May 4, 2015: Children’s Law Center Executive Director to Receive State Bar’s Kay Crawford Murray Award

May 4, 2015: Children’s Law Center Executive Director to Receive State Bar’s Kay Crawford Murray Award

5.4.2015

By Communications Department

Karen P. Simmons, executive director of the Children’s Law Center (CLCNY) in Brooklyn and an adjunct professor at Brooklyn Law School, is the 2015 recipient of the Kay Crawford Murray Award, presented by the Committee on Women in the Law of the New York State Bar Association.

The award, which Simmons will receive on May 5 during the Association’s eleventh annual Edith I. Spivack Symposium in New York City, recognizes an attorney who enhances diversity in the profession and advances the professional development of women attorneys.

“We are delighted and privileged to have the opportunity to acknowledge Ms. Simmons’ many contributions to diversity in the legal profession,” said Ferve E. Ozturk (Baker & Hostetler), co-chair of the Committee on Women in the Law. “Ms. Simmons exemplifies the spirit of service and inclusion we aspire to promote at the Committee on Women in the Law.”

Simmons seeks to give children a strong and effective voice in court. A crucial element of her work with the CLCNY is mentoring students, interns and volunteers, whom she considers to be the next generation of advocates. CLCNY is a nonprofit law firm founded on the belief that children deserve skilled zealous advocates in the court system. Simmons’ work is at the forefront of many initiatives to develop better measurements and standards for representing children in court.

Simmons is a graduate of the City University School of Law, has a master’s degree in public administration from City University (John Jay College) and a bachelor’s degree from Duke University.

Kay Crawford Murray, for whom the award is named, is former general counsel for the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice. As chair of the Committee on Women in the Law, she directed a report that proposed a model sexual harassment policy for law firms.

The 74,000-member New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation.  It was founded in 1876.

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Contact: Christina Couto
Senior Media Writer
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518/487-5535