Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

22
Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony Wednesday, April 28, 2021 7-8 pm A Virtual Celebration Celebrating the Women’s Law Center and honoring Maryland’s exceptional leaders

Transcript of Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

Page 1: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

Wednesday, April 28, 20217-8 pm

A Virtual Celebration

Celebrating the Women’s Law Center andhonoring Maryland’s exceptional leaders

Page 2: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

Program

7:00 pmWelcome

Meghan Marek, PresidentMichelle Daugherty Siri, Executive Director

Awards Presentation

Presentation of the 27th Rosalyn B. Bell AwardSheila K. Sachs, In Memoriam

Presentation of the 34th Dorothy Beatty Memorial AwardNicole Hanson-Mundell

Presentation of the Access to Justice AwardSherrilyn Ifill

7:45 pmRaffle Drawing & Closing Remarks

Kelly T. Spencer, Vice President

Page 3: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

As a leading advocate for justice and fairness for women, the Women’s Law Center of Maryland, Inc. advocates for the protection and expansion of women’s legal rights by providing legal assistance to individuals and strategic initiatives to achieve systemic change. Founded in 1971 as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit membership organization, the Women’s Law Center works to protect the safety, stability and rights of a vulnerable population of predominately low-income women and their families. Legal representation and education projects equip women with resources to address critical issues involving domestic violence, immigration, family law, and employment law. Using experience gained from work with clients, as well as through research and policy analysis, the Women’s Law Center compiles first-hand knowledge and facts to inform its advocacy initiatives and other projects to advance equal rights for all Marylanders.

For more information, visit our website at www.wlcmd.org.Facebook @wlcmd Twitter @WLCMD

Instagram #wlcmaryland

OUR VISION is a legal system that provides justice and fairness for women.

THE MISSION of the Women’s Law Center of Maryland is to ensure the physical safety, economic security, and autonomy of women throughout the State. We work towards this goal by providing direct legal representation, information and referral services, and legislative advocacy.

Page 4: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

Honoring Our LeadersAt its Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony, the Women’s Law Center celebrates distinguished Marylanders who have made dedicated and enterprising contributions to protect and promote justice and fairness for women. The Women’s Law Center’s Board selects candidates based on research and its extensive knowledge of the Maryland legal community. The Women’s Law Center presents the Dorothy Beatty Award and Rosalyn B. Bell award annually, as well as the Access to Justice award when appropriate, at its Annual Meeting to honor outstanding leaders in the community.

Rosalyn B. Bell AwardThe Rosalyn B. Bell Award recognizes outstanding achievement in family law. The Honorable Rosalyn B. Bell, Maryland Court of Special Appeals, Retired, was the first recipient of the award that was named in her honor in 1993.

Dorothy Beatty AwardThe Dorothy Beatty Memorial Award honors an individual or a group that has made significant contributions to the advancement of women’s rights. In 1986, the award was named in memory of Dorothy Beatty, one of the first members of the Women’s Law Center and a Board member for many years.

Access to Justice AwardThe Access to Justice Award recognizes an individual who has made significant improvements in access to legal information and services for low-income Marylanders.

Page 5: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

27th Annual Rosalyn B. Bell Award SHEILA K. SACHS in memoriam

The Women’s Law Center of Maryland presents the Rosalyn B. Bell Award posthumously to Sheila K. Sachs (1941-2019) for her extraordinary achievement and lasting legacy in family law in Maryland. Ms. Sachs graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1964, the only woman in her graduating class. While raising her family with her husband, Stephen H. Sachs, she pursued her professional calling. She served as an assistant court reporter for the Court of Appeals of Maryland, an associate at Towson’s Royston, Mueller & McClean, and an associate and then partner at Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander. Ms. Sachs served as President of the Bar Association of Baltimore City, the first woman to do so; was a member of the Board of Governors of the Maryland State Bar Association; and was a delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates. She was President of the Baltimore Courthouse and Law Museum Foundation, and board member of the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service and the Public Justice Center. Ms. Sachs was especially active in promoting alternative dispute resolution and served on the Maryland ADR Commission. Ms. Sachs was elected to membership in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, was a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Maryland Bar Foundation, and served on the advisory boards of The Review of Maryland Laws and the Maryland Domestic Law Report. She was responsible for numerous important revisions to Maryland’s Marital Property Act. Ms. Sachs won the Baltimore City Bar Association’s Margaret Brent-Juanita Jackson Mitchell Award given to those have “paved the way for women in the law.” The Family Law Section of the Maryland State Bar Association conferred on Ms. Sachs its Beverly Groner Award for her dedication to family law, noting that her “vision and perseverance have transformed family law in Maryland.” Ms. Sachs’ service to the community included serving as a member of the Baltimore City Board of Education; a board member of CHANA, the Jewish Community Domestic Violence Project; and as chair of the Individual Lawyer’s Campaign of the United Way of Central Maryland.

