2015 Rosemary Barkett Outstanding Achievement Award

2015 Rosemary Barkett Outstanding Achievement Award Rosemary Barkett became the first female Florida Supreme Court Justice when she was appointed by Governor Bob Graham on October 14, 1985. She was inducted into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame in 1986. In 1994, President Bill Clinton named her to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, where she continues to serve today. This award is presented in her honor. This award is presented annually to a FAWL member who: Demonstrated a commitment to the purpose and goals of FAWL. Excelled to outstanding career achievement that charters new territory in our profession. Helped to overcome traditional stereotypes associated with women by breaking barriers, molding a new reality and a new way of thinking about themselves, others, and their place in the universe, or has promoted the status of women with- in the profession. Advanced the status of women in the State of Florida. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Nancy A. Daniels Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963 Nancy Daniels is the Public Defender for the Second Judicial Circuit. She has continuously won re-election to this office after making history as the first woman elected to this constitutional office in 1990. In her position, Nancy oversees six offices in the six counties of the Second Circuit and the Public Defender's office represents upwards of 14,000 clients. She has hired, promoted, worked with,· and mentored many female attorneys as Public Defender. Seven of the twelve supervisors in her office are women, and past female employees are now law firm leaders or members of the judiciary. Furthermore, Nancy has created flexible and part-time work schedules for the office's female (and male) appellate attorneys who must work from home to take care of their children. Nancy's election as Florida's first female Circuit Court Public Defender advanced the status of women in the state and promoted the shifting mentality that women are just as capable of holding positions of prominence and power as men. During her time in office, she has served as an inspirational figure to female lawyers, proving that intelligence, hard work, and ambition can result in career advancement and acknowledgement. Furthermore, since 1990, Nancy has been an invaluable mentor to the additional six women Public Defenders, out of twenty total Public Defenders, that have come into office. Nancy is a past president of the Florida Public Defender Association. In that position, she represented the association in statewide commissions and workgroups. This provided another opportunity to promote the role of women and show that they are key contributors and decision-makers in state government. She is proud to say that her Public Defender mentee, Julie Holt, is following in her footsteps and serves as current president of the association. Nancy has similarly encour- aged female attorneys to participate in professional and community engagement through her leading roles in organiza- tions including the Tallahassee Bar Association and its Legal Aid Foundation (she is a past president of both). In addition, because Nancy taught at FSU's College of Law (1975-1976; 1997-2013), she has contributed to the knowledge, passion, and success of today's generation of female attorneys. Moreover, she currently protects the interests of Tallahassee's female population as a member of the Leon County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team. Nancy's other outstanding achievements include playing an instrumental role in the development of the Second Circuit's drug courts, juvenile diversion courts, and mental health courts, as well as in the creation of the Palmer Munroe Teen Center. Nancy Daniels has been a FAWL member of Tallahassee Women Lawyers (TWL) for many years and is often a featured speaker at TWL events. The Tallahassee Democrat newspaper has called her a "trailblazer" and featured her as one of the "25 Women You Need to Know" (2010). Congratulations Nancy! .

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