Affectionately known as ?Mother Theresa? or ?Mother T? for short, Theresa Hansen is dedicated to volunteering within the legal system. Her service to the profession earned her the 2009 OBA Liberty Bell Award, which she received during the association?s Annual Meeting.

Ms. Hansen?s desire to alleviate anxiety and provide support for families during difficult times motivated her to begin volunteering at the Tulsa County courthouse. What has kept her volunteering for so many years is her aspiration to help people feel comfortable in the courthouse.

Today, ?Mother T? can still be found at the courthouse on Mondays and Tuesdays, tending to the needs of the staff and recruiting other community members to volunteer. Other days she volunteers at a local hospital assisting the on-duty nurse with victims of violent assault and rape. But she is not only an instrumental volunteer, she is also a community activist. She has lobbied for stronger laws at the State Capitol, including making first-time strangulation a felony. She is currently working with her representative to sponsor a new law that would make first-time domestic assault and battery a felony if the act took place in the presence of a minor.

For all her work, Ms. Hansen received the 50 People over 50 Years Award at the Oklahoma State Capitol in 2008 and the Call to Service Award from President George W. Bush in 2007.

Read about all OBA award winners here.