Teesee's Town: Judge Arnette Hubbard receives prestigious ABA honor

It was absolutely an afternoon of recognition and revelry when the Honorable Arnette R. Hubbard, judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, was one of five and the sole African-American recipient of a distinguished achievement honor at the 19th Annual Margaret Brent Awards Luncheon at The Fairmont Hotel during the American Bar Association’s Annual Meeting. Sponsored by ABA’s Commission on Women in the Profession, the event was established in 1991 to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of women lawyers “who have excelled in their field and have paved the way to success for other women lawyers.” The award, presented by Roberta Liebenberg, commission chair, is named for Margaret Brent (1601- 1671), America’s first woman lawyer.

Roberta Liebenberg and Honorable Arnette R. Hubbard

Judge Hubbard has a long and distinguished tenure in law and public service. As an attorney, public official and elected state court judge, she repeatedly demonstrates her commitment to the American way of life. She has been a trailblazer in the field of law, serving as the first woman president of the National Bar Association and first woman president of the Cook County Bar Association. Before taking the bench, she served for nine years as a member of the Illinois Bar Admission Committee. As the only female commissioner of the Chicago Board of Elections, Judge Hubbard expanded participation in the workplace and in the voting processes and procedures. She also instigated the creation of “Desert FAX,” which extended voting opportunities to military service persons during armed conflict.

Newsy Names – Halleleuyer! Chicago National Association of Black Journalists, led by Brenda Butler, president, received “Chapter of the Year” award at the NABJ annual convention last week in Tampa, Fla., and Lynn Norment, former Ebony editor, was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame.

Brenda Butler (left) and Lynn Norment (right)

Happy b’day to songbird Sheri Lynn Smith, retired educators, Linnie Sims and Abe Smith; business entrepreneurs, Jacqueline Craig and Diann Bishop. Happy 40th anniversary to Jim and Ann Hinton; he’s a Walgreen’s pharmacist, she’s an event planner and Nordstrom fragrance consultant.

______

To read the rest of this article, subscribe to our digital or paper edition. For previous editions, contact us for details.

Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.