Margaret Brent Awards

    Each year, the Commission on Women in the Profession honors up to five outstanding women lawyers who have achieved professional excellence and paved the way for other women in the legal profession.  The award recipients are honored at the Margaret Brent Luncheon every ABA Annual Meeting.

    2021 Brent Nominations Are Closed

    The awardees will be announced after ABA Midyear Meeting in February.

    Details about the Award

    Margaret Brent was the first woman lawyer in America, arriving in the colonies in 1638. The Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, established by the Commission in 1991, recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of women lawyers who have excelled in their field and have paved the way to success for other women lawyers.

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    2020 Margaret Brent Awards Recipients

    Click here to see the five extraordinary women who received the 2020 Margaret Brent Award!

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    2020 Margaret Brent Supporters

    Thank You to the Generous Supporters of the 2020 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Awards Ceremony.

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    Learn about Previous Winners

    Honorees receiving the Margaret Brent Award have achieved professional excellence in their field and influenced other woman to pursue legal careers, opened doors for women lawyers in a variety of job settings that historically were closed to them, and/or advanced opportunities for women within a practice area or segment of the profession.

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    Who Was Margaret Brent?

    Margaret Brent was the first woman lawyer in America. She arrived in the colonies in 1638. She was a master negotiator, an accomplished litigator, and a respected leader. She was involved in 124 court cases over eight years and won every case. In 1648 she formally demanded a “vote and voice” in the Maryland Assembly, which the governor denied. Over 250 years later, Harper’s magazine noted: “By this action, Margaret Brent undoubtedly placed herself as the first woman in America to make a stand for the rights of her sex.”