It started with a speech by Justice Alice Robie Resnick, April 1991, that sparked the idea about establishing a statewide women’s bar association. Nurtured by Justice Resnick, the Honorable Patricia Hemann and Pamela Hagle Hultin, this spark turned into a vision and on Sept. 23, 1991,  the Ohio Women’s Bar Association became a reality. Twenty-six women attended that first meeting. This award is named after the twenty-six women, along with the first class of founding members, and recognizes an outstanding woman attorney who has contributed to the legal profession.

Award Recipients:

• 1998 -- The Justice Alice Robie Resnick Award of Distinction (Supreme Court of Ohio)
• 1999 -- Pamela N. Hultin (McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Haiman Co., L.P.A.)
• 2000 -- Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Hemann (U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio)
• 2001 -- Barbara J. Smith (McDonald, Hopkins, Burke & Haber Co., L.P.A).
• 2002 -- Louise P. Dempsey (CSU's Cleveland-Marshall College of Law)
• 2003 -- Magistrate Judge Vernelis K. Armstrong (U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Western Division)
  
• 2004 -- Sandra J. Anderson (Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease, LLP)
• 2005 -- Mickey Rabin
• 2006 -- Joyce D. Edelman (Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur, LLP)
• 2007 -- Holly Taft Sydlow (U.S. Attorney's Office) & Kerin Lyn Kaminski (Giffen & Kaminski, LLC)
• 2009 -- Judge Mary Jane Trapp (Eleventh District Court of Appeals)
• 2011 -- Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor (Supreme Court of Ohio)
• 2013 -- Deborah Platt Majoras (Procter & Gamble)
  
• 2015 -- Judge Benita Y. Pearson (U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio)
• 2017 -- Yvette McGee Brown (Jones Day)