NAWJ Announces Awardees at the 2024 Annual Conference

Congratulations to the 2024 NAWJ Awardees

The Joan Dempsey Klein NAWJ Honoree of the Year Award – Judge Lisa Walsh

This award is presented to a member who has assisted women judges to become more proficient in their profession, helped to solve the legal, social and ethical problems associated with the judiciary, and worked to increase the number of women serving as judges. Justice Joan Dempsey Klein was the co-founder of NAWJ.

From her nominees “Judge Walsh embodies the values and mission of NAWJ and Joan Dempsey Klein and tirelessly gives of herself and her time to mentor law students and young lawyers and new judges. Judge Walsh is a judge of integrity that I admire, and I am proud to call her my friend.”

“Judge Walsh is a tireless advocate for the resettlement of Afghan judges. She works with individual districts to strategize about how to best help these families. She is a tireless advocate for the resettlement of Afghan judges. She works with individual districts to strategize about how to best help these families. She is a wealth of knowledge, suggesting resources and contacts in both the legal and nonlegal community.”

Justice Vaino Spencer Leadership Award – Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero

For outstanding leadership in promoting the vision, core values and mission of NAWJ. Justice Vaino Spencer was the co-founder of NAWJ, and she made significant and long-lasting contributions to the advancement of women in the profession.

Chief Justice Guerrero has long been recognized for excellence in her judicial role at each level from the Superior Court to the Appellate Court to the seat as the highest Justice in the largest state in the United States. Chief Justice Guerrero renewed her commitment to civic learning and engagement with the Judicial Branch Power of Democracy Civic Learning Initiative and one of the highlights of these efforts is a statewide program called Judges in the Classroom. The goal of these important programs is to foster improved civic learning opportunities for California's K-12 students.

Chief Justice Guerrero has dedicated countless hours of volunteer work to her community as an attorney and as a judicial officer. We are grateful to Chief Justice Guerrero for all that she has done and continues to do to foster civility in our courts and supporting access to justice for all. She sits as the first woman Latina Judge for the California Supreme Court and maintains her intellectual excellence and a sense of humility.

The Florence K. Murray Award – District Attorney Summer Stephan

This award is presented to a non-judge who, by example or otherwise, has influenced women to pursue legal careers, opened doors for women attorneys, or advanced opportunities for women within the legal profession.

DA Stephan is a national leader in the fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation. She has also worked to create realistic solutions to prevent crime and reduce recidivism. As one of her nominees said, “District Attorney Summer Stephan has devoted her life to protecting children and families, providing justice to the most vulnerable, and is a national leader in the fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation.”  

In 2022, Summer was named one of The Five Best Prosecutors in America, utilizing evaluation factors of integrity, fidelity to the rule of law, responsible innovations, and community relations.

This year she received the Frank Goldsmith Lifetime Achievement Award for her work to prevent crime and educate people about illicit substances and is the current president of the National  District Attorneys Association

Mattie Belle Davis Award – Sarah London

The Mattie Belle Davis Award recognizes a member who has gone above and beyond their role as a member and volunteer, to help make a difference in the organization and further its mission. The Award also is made in recognition of the recipient’s dedication to furthering and supporting women in the legal profession.

Sarah London, a partner at Lieff Cabraser, is a true leader in the plaintiffs’ bar and a determined, skilled, and experienced advocate for the injured, employees, and consumers. Sarah has risen to national prominence as a result of appointments to and success in leadership roles in multiple pivotal lawsuits. She has been recognized three times, include this year by The Daily Journal in their The Top Women Lawyers in California. The award recognizes exemplary female attorney trailblazers and change makers doing cutting-edge legal work in their field. And is the 2024 recipient of the California Lawyer of the Year Award from California Lawyer.

Sarah has been the co-chair of the NAWJ Resource Board for five years. In addition to her continual support, she has produced several education events for NAWJ via webinar and at annual conferences.

Norma Wikler Excellence in Service Award – Judge Toni Clarke

Professor Norma Wikler  was an outstanding teacher who inspired generations of students with her passionate investigation of social inequalities and strategies for social change in a broad range of institutions: the courts and legal system, health care, the military, among others.

Professor Wikler helped introduce judicial education programs on gender bias in decision making. The first program was given to a California judge. In 1980, she became the founding director of the National Judicial Education Program on Gender Bias in the Courts, a project of NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund. She wrote extensively on women in the courts and was a tireless advocate for women’s rights in the judiciary,

Judge Toni Clarke has been an advocate for women in volunteer leadership positions throughout her career. She instituted the Planting A Seed program at all in person NAWJ events to promote the legal profession among young women. During Juge Clarke’s year as president, she developed a Heritage webinar series honoring women and minorities throughout the year. She continues her service to NAWJ in the 2024-2029 Strategic Planning Taskforce ensuring NAWJ continues to in our mission of supporting women in the judiciary.”