US AIR FORCE (RETIRED) LINDA STRITE MURNANE AND ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE (RETIRED) RUTH COOPER BURG TO RECEIVE THE MARGARET BRENT AWARD

NAWJ member Colonel (US Air Force, Retired) Linda Strite Murnane has been named a recipient of the prestigious Margaret Brent Award, to be bestowed by the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession at the ABA Annual Conference in New York City this August. Since her involvement as an active NAWJ member, and throughout her career, Linda has been a constant mentor for women. She paved the way for women lawyers in the military, opening doors that were historically closed to them, and advancing opportunities for women in the military as well as championing the rights and opportunities of women and minorities generally. Linda's historical review of the legislative changes which have literally transformed the Armed Forces' approach to women in their ranks was recently published by the Duke Law Journal of Gender Law and Policy and details the very difficult challenges that she and other women faced during the period in which she served her country.

Administrative Judge (Retired) Ruth Cooper Burg was also named a recipient of the ABA's 2008 Margaret Brent Award. In 1972, Ruth was the first woman appointed to serve as Administrative Judge and Division Head of the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals; she served as the only woman on that bench for 8 years, and since then acted as a mentor for every woman appointed. Among a long list of firsts, Ruth also was the first woman to chair the ABA section on Public Contract Law. In recognition of Ruth's many years of active mentoring of other women who since then have participated as chairs or members of the section, the ABA instituted an annual luncheon in her honor, the Ruth C. Burg Luncheon for Women in Public Contract Law.

We are thrilled that two of our long-time members have been so appropriately recognized, and are enormously proud to include both among the very long and prestigious list of NAWJ members and staff who have received this award.