Dallas Women Lawyers Association Announces 2015 Awards Honorees

First male lawyer to receive Louise B. Raggio Award

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Jul 24, 2015, 11:49 ET

DALLAS, July 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dallas Women Lawyers Association (DWLA) is honoring a distinguished group of attorneys with its annual awards for 2015, including presenting its top honor to a male lawyer for the first time in the organization's 47-year history.

DWLA is presenting the 2015 Louise B. Raggio Award to Michael K. Hurst of Dallas-based Gruber Hurst Elrod Johansen Hail Shank LLP. The annual honor is presented to an individual who has demonstrated the highest level of professionalism while making significant contributions to the advancement of women attorneys.

The award is named for association co-founder and Dallas legal pioneer Louise Raggio, who was the first female prosecutor in Dallas County history and who helped create the Texas Family Code.

"Certainly, it is unconventional to present this award to a man, but that is exactly what this organization is about – progress and change," says Dallas Women Lawyers Association President Nicole Knox. "Michael has made significant contributions to advancing the careers of Dallas' most respected and talented women lawyers. His dedication to eradicating gender bias is vital to achieving equality in the profession."

Other honorees include:

Diana Bearden, Rhonda Hunter and Karen McCloud. Ms. Bearden, a Dallas partner at Strasburger & Price, LLP; Ms. Hunter, a partner at Dallas' Farrow-Gillespie & Heath LLP; and Ms. McCloud, founder of Dallas' Karen D. McCloud, P.C., will receive Outstanding Female Partner Awards for large, medium and small firms, respectively.
Rachel Gonzalez, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Southlake's Sabre Corp. Ms. Gonzalez will receive the Outstanding Female Corporate Counselor Award, which recognizes a female lawyer who has worked in a corporate legal environment for five years or more.
Tiffanie Limbrick, an associate at Sidley Austin LLP in Dallas. Ms. Limbrick will receive the Rising Raggio Award, which recognizes an outstanding female lawyer who has been practicing for less than six years and who has had significant professional accomplishments.

The honorees will receive their individual awards at the DWLA annual fundraiser reception, scheduled for Oct. 15. Tickets are available at http://dallaswomenlawyers.org/dwla-annual-awards-reception/.

Founded in 1968, the Dallas Women Lawyers Association is a non-profit organization that works to benefit women attorneys and elevate the standing of women in the legal profession. Founding members include acclaimed Dallas lawyers Louise B. Raggio, Judge Sarah T. Hughes and Joann Peters. More information is available at http://www.dallaswomenlawyers.org.

For more information on the DWLA 2015 Awards, please contact Mark Annick at 800-559-4534 or [email protected].

SOURCE Dallas Women Lawyers Association