Page 6: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

34th Annual Dorothy Beatty Memorial Award NICOLE HANSON-MUNDELLout for justiceNicole Hanson-Mundell is an expert on criminal justice policy and reentry navigation in Maryland. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Out for Justice, a returning citizen, member-led nonprofit organization working to reform local and statewide reentry policies. Ms. Hanson-Mundell leads Out for Justice by advancing its mission to engage, educate, and empower those with criminal records to lead policy reform in Maryland. She organizes large-scale expungement clinics, co-sponsors Baltimore’s annual All Night Resource Clinic, creates and manages coalitions such as the Maryland Women’s Pre-release Coalition, and has led a statewide campaign to ensure that every pretrial facility in Maryland has access to the ballot. In her voting work, Ms. Hanson-Mundell has orchestrated voter registration opportunities for returning citizens, leading to over 400 returning citizens registering to vote during the 2020 general election. She has also served as an absentee ballot designee for over 85 Baltimore City detention center residents and led Out for Justice in a collaboration with Morgan State University to conduct a reentry health needs assessment research project in Baltimore City. These efforts landed her two features in Forbes magazine, where she was listed as one of the top five people in the country to make an impact during the midterm elections. The second feature captured her historic work during the 2020 general elections during which the Maryland State Board of Elections was mandated to engage currently and formerly incarcerated citizens. Her advocacy approach is to “stay close to the ground,” articulating the needs of marginalized people in policy spaces, which garnered her a seat as the only impacted Black woman on Governor Hogan’s Gang Task Force. Ms. Hanson-Mundell’s passion for reentry work comes from her own life experience, which she harnesses as a tool to advocate for legislation that positively impacts the community that she serves. The Women’s Law Center of Maryland presents to Ms. Hanson-Mundell the Dorothy Beatty Memorial Award for her work advancing women’s rights in Maryland.

Page 7: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

34th Annual Dorothy Beatty Memorial Award SHERRILYN IFILLnaacp legal defense & educational fund

Access to Justice Award

Sherrilyn Ifill is the President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), the second woman to lead the organization. Ms. Ifill began her career at the American Civil Liberties Union, before joining the staff of the LDF as an Assistant Counsel in 1988, where she litigated voting rights cases. In 1993, Ms. Ifill joined the faculty at University of Maryland School of Law, where she taught civil procedure and constitutional law for over 20 years, and pioneered a series of law clinics, including one of the earliest in the country focused on challenging legal barriers to the reentry of ex-offenders. In 2013, Ms. Ifill returned to the LDF as its 7th Director-Counsel. In that role, she has increased the visibility and engagement of the organization in cutting edge and urgent civil rights issues, while maintaining the organization’s decades-long leadership fighting voter suppression, inequity in education, and racial discrimination in application of the death penalty. At critical moments during national unrest following the killing of unarmed African Americans by law enforcement officers, Ms. Ifill’s voice and vision framed the issue of policing reform and urban deprivation with powerful clarity. In 2020, Ms. Ifill was named one of Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year and Attorney of the Year by The American Lawyer. She received a 2021 Spirit of Excellence Award by the American Bar Association. Ms. Ifill serves on the board of the National Women’s Law Center, the National Constitution Center, and the Learning Policy Institute, and on the Advisory board for the Profiles in Courage Award. For her many contributions towards expanding access to justice for Marylanders, the Women’s Law Center of Mayland presents Ms. Ifill with the 2021 Access to Justice Award.

