Tag: Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement

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Now Open: Call for Recommendations for ABA’s Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award

Each year, the NAPABA Margaret Brent Award Committee reviews the outstanding pool of well-qualified NAPABA members to select a woman to be nominated by NAPABA for the American Bar Association’s Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award. NAPABA is now accepting recommendations for the 2025 award cycle. The deadline to submit a recommendation is Wednesday, December 4, at 11:59 pm ET.

The Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, established 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. These women demonstrate excellence in a variety of professional settings and personify excellence on either the national, regional, or local level. Most recently, NAPABA nominated Gina Shishima, who was honored with this prestigious award in August 2024.

If you are interested in submitting a recommendation, please visit our webpage to learn more about qualifications and requirements.

Criteria

  1. The individual achieved professional excellence in her field AND
  2. Influenced other women to pursue legal careers, OR
  3. Opened doors for women lawyers in a variety of job settings that historically were closed to them, OR
  4. Advanced opportunities for women within a practice area or segment of the profession.

Nominees may be ABA members or nonmembers. Sitting members of the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession may not be nominated.

Nomination Application Requirements

Nominators may be asked to register for a SurveyMonkey account if they still need to register before gaining access to the application portal.
A. Nominee’s Resume – Include the nominee’s resume or biography describing her background and contributions.

B. Award Criteria Narrative – In no more than three typed pages, provide specific, concrete examples for criterion #1 and at least one of criteria numbers 2 through 4 below:

  1. The individual achieved professional excellence in her field AND
  2. Influenced other women to pursue legal careers, OR
  3. Opened doors for women lawyers in a variety of job settings that historically were closed to them, OR
  4. Advanced opportunities for women within a practice area or segment of the profession.

C. Articles and Letters – To present a comprehensive picture of the nominee, please include (1) up to 10 news or magazine articles written by or about the candidate and (2) no more than 5 letters of support from individuals or organizations. The Commission relies on the entire nomination packet in selecting each year’s honorees. The limitation on articles and letters of support will be observed; anything in excess of 5 letters or ten articles will not be considered. A letter of support can have a maximum of 5 signatories only. For this category, the number of pages is capped at 80.

D. Complete Submission Package
Only complete submissions will be considered.

To submit a recommendation, go here.

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ABA Announces Wendy Shiba as Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Honoree

For Immediate Release: 
Date: April 8, 2022 

Contact: Mary Tablante, Associate Strategic Communications & Marketing Director

WASHINGTON – This week, the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Profession announced NAPABA Past President Wendy Shiba as a recipient of the 2022 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award. Each year, the Commission honors up to five outstanding women lawyers who have achieved professional excellence and paved the way for other women in the legal profession.

A retired C-suite executive, Wendy made sustainable impacts and provided a stable hand at three NYSE-listed companies where she navigated her companies through multiple challenges and transitions. Wendy is a member of the ABA’s House of Delegates and Standing Committee on Bar Activities and Services, President-Elect of Enix-Ross’s Presidential Appointments Committee, and Vice Chair of the Committee on Rights of Women on the ABA Section on Civil Rights and Social Justice.

“It was NAPABA’s honor to nominate Wendy Shiba, an exceptionally gifted corporate attorney from Altadena, California, for this award. Wendy exemplifies the spirit of Margaret Brent through her accomplishments and dedication to uplifting women,” said A.B. Cruz III, NAPABA acting president. “Not only has she had a career where she was either the first Asian American, woman, or person of color in various spaces, it was always important for her to create opportunities for others. Driven by her passion for equality and ensuring underserved communities have legal representation, Wendy has used her business acumen, wisdom, leadership, and approachability to benefit her local community, the APA community, and the legal profession. She is a true champion for women and diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.”

In addition to being Past President of NAPABA, Wendy is a member of its Leadership Advisory Council and serves as Advisory Board Member for the 2021-2022 Board of Governors. Wendy also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Japanese American National Museum and on the Steering Committee for the Los Angeles Summer Legal Institute, Just the Beginning Foundation’s cornerstone youth program.

Also receiving the Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award this year are:

  • Michele Goodwin; Chancellor’s Professor, University of California, Irvine School of Law; Senior Lecturer, Harvard Medical School; Host of On The Issues With Michele Goodwin at Ms. Magazine; Laguna Beach, CA.
  • Christina L. Martini; Partner, Global Head of McDermott’s Trademark Prosecution and Controversy Practice, McDermott Will & Emery; Chicago, IL.
  • Laura J. Schumacher; Vice Chairman, External Affairs and Chief Legal Officer, AbbVie; North Chicago, IL.
  • Myra C. Selby; Partner, Ice Miller; Indianapolis, IN.


The award recipients will be honored on Sunday, August 7 in Chicago.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting APA communities. Through its national network, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of all backgrounds in the legal profession.

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