2009 Jean King Leadership Award Recipient - Honorable Melinda Morris
The Women Lawyers Association of Michigan is pleased to announce that it is bestowing its annual Jean King Leadership Award to The Honorable Melinda Morris, 22nd Circuit Court Judge for the State of Michigan. The Jean King Leadership Award honors and recognizes lawyers who exemplify leadership in securing the rights of women in society and advancing women in the legal profession. The Award will be presented at the WLAM Annual Meeting, May 7, 2009, at the Fox Hills Country Club.
Judge Morris has opened doors for women her entire career. She graduated with honors from the University of Michigan Law School in 1963 as one of three women in her class. She was one of the first women partners in a Washtenaw County law firm. She is the first woman to serve as circuit judge in Washtenaw County history. She served as its chief judge from 1992 - 1995. She is currently serving her fourth term as a judge in the Washtenaw County Trial Court Civil/Criminal Division.
Judge Morris received the Justice Blair Moody "Outstanding Judge" Award in 1994 from the Washtenaw County Chapter of the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association, the Mary E. Foster Award from the Women Lawyers of Michigan in 1995 and the Professionalism and Civility Award from the Washtenaw County Bar Association in 2000.
Not only has Judge Morris been an exemplary judge, she also has an outstanding record of community service. During her term as president of the Washtenaw County Bar Association, she initiated "No Bills Day" in Washtenaw County. She has served on the Washtenaw County Community Mental Health Board, the Legal Aid Board, the Soundings Board, and the Ann Arbor Schools' Committee on Excellence. In 2001 she received the distinguished service award from the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation.
Judge Morris has been an inspiration and role model for all attorneys, but particularly the women attorneys. In her many pioneering roles, she established the norm by which those who follow in her steps will be evaluated. She has set a high bar for professional excellence, dignity, approachability and compassion. By doing so, she has created an environment where those characteristics are valued and emulated, thus improving the quality of professional life for all attorneys – and women in particular.
