Women of Distinction

• Author: Liane Jackson
• Pages: 66-67

66 || ABA JOURNAL AUGUST 2018

Your ABA

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PATRICIA KRUSE GILLETTE, VICTOR POWELL PHOTOGRAPHY; CURLY PAT; LURIA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Women who make their mark in the legal fi eld blaze a trail for others to follow. The annual Margaret

Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award recognizes these pioneers for their service to the profession.

The ABA Commission on Women in the Profession established the Brent award in 1991 to recognize and

celebrate the accomplishments of female lawyers who have excelled in their specialties and in the legal fi eld,

paving a path and setting an example for others.

“We are honored to recognize this spectacular group of women,” says Stephanie Scharf, chair of the

women’s commission, in a statement. “We applaud their achievements, knowing that their e orts will

inspire a new generation of women lawyers.”

Brent arrived in the American colonies in 1638 and is considered to be the fi rst female lawyer in the

country. She was a master negotiator, an accomplished litigator and a prominent fi gure in the Maryland

settlement.

The awards luncheon is Aug. 5 as part of the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago. This year’s roster of recipi-

ents includes top litigators, jurists and women who are fi ghting for equal rights, social justice and inclusion.

Women of Distinction

The ABA honors 5 legal trailblazers with the Margaret Brent award,

named for the fi rst female lawyer in America

By Liane Jackson

MEET THE HONOREES

Patricia Kruse Gillette

Kensington, California

Gillette is one of the country’s leading experts and speakers on gender diversity and

equality. For 40 years, she was an employment lawyer and litigator and a major rain-

maker at her fi rms, including Orrick, Herrington & Sutcli e. But in 2015, Gillette

decided to pursue her passion, resigning from her partnership at Orrick to become

an author and keynote speaker. In her writings and presentations, Gillette focuses on

career advice and how to bring change to law fi rm and corporate structures to increase

diversity and inclusion. She is co-founder of the Opt-In Project, a nationwide initiative

focused on changing the structure of law fi rms to increase the retention and advancement

of women in the workplace. She has served on the women’s commission and on the Task

Force on Gender Equity created by former ABA President Laurel Bellows in 2012.

Eileen M. Letts

Chicago

Letts is a civil trial attorney and partner with Zuber Lawler & Del Duca who has

litigated dozens of jury trials and more than 100 bench trials, often for Fortune 500

companies and governmental entities. Her defense experience also includes police

misconduct claims and commercial disputes. Letts has longtime roots in Chicago’s

political and legal communities. She began her career clerking from 1978 to 1980 for

Justice Glenn T. Johnson, who served on the Illinois Appellate Court. Letts was on the

1983 transition team of Mayor Harold Washington. She has won numerous awards for

her work with bar associations and legal aid foundations and has been in many ABA

leadership roles, including as a member of the House of Delegates and co-chair of the

Diversity and Inclusion 360 Commission. She also serves on the ABA advisory council

for President Hilarie Bass’ Achieving Long-Term Careers for Women in Law initiative.