Women lawyers to be honored at St. Louis Daily Record annual awards

St. Louis Daily Record & St. Louis Countian, Mar 20, 2008 by St Louis

The achievements of 18 female lawyers will be recognized next month at the St. Louis Daily Record's 10th annual Women's Justice Awards banquet.

U.S. District Judge Jean C. Hamilton will receive top billing as Woman of the Year. She and the other winners will be feted April 10 at a gala reception at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis, 999 N. Second St.

At past banquets, three awards were presented: the Citizenship Award, the Justice Award and the Woman Lawyer of the Year Award. However, this year the list was expanded.

"We wanted to reach out to more segments of the legal community and recognize a greater representation of women of achievement," said S. Richard Gard Jr., publisher of the Daily Record and its sister newspapers.

The new categories recognize, among others, rising stars, corporate counsel and business professionals, judges and other public officials, law students and legal scholars.

"In just about all of the categories we were able to honor more than one standout," Gard said. "As part of the revamping of the awards, we elevated our Woman of the Year award to the crowning award of the evening."

Hamilton pioneered a number of firsts in Missouri: first woman appointed to the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District, first woman to be chief judge of the appellate court and first woman appointed to the U.S. District Court in St. Louis, where she has served since 1990.

It takes commitment and a strong dedication to justice and fair play to blaze such a trail, said Missouri Supreme Court Judge Richard B. Teitelman, a member of the 11-person committee that chose the winners from about 80 nominations.

He said Hamilton stepped forward with a keen intellect and modesty not often associated with the legal profession.

For Hamilton, one of the most satisfying aspects of her career is mentoring others, she said. She has been paired with two law students at Washington University, her alma mater, meeting with them for dinner or coffee as they push through legal academia.

Teitelman, a friend and colleague of Hamilton's since law school, said she devotes incredible energy to helping young lawyers achieve their goals.

"She has always been available to them," he said. "She takes them out, talks to them, keeps involved with their careers. She cares about people and ... wants them to move forward and succeed."

Below are the other awards and those who will receive them April 10.

* Lawyer's Lawyer Award, in recognition of private practitioners who demonstrate leadership, integrity and other ideals in improving the quality of justice or contributing to the betterment of the legal profession: Ruth A. Binger, a principal at Danna McKitrick; civil defense lawyer Debbie S. Champion, a partner at Rynearson, Suess, Schnurbusch & Champion; and Mary Coffey, a personal injury lawyer at Coffey & Nichols.

* Public Official Award: U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway and Missouri Supreme Court Judge Mary Rhodes Russell.

* Enterprise Award: Linda S. Legg, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of AT&T Advertising and Publishing.

* Citizenship Award, the only award for which lawyers and nonlawyers are eligible: Lynn Loebner Rothbarth, executive director of Legal Advocates for Abused Women; Cheryl D.S. Walker, president and general counsel at Obasi Enterprises, a residential real estate development company; and Dr. Patricia Wolff, a practicing pediatrician and founder of the nonprofit Meds & Food for Kids.

* Rising Star Award: Heather J. Hays, a partner at Rynearson, Suess, Schnurbusch & Champion; Joan M. Lockwood, of Gray, Ritter & Graham; and state Rep. Rachel Storch.

* Legal Scholar Award: Mary M. Beck, director of the Family Violence Clinic at the University of Missouri School of Law, and Maxine I. Lipeles, director of the Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic at Washington University Law School.

* Leaders of Tomorrow Award: Kaitlin Ann Bridges, a third-year law student at the University of Missouri; Latieke Lyles, a third- year law student at Saint Louis University; and Yeena Yoon, a 2007 graduate of Washington University Law School.

Husch Blackwell Sanders also will be honored as Missouri's Best Law Firm for Women, as determined by voters in Missouri Lawyers Weekly's Missouri's Best poll last year.

The reception at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis starts at 6 p.m. The awards presentation and a seated dessert begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $95 each or $950 for a table of 10. They are on sale now at www.thedailyrecord.com/wja. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Amy Burdge at amy.burdge@molawyersmedia.com.