WS Chronicle

Wake Forest University Professor Beth Hopkins and WFU Law student Kristina Wolf were among nine Wake Forest women recognized at the 2012 Women of Justice Awards reception, which was held Nov. 15 at the Raleigh Marriott City Center.

North Carolina Lawyers Weekly hosted the reception, which recognized women across the state who have demonstrated leadership, integrity, service, sacrifice, and accomplishment in improving the quality of justice and exemplifying the highest ideals of the legal profession.

Alumna Lisa Bell received the Woman of the Year Award at the inaugural event. Bell is the Chief District Court Judge for Mecklenburg County, where she focuses more on treatment than punishment,

Professor Hopkins, director of Outreach for the Wake Forest School of Law, received the Legal Scholar Award, while Wolf, president of the Pro Bono Project Student Executive Board, received the Leaders of Tomorrow Award.

Alumna Patricia Holland, who is a litigator and employment law attorney in Cary with Jackson Lewis, received the Citizenship Award, while alumna Jill Wilson received the Business Practitioner Award. Wilson, who lives in Greensboro and is with Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey and Leonard, serves as general counsel to three boards of education.

Alumna Patricia Shields, who works at Troutman Sanders in Raleigh and just completed a term as president of N.C. Association of Defense Attorneys, received the Litigation Practitioner Award.

Alumna Elizabeth Trosch, who is a District Court Judge in Mecklenburg County, received the Judicial District Award, while her classmate, Kathleen Quinn DuBois, who is with Crumley Roberts in Winston-Salem, received a Rising Star Award. Another Rising Star Award recipient was alumna Rebecca Lindahl, who is with Katten, Muchin, Rosenman in Charlotte.

The awards reached out to women in various segments of the legal community, including the bar, the bench, public office, business, academia, non-profits and the state-at-large.