Judicial Honors: Vol. 108 No. 3

Judge Donald

The city of Memphis recently named a street for Judge BERNICE BOUIE DONALD, who retired from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in 2023. She was also honored by her hometown of Olive Branch, Tenn., with a new display at the Olive Branch City Hall Museum. Judge Donald became the first Black woman judge in Tennessee in 1982 and the first Black woman federal judge in 1995. She was also the first Black woman bankruptcy judge. Judge Donald is a member of the Judicature editorial advisory board.

ROBERT EVANS, former district court judge for North Carolina’s 7A and 7BC Judicial Districts (1999–2009) and chair of the Governor’s Crime Commission, was awarded North Carolina’s highest distinction, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, for outstanding service to the state. After joining the commission in 2017, Evans led efforts to address priority public safety issues, including mass violence preparedness, access to healthcare, and school safety.

Judge DAVID A. HAIMES, who is serving his 15th year on Florida’s 17th Judicial Circuit, was honored as Jurist of the Year by the Fort Lauderdale chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates for his dedication to preserving the jury system for future generations. Before his appointment to the bench in 2010, Haimes worked as a civil trial lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Tax Division, an assistant Broward state attorney, and an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Florida. He was also the recipient of the 2007 John Marshall Award for Trial in Litigation from the DOJ.

Colombian Judge BELKIS FLORENTINA IZQUIERDO TORRES is Northwestern Pritzker Law’s Center for International Human Rights Global Jurist of the Year. Judge Izquierdo Torres is a leader of the Arhuaco people, an Indigenous tribe from the north of Colombia. She was the first woman to become an auxiliary judge of the Superior Council of Judicature and now serves as president of the Truth Recognition Chamber within Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP). The award recognizes her work with the JEP and its continued efforts to center Indigenous worldviews and voices, ensuring Indigenous communities receive adequate recognition and space in the transitional justice process.

Judge ANNE-MARIE JOLLY, administrative judge of the New York City Family Courts, received the Howard A. Levine Award for Excellence in Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare from the New York State Bar Association. Judge Jolly, who has served for over 20 years, was recognized for innovative reform efforts, such as reducing delays in child protective and juvenile delinquency proceedings, increasing family court mediation — including on weekends — and providing multilingual services.

Alameda County Judge VICTORIA KOLAKOWSKI and Los Angeles County Judge D. ZEKE ZEIDLER were recognized by the American Bar Association with the 2025 Stonewall Award for their efforts to advance and support LGBTQ+ rights within the judicial system. Judge Kolakowski is the first transgender judge in the United States, and Judge Zeidler is the first openly gay man to be elected to the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Chief Judge Livingston

Chief Judge DEBRA ANN LIVINGSTON of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit received the prestigious Stanley Fuld Award from the New York State Bar Association. The award honors individuals who have significantly contributed to the practice of commercial law and litigation in New York. Appointed in 2007, Livingston became chief judge in 2020. She has taught at Columbia Law School since 1994.

Colby College honored Judge ESTHER SALAS with the Morton A. Brody Distinguished Judicial Service Award for her extraordinary judicial skill, integrity, and leadership. As the first Hispanic woman on the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Salas has been a longtime advocate for diversity and inclusion, including with the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey and U.S. Supreme Court committees.

Justice Stratton

A new portrait of retired Justice EVELYN LUNDBERG STRATTON in the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center recognizes her legacy and lasting influence on Ohio’s courts. Justice  Stratton was born to missionary parents in Bangkok, Thailand, and grew up in Southeast Asia. She came to the U.S. alone at the age of 18 and went on to earn a JD at The Ohio State University College of Law. At age 34, in 1988, she became the first woman elected as a judge on the Franklin County Common Pleas Court. She served on the Ohio Supreme Court from 1996 until her retirement in 2012. Justice Stratton worked to implement adoption reform, helped to shape mental health and veterans treatment courts, and advocated for the visually impaired. She also formed the court’s Advisory Committee on Mental Illness and the Court, composed of mental health and criminal justice professionals as well as law enforcement officers, to better assist those in the court system struggling with mental health.

Michelle Kaminsky is senior editor and writer at the Bolch Judicial Institute.