Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Diversity Awards
Rules
- The submission deadline is Tuesday, Aug. 1.
- Include the name, address and contact number of the nominee.
- Describe the nominee’s contributions and accomplishments in the area of diversity.
- Identify the diversity award category (organization, licensed attorney or member of the judiciary) in which the nominee is being nominated.
- Submissions should not exceed five pages in length.
Email submissions to: diversityawards@okbar.org
Selection Criteria & Nomination Process
One or more diversity awards will be given to an organization that has an office in the state of Oklahoma and has met one or more of the following criteria:
- Developed and implemented an effective equal opportunity program as demonstrated by the organization’s commitment to the recruitment, retention and promotion of individuals of underrepresented populations regardless of race, ethnic origin, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability or any other prohibited basis of discrimination;
- Promoted diversity initiatives that establish and foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment;
- Demonstrated continued corporate responsibility by devoting resources to the improvement of the community at large; and
- Exhibited insightful leadership to confront and resolve inequities through strategic decision-making, allocation of resources and establishment of priorities.
Two or more diversity awards will be given to licensed attorneys, and an additional award will be given to a member of the Oklahoma judiciary who has met one or more of the following criteria:
- Demonstrated dedication to raising issues of diversity and protecting civil and human rights;
- Led the development of innovative or contemporary measures to fight discrimination and its effects;
- Fostered positive communication and actively promoted inter-group relations among populations of different backgrounds;
- Participated in a variety of corporate and community events that promoted mutual respect, acceptance, cooperation or tolerance and contributed to diversity awareness in the community and workplace; and
- Reached out to a diverse array of attorneys to understand firsthand the experiences of someone from a different background.
Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher
Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher was born Feb. 8, 1924, in Chickasha. She boldly challenged and forever changed segregation laws to achieve her lifelong ambition of becoming a lawyer and was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement.
Read more about Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher and her contributions to both the legal field and the Civil Rights Movement from the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Photo Credit: Courtesy Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries, Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher 3
Award Recipient History
2022 Judge Sharon K. Holmes, Tulsa
2021 Justice Shawna S. Baker, Tulsa
2020 Judge David B. Lewis, Oklahoma City
2020 Judge Aletia Haynes Timmons, Oklahoma City
2019 Judge Philippa C. James, Oklahoma City
2018 Judge Lydia Y. Green, Oklahoma City
2017 Judge Cindy Truong, Oklahoma City
2016 Judge Bernard M. Jones II, Oklahoma City
2015 Judge Jerome Holmes, Oklahoma City
2014 Judge Jerry D. Bass, Edmond
2013 Justice Tom Colbert, Oklahoma City
2012 Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange, Oklahoma City