Natural Resources.
Polly is an ardent supporter of the School of Law. For more than 10 years, she was a member of the Law School Alumni Association
and was president from 2001 to 2003. Through her leadership, the association increased engagement among alumni, students, and faculty, and thanks to her fundraising efforts, students benefit from
increased scholarships.
A volunteer with endless energy, Polly is often seen at the law school judging moot court practices and assisting student teams. She provides guidance for clinic programs and welcomes new incoming
classes. She offers support and kind words for students taking the bar exam and continues to remain in close contact with law school
alumni through her work with recent graduates and class reunions.
Mr. Jerry McNaul '68
“Jerry McNaul served on the Law School Alumni Association as an officer for many years. He served with wisdom, wit, and good will. He is a distinguished member of the Washington State Bar and the Federal
Bar and is a credit to the University of Washington School of Law.” (Lish Whitson ’72)
Jerry McNaul graduated from the School
of Law in 1968 and began his career as a
trial attorney with the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, DC,
before joining the Seattle firm of Culp Dwyer Guterson & Grader
in 1970. A specialist in commercial, employment, construction, and
antitrust litigation, he remained with the firm until its dissolution in
1995 and then became a founding partner in McNaul Ebel Nawrot &
Helgren PPLC.
A fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Jerry has been
recognized widely for his expertise, serving as a special assistant
attorney general in major construction cases, including the sinking
of the I-90 bridge and the construction and expansion of the
Washington State Convention and Trade Center. In addition, counsel
and/or federal and state court judges have frequently appointed
or selected Jerry to serve as mediator, arbitrator, or special master
in major cases involving intellectual property rights, construction,
antitrust, class actions, and employment and environmental issues.
Throughout his career, Jerry has maintained close ties to the law
school. He was a member and officer of the Law School Alumni
Association for many years. In addition, he has been co-chair of
the Civil Justice Reform Act Committee of the U.S. District Court
for Western Washington, trustee for the Seattle-King County Bar
Association, and chair of the Washington State Bar Association Rules
and Procedures Committee.
Mr. Chang Rok Woo '83
“C.R. Woo represents the finest tradition of private lawyers in the public service. I am proud to have had him as a student.” (Roland Hjorth, Garvey Schubert & Barer Professor of Law, Dean Emeritus)
Chang Rok Woo is the founding partner
and current managing partner at Yulchon,
one of the largest and fastest-growing
full-service law firms in Korea. Under
C.R.’s leadership Yulchon has grown to more then 140 professionals.
In addition to his executive duties as managing partner, C.R. has
an active tax law practice and is widely regarded as a preeminent
specialist in the tax field.
C.R. is a member of the Korean Bar Association, the International
Fiscal Association, the International Bar Association, and the Inter-
Pacific Bar Association. He is an active member and past president of
the International Association of Korean Lawyers. He is the current
president of the Korea Tax Law Association and board chair of the
Center for Asian Law.
C.R. volunteers for many educational and charitable organizations.
For six years he has been the president of the University of
Washington Alumni Association in Korea, and in that role, he
conducted the first Korean alumni homecoming at the UW in 2001.
C.R. has also led the fundraising campaign for the University’s Korea
Study Center. A member of the board of trustees for both Ewha
Women’s University and Concord Academy, he is also a director of
the Community Chest of Korea, the Milal Welfare Foundation, and
the South-North Korea Sharing Campaign; auditor for the Agape
Foundation; and an outside director for major corporations including
Hyundai Card Co., Allianz Life Korea, and Hyundai Mobis Co.
Mr. Todd Larson '88
“The University of Washington School of Law is a leader in promoting human rights, and Todd’s leadership within the United Nations is a tremendous example of what one can do to change the world for the
better.” (John Clynch ’89)
After two years in Togo, West Africa, with
the Peace Corps, Todd Larson entered
the UW and graduated in 1988 with his
JD from the School of Law and his MA from the Jackson School of
International Studies.
Under a Ford Foundation International Human Rights Bingham
Fellowship, he worked first with the Southern Africa Project of the
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights in Washington, DC, and then
as observer to the political process which led to independence
elections in Namibia, collaborating in the latter connection with the
United Nations Transition Assistance Group. Todd began his career
in the United Nations working with the U.N. High Commissioner for
Refugees in Indonesia and Malaysia and thereafter with the U.N.
Department of Peacekeeping Operations in Cambodia, Haiti, and
the former Yugoslavia. In recent years, Todd has been working with
the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, and New York City. He
is presently with the World Intellectual Property Organization, a
specialized agency of the United Nations. In his current position,
Todd frequently lectures at law schools throughout the United
States.
Todd’s efforts to advance employment protections for gay and
lesbian staff of the United Nations throughout the world, as advisor
in his free time to the Federation of International Civil Servants’
Associations and the U.N. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Employees group,
led directly to the first affirmative, internal policy initiatives in
the U.N.’s 60-year history in favor of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender rights. Todd, who is currently on the board of the
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, also
teaches a course on international organizations at Hunter College in
New York City.
See more about the awards, past recipients, and nominations.