This award for ongoing contributions was established in 1995 to recognize and celebrate attorneys and associations of attorneys who further justice in our society. It traditionally has been given to an attorney who actively addresses the needs and issues affecting women in the legal profession and in the community.
The award originally was named the Ma’at Justice Award. Ma’at, the Egyptian goddess of justice, symbolizes truth, order, righteousness, and the emergence of order out of chaos.
It was renamed the Louise B. Raggio Award to honor an active section member who was a “first” in many legal areas. Louise Raggio‘s trailblazing achievements included the following: (1) overseeing the creation of the Texas Family Code, (2) serving as the first female assistant district attorney in her area; and (3) serving as the first emeritus member of the section’s council. Although Ms. Raggio declined the section’s request to name an award after her during her lifetime, her family granted such permission following her death in 2011 at the age of 92.