Page 8: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

WLC Board of Directors

Meghan Marek, PresidentKelly T. Spencer, Vice PresidentGina Snee, TreasurerSandy Daniels, Past PresidentYodeski AcquieAngelo CooperSwata GandhiOlivia Holcombe-VolkeKorey Johnson

Barrett KingSteven KlepperRachel MargolisChanel MasonCamille ParkerSabrina RubisPaulina TaniewskiBrian ThompsonNicole Windsor

WLC StaffAdministrativeMichelle Siri, Executive DirectorJessica Morgan, Chief Operating OfficerLaure Ruth, Legal DirectorToni St. John, Development & Communications DirectorIyanna Williams, Administrative Assistant/Legal Coordinator

Employment Law HotlineLynette A. Whitfield, Project Director

Protection Order Advocacy and Representation ProjectFarrah Champagne, Staff AttorneyJennifer Mercer, Staff AttorneyMelina Rauskolb, Staff AttorneyRobyn Githui, Legal Advocate

Family Law Hotline Renee Campion, Hotline AttorneyLisa Magil, Hotline Attorney

Multi-Ethnic Domestic Violence ProjectSuzanne Bailey, Project DirectorElena Martinez Fernandez, Legal Advocate

Collateral Legal Assistant for Survivors ProjectSara Powel, Staff AttorneyBennett Ostroff, Staff AttorneyChristina Thompson, Legal Advocate

Page 9: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

The Women’s Law Center of Maryland thanks our Generous Sponsors

Advancing Justice SponsorsSusan C. Elgin, Esq. and Kaufman, Ries & Elgin

Partnership Wealth ManagementMurthyNAYAK Foundation

Celebrating Justice SponsorGallagher, Evelius & Jones

Friend of Justice SponsorBowie & Jensen

Saul Ewing Arnstein & LehrTurnbull, Nicholson & Sanders

Wine & Chocolate SponsorsKing Hall LLC

Law Office of Marla Zide LLCSandy Daniels

Berger Cookies - Otterbein’s Cookies - Mary Sue Candy

Raffle SponsorsMeghan Marek

Sandy Daniels - Olivia Holcombe-Volke - Gina Snee

Event SponsorsMaryland Association for Justice

Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company Montgomery County Women’s Democratic Club

NARAL Pro-Choice MarylandPlanned Parenthood of Maryland

Frederick County Commission for Women

Page 10: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

Women’s Law Center of Maryland Board Members1972-Present

Yodeski AcquieSamerra AdithamAlison AminzadehGerry AroninLaila AtallahMimi AzraelDeborah BacharachCathrin BanksLinda BarclayMary BarrancoHon. Lynne A. BattagliaJennifer BeachDorothy BeattyVenetia BellCarol BittnerEllie Dayhoff-BranniganHon. Pamila BrownJennifer BurdickBonnie ButlerEllen CallegaryElizabeth CaplanLisa CarrenoToi CarterLouise CarwellKara CitarellaEllen CobbCathy CobbsAngelo CooperKathleen CoulahanBeatrice Mosner CowenHelen DaleSandy DanielsStephanie DavisMarta DeAnguloClaudia DiamondJoanna DiamondZena DorseyLynne DurbinDeborah Thompson EisenbergSusan C. ElginPhyllis ErlichCarrie EvansHon. Deborah S. EylerDorothy FaitBeverly FalconLisa Jose FalesMindy FarberKathy FoldesShellie FrankfordSwata GandhiDorcas Gilmore

Ardena GitharaSusan GoeringSally GoldHeather GomesLeigh GoodmarkHon. Joan Bossman GordonNancy GregorElyse GrossmanSpencer HallAlthea HandyHeather Harris Joy HatchetteHon. Jamey H. WeitzmanRebecca HerrAnn HoffmanBeth HogueOlivia Holcombe-VolkeMarla HollandsworthAbigail HopperEmily HuntCheryl HystadAshley JenkinsKorey JohnsonMargaret JohnsonJeannette KarpayEmma KaufmanJessica KaufmanBarrett KingSteven KlepperWendy KronmillerFrancine KrumholzDeepti KulkarniJulie LandauJessica LeeDorothy LennigNickeitta LeungCheri LevinSusan LevitonJamie LewisRegina LewisLindy LordCylia Lowe-SmithEllen LuffAlexandria “Niecy” LunnAndrea MarcinElizabeth Marcus- WengerMeghan MarekRachel Margolis

Pamela MarksAwilda MarquezRachel MartinL. Paige MarvelChanel MasonRebekah MearsCarol McCullochMichele McDonaldClare MillerJodi Hammerman MillerLindsey MillerJacqueline MintzHon. M. Brooke MurdockJane MurphyChristyne NeffRicka NeumanHon. Kathleen O’Ferrall FriedmanValerie OlsenAmanda OwensAlexandra Strubing ParadiseCamille ParkerShirley ParryJennifer PeltonJoy PhillipsSarah PickeralJane PilliodCarol PolowyKelly PowersLaura PreiserPeg RawleHon. Mary Ellen RinehardtGinger RobinsonCarolyn RodisEmily RodySabrina RubisElisabeth SachsJoy Sakamoto-WengelRebecca SalsburyBarbara SamuelsLynn SassinA. Christine ShafferReena ShahRanju Rani ShresthaJudith Shub-CondliffeJoan SillsLisa SimeoneKaren Simpson

