Since 1996 the Spotlight Awards have been given annually to five women who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession and who have lighted the way for other women.? In 1998 the award was named to honor the late Mona Salyer Lambird, the first woman president of the Oklahoma Bar Association, and one of the award?s first recipients.

The awards, sponsored by the OBA Women in Law Committee, is presented each year at the Women in Law Conference luncheon. Each year all previous winners nominate and select the current year?s recipients.? A plaque bearing the names of all recipients hangs at the Oklahoma Bar Center in Oklahoma City.?

The 2010 Mona Salyer Lambird Spotlight Award recipients are:

DEBORAH BROWERS BARNES

Deborah Browers Barnes is a judge on the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals.? She was appointed by Gov. Henry in 2008 and sworn-in by her father-in-law, retired Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Don Barnes.? Graduating first in her class, she was later received the Outstanding OCU Law Review Alumni Award.? Her legal career includes private practice with Crowe & Dunlevy and Stack & Barnes in Oklahoma City.? She also served as staff attorney for Supreme Court Justice Ralph Hodges and then as in-house attorney and vice president of human resources with Transok.? In 1997, Judge Barnes was the first woman to be named in-house counsel for ONEOK in Tulsa.? She has chaired the Oklahoma Board of Bar Examiners, OBA Mineral Law Section and Tulsa County Bar Association Court Operations Committee.? She was selected as a Fellow of the ABA Foundation for Oklahoma.? She was a finalist for the Journal Record Woman of the Year and a member of Leadership Oklahoma Class XII.? She was reared in Sand Springs and was inducted into the Sandite Hall of Fame Education Foundation.?

DONNA L. DIRICKSON

Donna L. Dirickson is a special judge in Custer County. Prior to her appointment, she was a partner in the law firm of Duncan & Dirickson in Weatherford and also worked in the Custer County District Attorney?s office.? In 2006 she was named the OKDHS Adoptive Advocate of the Year and in 2009 was honored by the Southwestern Oklahoma State University chapter of the American Association of University Women.? She currently serves on the OBA Clients? Security Fund Committee, Women in Law Committee, Solo and Small Firm Planning Committee and the Technology Task Force. She served on the OBA Board of Governors for three years and was vice-chair for the Lawyers Helping Lawyers Assistance Program.? She also served on the Board of Bar Examiners, Legal Ethics Advisory Panel and chaired the OBA Law Office Management & Technology Section.? She has served as president and Law Day chair for the Custer County Bar Association, Multi County Youth Services Board of Directors, Great Plains Family YMCA Board of Directors and the Weatherford Kiwanis Club.?

LAURA MCCONNELL-CORBYN

Laura McConnell-Corbyn is a partner with Hartzog Conger Cason & Neville.? She has been listed as one of the Top 25 Female Oklahoma Super Lawyers and Top 50 Oklahoma Super Lawyers.?? In family law she is listed as one of Oklahoma Super Lawyersand in Best Lawyers in America. She is listed in Chambers USA Guide to America?s Leading Lawyers and in Benchmark Top Business Litigators.? She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. ?She was named a Leadership in Law Honoree and a COALA Attorney of the Year.? She was in Leadership Oklahoma Class XVI and this year achieved the Profile in Excellence from her alma mater, Oklahoma Baptist University.? She has chaired the Oklahoma County Bar Association Bench and Bar Committee and is currently president-elect of the Oklahoma County Bar Association.? She has served on the board of directors of Legal Aid and is co-chair of their Oklahoma City Fundraising Committee.? She received the Cross and Flame Award from Chapel Hill United Methodist Men for Service to Youth.

CLANCY SMITH

Clancy Smith was appointed as a judge on the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Sept. 1, 2010. A native of Hugo, she began her career teaching high school English in Tulsa and Jacksonville, Fla. After law school, she worked in the private practice of law as a solo practitioner for 14 years. ?In 1996 she was named a special judge in Tulsa County in the Family Division, where she served with distinction. In 1996 she received the Outstanding Family Law Judge Award from the OBA Family Law Section. For the next nine years Judge Smith served in the criminal division where she conducted preliminary hearings, arraignments and bond hearings. In 2005 she was appointed as a district judge in Tulsa County where she served in the criminal division and presided over more than 110 felony jury trials.? In that capacity she worked closely with Women In Recovery for alternative sentencing options for women.? Judge Smith is an active member of the Tulsa County Bar Association.? She also served as president of the Johnson-Sontag Chapter of the America Inns of Court for three years, and this year received the James Sontag Award for ethics and civility.

LINDA S. THOMAS

Linda S. Thomas is a solo practitioner in Bartlesville, where she has represented hundreds of children and adults in deprived and mental health cases.? Being a voice for the vulnerable began with her first job as a special education teacher and speech pathologist.? A tireless worker for the Oklahoma Bar Association, she has served on the Board of Governors and as OBA vice president.? She chaired the Leadership Task Force and has been the liaison to both the Law Day Committee and Women in Law Committee. ?She has served on the Budget Committee, Access to Justice Committee and the Strategic Planning Task Force.? She chaired the OBA House of Delegates Credentials Committee and served two terms on the OBA Foundation Board of Trustees.? She has twice received the OBA President?s Award.?? She also served the Washington County Bar Association by holding every office as well as having chaired CLE, the annual blood drive and the annual toy drive.? In Bartlesville she has served on the boards of directors of Run the Streets, Big Brothers and Sisters of Green Country and Family Care Services.