Dean Angela Onwuachi-Willig Honored with the National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division’s Exceptional Dedication to Academia Award

On July 29, Boston University School of Law Dean and Ryan Roth Gallo Professor of Law Angela Onwuachi-Willig was recognized with the Gertrude E. Rush Award for Exceptional Dedication to Academia at the National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division’s Annual Gertrude E. Rush Breakfast. “This award is personally meaningful in so many, many ways,” shares Dean Onwuachi-Willig. “First, it’s named after Gertrude Rush, the first Black woman to be licensed in Iowa, where I lived for more than a decade, and the only woman to be among the founders of the National Bar Association.”

Dean Onwuachi-Willig and Nicky Boothe, dean of University Illinois Chicago School of Law, were co-recipients of the award and were selected from a group of distinguished nominees including other decanal colleagues and law school professors. “I was just honored to be in the company of all the other nominees, who are standouts,” shares Dean Onwuachi-Willig. “Receiving the award, along with Dean Boothe, whom I really admire, was a very pleasant surprise and a true honor.”

The theme of this year’s gathering, “Pioneers & Powerhouses: A Century of Women Legal Leadership,” celebrated the legacy and future of women who have shaped and continue to shape the legal profession and featured a keynote address from Attorney General of New York Letitia James. Top women lawyers from across the country were nominated in categories such as Outstanding Champion of Women Lawyers, Outstanding Young Lawyer, Exceptional Commitment to Pro Bono, and more. US District Court Judge and part-time BU Law Professor Angel Kelley was a co-recipient of the Excellence in the Judiciary Award.

The National Bar Association is the nation’s oldest and largest global network of predominantly Black American attorneys and judges, with the Women Lawyers Division created in 1972 as a vehicle to address issues affecting African American women. In reflecting on her win, Dean Onwuachi-Willig highlights the significance of the NBA Women Lawyers Division, sharing that the organization “stands as a beacon and support for so many and continues to open doors, show possibilities, and advance the careers of many lawyers and aspiring lawyers.”