Jana SingerAnn SjoerdsmaDeborah SkupienClaire SmearmanHon. Carol SmithGina SneeArlene SolomonKelly Tribble SpencerBarbara SpodakJennifer SquillarioTracy L. SteedmanBobbie SteyerBarbara SwainSally SwannGerry SweeneyKathleen SweeneyGustava TalerLaura TallericoPaula TaniewskiSusan TannenbaumBrian ThompsonGwen TromleyPatricia TuonValerie Hurley TwanmohSherry TuckerChelsea VanOrdenMardon WalkerCol. Kim WardHazel WarnickDeborah WeimerCathy WenzingJoyce WilliamsLouise WilliamsNicole WindsorPhyllis WinstonKathy WinterlingSarah WitriJudith WolferBeth Woodland- HargroveShannon Dawkins WrennMarla Zide

Page 11: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

Dorothy Beatty Memorial Award1986 Constance Beims1987 Honorable Mary Ellen Rinehardt1988 Delegate Anne Perkins1989 Anne Gordon1990 Honorable Robert C. Murphy,

Roger Titus1991 Hon. Kathleen O’Ferrall Friedman, Susan

Hardwerger/Tannenbaum, Ann Hoffman, Mardon Walker, Susan Leviton, Ellen Luff, Bea Cowen

1992 Honorable Barbara Mikulski1993 Judith Wolfer, Bebe Verdery1994 Honorable Deborah K. Chasanow1994 Honorable Diana G. Motz,

Honorable Irma S. Raker, Honorable Lynne A. Battaglia

1995 Honorable Barbara Kerr Howe, Sayra Wells Meyerhoff

1996 Jayne Miller, Barbara Samuels1997 Senator Delores Kelley,

Delegate Sharon Grosfeld, Delegate Sue Hecht

1998 Honorable Ellen L. Hollander, Melanie C. Pereira

1999 Kathleen F. Shemer2000 Honorable Sally Denison Adkins 2001 Delegate Maggie L. McIntosh 2002 Dean Karen H. Rothenberg2003 Lyn P. Meyerhoff Fund2004 C. Christopher Brown 2005 Judith Vaughn Prather 2006 Wendy L. Kahn, Esq. 2007 Susana SaCouto2008 Honorable Charlotte Cooksey 2009 Glendora Hughes2010 Delegate Kathleen Dumais2011 Planned Parenthood of Maryland2013 Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera2014 Judge Barbara Baer Waxman2015 One Love Foundation2016 Equal Pay for Equal Work: Sen. Susan C. Lee, Del. Kris Valderrama2017 Lisae C. Jordan2018 Working Matters Coalition2019 Honorable Diane O. Leasure

Rosalyn B. Bell Award1993 Honorable Rosalyn B. Bell1994 Beverly Anne Groner1995 Professor Jane C. Murphy,

Professor Barbara Babb1996 Atty. General J. Joseph Curran, Jr.,

Delegate Kenneth Montague, Jr. 1997 Honorable Kathleen O’Ferrall Friedman1998 Honorable Mary Ellen Rinehardt1999 Honorable Robert M. Bell2000 Honorable Albert Matricciani2001 Honorable Martha F. Rasin2002 Honorable Louise G. Scrivener 2003 Honorable Marcella A. Holland 2004 Debra Gardner, Deborah Frase 2005 Plaintiffs, Deane & Polyak v. Conaway 2006 Senator Sharon Grosfeld2007 Leslye E. Orloff2008 Honorable Ann N. Sundt2009 Lt. Governor Anthony Brown 2010 Honorable Audrey J. S. Carrion 2011 Honorable Julia Weatherly2013 Marylanders for Marriage Equality2014 Honorable Cathy Hollenberg Serrette2015 Honorable Cynthia Callahan2016 Honorable Karen C. Friedman2017 Professor Leigh Goodmark2018 Susan Elgin2019 Tracy Brown

Access to Justice AwArd

1997 Frank Broccolina 2000 Jane Wiley2003 Maryann Z. Fiebach2004 Honorable Dale R. Cathell2005 Rhonda Lipkin2006 Honorable J. Joseph Curran, Jr.2007 Patricia Chiriboga-Roby 2008 Susan Erlichman2009 Louise Carwell2010 Sharon E. Goldsmith 2011 Sidney Ford2013 Dorothy Lennig2014 Martina E. Vandenberg2016 Ward B. Coe, III2017 Connie Kratovil-Lavelle2018 Bonnie A. Sullivan2019 Erricka Bridgeford

40th Anniversary Award WinnersIn celebration of our 40th Anniversary in 2012, we selected one recipient from each decade of our 40 year history. Each honoree played a pivotal role during the decade and has maintained passionate support for and connection to the Women’s Law Center: Sally Gold (1970s); Claire Smearman (1980s), Susan Elgin (1990s), Students Supporting the Women’s Law Center (2000s).

