Deadline: May 5, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.
Mattie Belle Davis was the only woman admitted to The Florida Bar in 1936. Twenty-three years later, she became the first woman to be appointed to the Metropolitan Court of Dade County, and she served on the bench in the Circuit and County Courts of Dade County until her retirement in 1996. Judge Davis was a founding member of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers in 1951 and became its President in 1957; she also served as President of the National Association of Women Lawyers in 1965. Judge Davis remained involved with and committed to FAWL for decades—in fact, she was FAWL’s Historian until she passed in 2004, at the age of 93. This award is presented in her honor.
Criteria for Selection: This award is presented annually to a MDFAWL member who is a woman working in the legal profession and who exemplifies the ideals of professional achievement, perseverance, equal opportunity, and the success of women in the law, as demonstrated by the late Judge Davis.
Mattie Belle Davis Award Nomination Form: