Women in the Law

ABA announces 2023 Margaret Brent Award recipients

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Silhouettes of five women

Image from Shutterstock.

Five women who are continuing the legacy of the first female lawyer in America will receive the 2023 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award at the ABA Annual Meeting in August, the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession has announced.

The Commission on Women in the Profession established the annual award in 1991 to recognize female lawyers who have excelled in their field and paved the way for other women. It is named for Margaret Brent, who arrived in the colonies in 1638 and was involved in 124 court cases in more than eight years. She reportedly won every case.

This year’s Margaret Brent Award recipients are:

    • Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Sabrina S. McKenna

    Melissa Murray, a professor at the New York University School of Law

    • Yvette Ostolaza, a partner at Sidley Austin in Dallas and chair of its management committee

    • Deborah Willig, managing partner of Willig, Williams & Davidson in Philadelphia

    Jill Wine-Banks, an Evanston, Illinois-based MSNBC contributor, podcast host and author of The Watergate Girl: My Fight for Truth and Justice Against a Criminal President

The 2023 Margaret Brent Awards ceremony and reception will be Aug. 6 at the Hyatt Regency Denver. For more information on the award and event, visit the Commission on Women in the Profession’s website.

The ABA Annual Meeting is Aug. 2 to 8 in Denver.

See also:

ABAJournal.com: “ABA honors 5 female trailblazers with Margaret Brent awards”

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