Karla M. Gray Equal Justice Award
The Karla M. Gray Equal Justice Award will be presented at the annual Meeting of the State Bar of Montana. The annual award honors a judge who has demonstrated dedication to improving access to Montana courts. Consideration for this prestigious award will be given to nominees who demonstrate this dedication and commitment with a combination of some or all of the below:
o Personally done noteworthy and/or considerable work improving access of all individuals, regardless of income, to the Montana court system.
o Instrumental in local Access to Justice efforts, including program development, cooperative efforts between programs, and support for community outreach efforts to improve understanding of and access to the courts.
o Active support of citizen involvement in the judicial system
o Active support and commitment to increasing involvement of volunteer attorneys in representing the indigent and those of limited means.
o Other significant efforts that exhibit a long-term commitment to improving access to the judicial system.
One award winner will be selected by the Access to Justice Commission after receiving recommendations from the Justice Initiatives Committee. Nomination materials will be retained and considered by the Equal Justice Task Force for 3 years.
The award coincides with the Commission on the Code of Judicial Conduct’s approval of new language to specifically recognize a judge’s ability to provide leadership in improving equal access to the justice system, develop public education programs, engage in outreach activities to promote the fair administration of justice, and convene and participate in advisory committees and community collaborations devoted to the improvement of the law, the legal system, the provision of legal services and the administration of justice.