Award of Special Merit
Established in April 1988, the Award of Special Merit is presented by the Board of Governors to members of the State Bar of Arizona who have made significant contributions to the furtherance of public understanding of the legal system, the administration of justice, and confidence in the legal profession.
2023 Recipient
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Barbara Atwood is the Mary Anne Richey Professor of Law Emerita at the University of Arizona Rogers College of Law where she has taught civil procedure, family law, and related seminars for over thirty-five years. A graduate of Arizona Law, she worked as a trial attorney with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice early in her career and also taught at the University of Houston Law Center. Barbara has been a Commissioner with the Uniform Law Commission since 2006 and Judge Pro Tem for the Tohono O’odham Nation since 2013. She continues to serve on the boards of nonprofit organizations devoted to social justice and to participate in law reform efforts at the local, state, and national levels. In her academic writings, Barbara has explored topics at the intersection of civil procedure and family law with a focus on issues of voice and representation, family dispute resolution, Native child welfare, and jurisdictional conflicts. Barbara also enjoys creative writing, particularly poetry and plays. Barbara and her husband Peter Eisner, a sculptor, have two adult sons. |
Previous Recipients
The award has been presented to:
| 1988 | Hon. Frank X. Gordon, Jr |
| 1989 | Not awarded |
| 1990 | Hon. L. Ray Haire |
| 1991 | Prof. Charles M. Smith Hon. Morris K. Udall |
| 1992 | Not awarded |
| 1993 | Mark I. Harrison Charles T. Stevens |
| 1994 | Hon. Nikki A. Chayet Patricia A. Sallen John M. Schlosser |
| 1995 | E. Calvin Fuchs II Duke Nordlinger Stern |
| 1996 | Christopher Johns |
| 1997 | Michael M. Grant |
| 1998 | Not awarded |
| 1999 | Hon. Norman S. Fenton |
| 2000 | Sen. Marc L. Spitzer Hon. Thomas A. Zlaket |
| 2001 | Timothy M. Hogan Norman L. Miller |
| 2002 | Daniel Cracchiolo |
| 2003 | Walter Cheifetz |
| 2004 | Hon. Edward E. Davis (posthumously) |
| 2005 | Frances L. Johansen |
| 2006 | Anthony W. Clark Susan R. Agrillo Norma L. Classen |
| 2007 | Theodore Campagnolo Hon. Gary E. Donahoe |
| 2008 | Larry C. McVey Sidney T. Marable (posthumously) |
| 2009 | John W. Rogers |
| 2010 | Gary R. Stickell Alex E. Navidad |
| 2011 | Hon. Daniel A. Barker James W. Richardson |
| 2012 | Hon. Ann A. Scott Timmer Stephen Weiss |
| 2013 | Mark E. Meltzer |
| 2014 | William W. Owsley |
| 2015 | David B. Rosenbaum |
| 2016 | Gary M. Kula |
| 2017 | Robert L. Gottsfield |
| 2018 | Hon. Michael P. Pollard |
| 2019 | Hon. Dan R. Slayton |
| 2020 | Stacy Rupprecht Butler Denice R. Shepherd |
| 2021 | Anne Ronan |
| 2022 | Know Your Rights |
| 2023 | Barbara Atwood |
State Bar Annual Awards
- Award of Appreciation
- Award of Special Merit
- Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award
- Hon. John R. Sticht Disability Achievement Award
- James A. Walsh Outstanding Jurist Award
- Mark I. Harrison Excellence in Mentorship Award
- Member of the Year Award
- Michael C. Cudahy Criminal Justice Award
- Outstanding In-House Counsel of the Year Award
- President's Award
- Sharon A. Fullmer Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award
- Tom Karas Criminal Justice Award