[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 52 (Tuesday, May 2, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E615]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING CHARLES F. RYAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. STEVEN R. ROTHMAN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 2, 2000

  Mr. ROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I honor a longtime friend and 
colleague, Charles F. Ryan, who will be inducted as President of the 
Bergen County Bar Association Friday, May 5, 2000. This is another 
milestone in Chuck's outstanding career, which is distinguished by his 
constant dedication to using his expertise in the law to improve the 
lives of people throughout Bergen County, New Jersey.
  After serving three years of active duty in the United States Marine 
Corps where he rose to the rank of Sergeant, Chuck pursued a Bachelor's 
Degree at the University of Notre Dame. Chuck then came home to New 
Jersey, where he earned his law degree at Rutgers University.
  Ever the activist, Chuck involved himself in the Young Lawyers 
Section of the Bergen County Bar Association, first as a member and 
later as its president. For four years, Chuck also co-edited the Young 
Lawyer Section's publication, Hearsay. The success of Hearsay led the 
Bergen County Bar Association to establish its own newspaper, 
Barrister, for which Chuck has been a valued contributor and author of 
the ``Family Law/Around the Courthouse'' column.
  One common denominator in Chuck's work is that he constantly strives 
to expand access to the legal system and make it work better for those 
involved. Chuck represented the Bergen County Bar Association for five 
years on the Board of Directors of Bergen County Legal Services, and 
helped develop the Legal Services Board's annual Pro Bono Award Program 
which recognizes the contributions to the public good made by lawyers 
and law firms in the Bergen County.
  In this same vein, Chuck founded the Alternatives to Domestic 
Violence Lawyers Referral Panel 14 years ago, and he remains a 
coordinator on the panel to this day. Chuck gathered lawyers from 
throughout Bergen County practicing matrimonial law, with particular 
experience and knowledge in the area of domestic violence, to provide 
emergency consultation and representation to victims of domestic 
violence. These lawyers agree to accept no fees, or work on a sliding-
scale fee, according to the ability of the client to pay. With this 
expertise, the Bergen County Bar Association tapped Chuck two years ago 
to establish and co-chair the Bergen County Domestic Violence Pro Bono 
Lawyers Project, which has recruited and trained 89 lawyers to 
represent domestic violence victims. Fittingly, Chuck was honored last 
year by both the New Jersey State Senate and the New Jersey General 
Assembly for his tireless efforts on behalf of victims of domestic 
violence.
  Though these accomplishments testify to Chuck's efforts in the 
professional arena, he is also an active member of the Bergen County 
community. Chuck is married and is the father of four children, and 
works in both private practice and as a prosecutor in Park Ridge, New 
Jersey. He is a former Commander of the Midland Park/Wyckoff Veterans 
of Foreign Wars Post 7086, and is Director of the Midland Park Chamber 
of Commerce. Chuck has also been a coach on the Midland Park Soccer, 
Little League Baseball, Little League Softball, and Girls Basketball 
teams, and has served as a guest lecturer on family law at Montclair 
State College and Rutgers Law School.
  Mr. Speaker I have been fortunate to know and work with Chuck Ryan 
for the past 20 years and I am proud to count him as a dear friend. I 
wish him the best of luck on his induction as President of the Bergen 
County Bar Association, and expect him to thrive in that position as he 
has in every other task he has taken on in his life.

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