Need a mood boost? There’s really no better place than the ABA Annual Meeting to find some inspiration.
The best and brightest among us gather here— innovators, change-makers and trailblazers, among them.
Honor our finest at these special occasions and reconnect with the reasons you love the law:
ABA Medal (Aug. 2) —The power of the law to move mountains is the story of Emmet Bondurant, who joins the likes of Supreme Court Justices Anthony M. Kennedy and Ruth Bader Ginsburg in receipt of the ABA Medal, the association’s highest honor.
Bondurant, now retired, has been on the cutting edge of civil rights for more than five decades. At only 26, the Atlanta-based attorney argued successfully before the Supreme Court in the 1963 voting rights case known for the “one person, one vote” rule. His victories continued, with Bondurant bookending his storied career in recent passage of Georgia’s Indigent Defense Act.
Draw wisdom from Bondurant’s enduring relevance. His work remains a blueprint for those fighting for our most vulnerable.
Thurgood Marshall Award (Aug. 3)—The2024 honoree of the Civil Rights and Social Justice Section, Eva Jefferson Paterson personifies justice in action. An advocate for civil rights since her childhood, Paterson toured her home state of Illinois reciting Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech while in high school. Her commitment to equal rights only grew stronger from there, in a direct line from student activist to equal rights advocate and civil rights champion.
Paterson’s service as a warrior to marginalized communities extends more than 40 years, culminating as founder of the Equal Justice Project in 2000, which amplified her reach.
The good advice that Paterson will give at the dinner to honor her isn’t the only reason to stop by. She will also be the lead singer for The Coolerators, a side-gig band formed with seven other champions of civil rights.
Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Awards (Aug. 4)—Don’t forget to bring your hanky to the reception that honors the accomplishments of women in law. The acceptance speeches always offer touching insights into the loved ones who propelled forward the recipients’ groundbreaking careers.
This year the Commission on Women celebrates five trailblazers, all of whom mirror the pioneering career of the award’s namesake who, as the first women lawyer in America, was involved in 124 court cases over eight years and won every one. The honorees are:
· Dolores Atencio, visiting scholar, University of Denver Latinx Center, Sturm College of Law, Denver
· Pamila J. Brown, associate judge, Howard County District Court, Ellicott City, Maryland
· Estelle H. Rogers, retired public interest lawyer, Forestville, California
· Gina Shishima, chief strategy and operations partner, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, Austin, Texas
· Barbara Wall, board member and former chief legal and operating officer, Gannett Co. Inc., Washington, D.C.
Meet more superstars at Annual
Fawaz Bham, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, Dallas, TX, Pro Bono Publico Award, Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, Pro Bono Awards
Christine Pate, Legal Program Director, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault, Anchorage, AK, Sharon Corbitt Award, Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence, Pro Bono Awards
Erica Levine Powers, Albany, NY, Daniel J. Curtin, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award, Section of State & Local Government Law, Jefferson B. Fordham Awardsr
Judith Rice, Circuit Judge, Domestic Violence Division, Circuit Court of Cook County, Chicago, IL, Judith S. Kaye Award, Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence, Pro Bono Awards
James Volling, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Minneapolis, MN, Pro Bono Publico Award, Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, Pro Bono Awards
Pauline Weaver, former ABA secretary, John H. Pickering Award of Achievement, Senior Lawyers Division, John H. Pickering Award Presentation
Adrian Urquhart Winder, Foster Garvey, Seattle, WA, Pro Bono Publico Award, Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, Pro Bono Awards
Elizabeth M. Yang, WStrong LLC, Reston, VA, Anita P. Miller Advocacy, Section of State & Local Government Law, Jefferson B. Fordham Awards
And, the Task Force on American Democracy honors “Unsung Heroes of Democracy” at the Democracy Summit.