Past Award Recipients

Page 12: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony
Page 13: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony
Page 14: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony
Page 15: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony
Page 16: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony
Page 17: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony
Page 18: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony
Page 19: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

Thank you to our sponsors!

Page 20: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

Did you know your employer might help you support the Women’s Law Center?

Many organizations offer giving programs through your workplace, simplifying the process by deducting your donation directly from your paycheck. Some may even match your donation, doubling the impact of your gift!

The Women’s Law Center participates in a variety of workplace giving programs, including the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), the Maryland Combined Charity Campaign (CCC), and United Way.

Workplace Giving is a simple way to donate and make a difference in the lives of the thousands of women and families who rely on our programs each year.

Ask your employer if they participate today!Don't forget to designate the Women's Law Center

Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)

#41253

United Way of Central Maryland

#18911

Combined Charity Campaign (MCC)

#52-1238912

Page 21: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

P R O V I D I N G L E G A L H E L P T O I N D I V I D U A L S

Protection Order Advocacy & Representation Project (POARP): Offers legal and supportive services to victims of domestic violence seeking protective orders.

Multi-Ethnic Domestic Violence Project (MEDOVI): Represents foreign-born domestic violence and sexual assault victims in immigration proceedings.

Judicare Project: Pays private attorneys a reduced fee to handle contested family law cases.

CLAS Project: Provides collateral legal services for victims of domestic violence in family law cases.

Education: Provides basic family law and employment legal information and referrals though hotlines.

Publications: Offers information on a broad range of topics that affect women—including domestic violence, family law, employment law, and financial planning.

W O R K I N G F O R S Y S T E M I C C H A N G E

Legislative Advocacy: WLC monitors and takes positions on bills that may affect women’s rights, and garners grassroots support for issues impacting women by emailing legislative alerts.

Research and Policy Analysis: WLC identifies emerging issues that have a broad impact on women’s rights and develops policy recommendations to overcome barriers to equality for women.

Judicial Selections: The Judicial Selections Committee interviews and rates candidates for judicial office to promote a system that is free of gender bias.

Leadership and Volunteer Opportunities: WLC fosters commitment to women’s issues by providing opportunities for individuals to become involved in its work. Volunteers can serve on committees or as community ambassadors while attorneys can use their training to work on hotlines or mentor law students.

P RO T E C T S L E G A L R I G H T S A N D

I M P ROV E S A C C E S S T O J U S T I C E B Y :

Page 22: Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

The Justice Fund provides us with critical funds needed to invest in the future of the organization. Gifts to the Justice Fund helps the Women’s Law Center provide important services to women and stand at the forefront of legal and public policy initiatives in the state. Gifts $75 and over include an annual membership to WLC.

Your investment in the Justice Fund will help build and sustain an equitable society for the next generation of women and their families. To contribute, fill out the form below and mail it to: The Women’s Law Center, 305 West Chesapeake Avenue, Suite 201, Towson, MD 21204. Or, donate online at www.wlcmd.org/donate

○ Legacy Circle $5,000○ Benefactor Circle $1,000○ Liberty Club $250○ Other $

○ Visionary Society $2,500○ Advocacy Circle $500○ Equity Club $100

Yes, I would like to support justice for women in Maryland.

I would like to make a Monthly Pledge to sustain WLC projects throughout the year. (Your credit card will be charged on the first business day of each month.)

Monthly Gift☐ $10/month☐ $50/month☐ Other

☐ $25/month☐ $100/month

Name

Firm/Organization

Address

City State Zip

Email

Phone

○ My employer will match my gift.○ Please send me information about including WLC in my estate plans.○ Check made payable to The Women’s Law Center is enclosed.○ Please charge my: ○ Visa ○ Mastercard ○ American Express

Credit Card # Sec. code

Signature Exp. date

Thank you for your support!

Support the Women’s Law Center