Honoring Trailblazers

DWLA’s Annual Awards Reception honors trailblazers in the legal community. The prestigious Raggio Award is named for DWLA co-founder and Dallas legal pioneer Louise Raggio, who was the first female prosecutor in Dallas County history and helped develop the Texas Family Code. Each year, the organization presents the Raggio Award to someone who has demonstrated the highest levels of professionalism while making significant contributions to the advancement of women attorneys.

Raggio Award History

Award Nominations

Nominations deadline – June 30th

To reveal the requirements for the category and the link to the nomination form, click the plus sign for the category you want to nominate.

Click Here for Questions about Nominations

The DWLA Louise B. Raggio Award recognizes a person demonstrating the highest level of professionalism and who has contributed significantly to the advancement of women attorneys. The recipient may be a woman or male attorney who has been practicing law for at least ten (10) years in the DFW area.

Submission Requirements:

  1. Two letters of nomination that describe the attorney’s
    1. Outstanding legal proficiency and the highest level of professional ethics; and
    2. Contributions to the advancement of women attorneys; and
  2. Any other documentation that reflects the attorney’s
    1. Outstanding legal proficiency and the highest level of professional ethics; and
    2. Contributions to the advancement of women attorneys; and
    3. High resolution photo of nominee.

CLICK HERE FOR NOMINATION FORM

DWLA has established the “Outstanding Corporate Counselor” Award to recognize an outstanding woman lawyer in the DFW area who has worked inside a corporate legal department for a minimum of five (5) years.

Submission Requirements:

  1. Two letters of nomination on behalf of the attorney that describe the attorney’s significant professional accomplishments and provide examples of her contributions to her corporate employer; and
  2. A resume of the attorney;
  3. High resolution photo of nominee

CLICK HERE FOR NOMINATION FORM

DWLA has established the “Rising Raggio” Award to recognize an outstanding woman lawyer who has been practicing for less than six (6) years as of June 1st and who has had significant professional accomplishments and acted as a leader in the Dallas community and/or her firm.

Submission Requirements:

  1. Two letters of nomination on behalf of the attorney that describe the attorney’s significant professional accomplishments and examples of leadership in the community and/or her firm;
  2. A resume of the attorney; and
  3. High resolution photo of nominee
  4. Date of the attorney’s admission to the Bar.

CLICK HERE FOR NOMINATION FORM

Note: The Outstanding Jurist Award is nominated and selected by the DWLA Board of Directors.

2022 Recipients

  • Louise B. Raggio Award – Justice Dennise Garcia, Fifth Court of Appeals
  • Outstanding Corporate Counsel – Jennifer Morris, AT&T
  • Outstanding Woman Lawyer – Veronica Moye,  Gibson Dunn Crutcher
  • Rising Raggio – Raha Assadi,  Jackson Lewis
  • Outstanding Judiciary – Justice Erin Nowell, Fifth Court of Appeals
  • James E. Coleman, Jr., Her Champion – John Torres, Lennox International

2021 Recipients

  • Louise B. Raggio Award – Judge Irma Ramirez, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division
  • Outstanding Corporate Counsel – Lynne Puckett, Celanese
  • Outstanding Woman Lawyer – Scarlett McNellie,  Norton Rose Fulbright
  • Rising Raggio – Haleigh Jones,  Crawford, Wishnew & Lang
  • Outstanding Judiciary – Judge Audrey Moorehead, County Criminal Court #3
  • James E. Coleman, Jr., Her Champion – Paul Amiel, Haynes & Boone

2020 Recipients

  • Louise B. Raggio Award – Hilda Galvan, Jones Day
  • Outstanding Corporate Counsel – Sarah York, Hudson Advisors
  • Outstanding Woman Lawyer – Samantha Crispin,  Baker Botts
  • Rising Raggio – Koi Spurlock, Lockheed Martin
  • Outstanding Judiciary – Judge Bonnie Goldstein, 44th District Court
  • James E. Coleman, Jr., Her Champion – Paul Genender, Weil

2019 Recipients

  • Louise B. Raggio Award – Charla Aldous, Aldous\Walker
  • Outstanding Corporate Counsel – Ellen Farrell, Toyota Motor North America
  • Outstanding Female Lawyer – Angela Zambrano,  Sidley Austin
  • Rising Raggio – Nicole Munoz, Figari+Davenport
  • Outstanding Director – Staci Glenn, Renwick & Associates, P.C.
  • Outstanding Judiciary – Justice Lana Myers, Fifth District Court of Appeals
  • James E. Coleman, Jr., Her Champion – David McAtee, AT&T Inc.

2018 Recipients

  • Louise B Raggio Award – Mary Emma Karam, Jackson Walker
  • Outstanding Corporate Counsel – Lisa Havens, Baylor Scott & White
  • Outstanding Female/Large Firm – Shonn Brown,  Lynn Pinker Cox Hurst
  • Outstanding Female/Small Firm – Amber Reece, Figari+Davenport
  • Rising Raggio – Anna Rupani, Mosaic Family Services
  • Her Champion – Rob Walters, Gibson Dunn

2017 Recipients

  • Louise B Raggio Award – Sarah Saldana, Retired Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
  • Outstanding Corporate Counsel – Large Department – Michele Thatcher, Pepsico
  • Outstanding Corporate Counsel – Small Department – Lori Dalton, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children
  • Outstanding Female/Large Firm – Angela Fontana, Sidley Austin, LLP
  • Outstanding Female/Small Firm – Amy Elizabeth Stewart, Amy Stewart Law
  • Rising Raggio – Jennifer Salim Richards, Stanton, LLP
  • Outstanding Director – Gemma Descoteaux, Polsinelli
  • Outstanding Jurist – Judge Martin Hoffman, 68th District Court
2017 Award Recipient Announcement

2016 Recipients

  • Louise B. Raggio Award – Lisa Baron Blue, Baron and Blue
  • Outstanding Corporate Counsel – Stacey Doré, Energy Future Holdings
  • Outstanding Female/Large Firm – Kit Addleman, Haynes & Boone
  • Outstanding Female/Small Firm – Dawn Estes, Estes Thorne & Carr PLLC
  • Outstanding Director – Judge Tonya Parker
  • Rising Raggio – Jennifer Ryback, McGuire, Craddock & Strother, P.C.,
2016 Award Recipient Announcement
2016 Award Reception Wrap Up