Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente, Co-Chair of the Judicial Independence Committee of the National Association of Women Judges, has been selected to receive the Sandra Day O’Connor Jurist Award by the American College of Trial Lawyers. The Award, named for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (ret.), is given from time to time to a judge in the United States or Canada, who has demonstrated exemplary judicial independence in the performance of his or her duties, sometimes in especially difficult circumstances. This distinguished national recognition has only been awarded on two previous occasions since its establishment in 2007.
As co-chair of the National Association of Women Judges Judicial Independence Committee, Justice Pariente has been a critical part of the leadership of the Informed Voters, Fair Judges Project. The goal of the Informed Voters, Fair Judges Project is to strengthen public understanding of the unique role of the judicial branch and the importance of a fair, impartial, and independent judiciary in upholding the rule of law; to heighten awareness of attempts to weaken the power of the judicial branch; and to build skills in evaluating and responding to unfair attacks on the judiciary including political and other external pressures and influences.
Justice Pariente has been extensively involved in educating the public about the judicial branch. She presents regularlyin a wide array of forums and at all levels from elementary and secondary schools to colleges and universities to civic organizations. She participates annually in teacher institutes and reporter workshops in Florida as well as state and national conferences. Justice Pariente actively encourages members of the legal and judicial communities to share this professional responsibility of educating the public about the unique role of the judicial branch in our constitutional structure.
Justice Pariente was inducted into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame in 2008. She is therecipient of numerous awards and honors, including the George Washington University’s Distinguished Alumni Award, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers’ Jurist of the Year Award, the Florida Association of School Social Workers’ Lifetime Achievement Award, the William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award, the Visionary Award of the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar, the Jewish Museum of Florida’s Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award, the Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency Distinguished Judicial Service Award, the Florida Association of Women Lawyers’ Award in recognition of lifelong dedication to the success of women lawyers in the legal profession, the American Bar Association’s Law Day Speech Award, and the Palm Beach County Legal Aid Society Civil Litigation Pro Bono Award.
The American College of Trial Lawyers will present the Sandra Day O’Connor Outstanding Jurist Award to Justice Pariente in March 2018.