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    June 05, 2023 Women in the Profession

    Commission announces 2023 Margaret Brent honorees

    Five female lawyers with careers spanning the judiciary, law school academia, private practice and government service will receive the 2023 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award from the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession. The award was established in 1991 to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of female lawyers who have achieved professional excellence within their specialty and paved the way for others.

    The ABA's Margaret Brent Award is named for the first woman to practice law in the United States, who won 124 court cases over eight years.

    The ABA's Margaret Brent Award is named for the first woman to practice law in the United States, who won 124 court cases over eight years.

    American Bar Association photo graphic

    The awards will be presented at a ceremony and reception at 3-5:30 p.m. MDT on Aug. 6, during the 2023 ABA Annual Meeting in Denver. For ticket and registration information, please visit ambar.org/annual.

    “These five distinguished lawyers are role models for all women in the legal profession. We honor their achievements and look forward to celebrating with them at the 2023 Margaret Brent Awards ceremony,” said commission member Victoria Alvarez, co-chair of the Margaret Brent Awards committee.

    The 2023 Margaret Brent Award honorees are:

    • Honorable Sabrina S. McKenna, associate justice, Supreme Court of the State of Hawaii, Honolulu
    • Melissa Murray, Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law, New York University School of Law, New York City
    • Yvette Ostolaza, chair of Management Committee of Sidley Austin LLP and Executive Committee member, Dallas
    • Deborah Willig, managing partner, Willig, Williams & Davidson, Philadelphia
    • Jill Wine-Banks, MSNBC contributor, author “The Watergate Girl,” co-host #SistersInLaw and iGenPolitics podcasts, Evanston, Illinois

    The award is named for Margaret Brent, the first woman to practice law in the United States. She was involved in 124 court cases over eight years and won every case. In 1648, Brent formally demanded a “vote and voice” in the Maryland Assembly, which the governor denied. Click here to watch a video about Margaret Brent’s life.

    Previous recipients of the award include U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

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