University of Washington School of Law Assistant Dean Sandra Madrid Receives Washington State Bar Association's Excellence in Diversity Award

Seattle Washington, September 23, 2004 — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) announces that University of Washington School of Law Assistant Dean Sandra Madrid received its 2004 Excellence in Diversity Award. The Excellence in Diversity Award is made to a lawyer, law firm, or law-related group that has made a significant contribution to diversity in the legal profession's employment of ethnic minorities, women, and disabled persons. Judge Ricardo Martinez presented the award to Dr. Madrid September 16 at the WSBA Annual Awards Dinner at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel.

Dr. Madrid received a B.A. in English/elementary education in 1974 from the University of Southern Colorado, an M.A. in reading/language arts in 1981 from the University of Washington, and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction in 1985 from the University of Washington. Since 1989 she has been the U.W. School of Law's assistant dean for Student Services and Administration, where she has overall administrative and management responsibility for Student Services, Admission and Recruitment, Career Planning and Public Service Center, and serves as Director of Personnel. She is also Law School liaison to selected external constituencies, including the Asian Bar, the Latina/o Bar, the Loren Miller Bar, the Northwest Indian Bar, and the King County Bar Association (KCBA) Minority Affairs Committee. From 1985 to 1989 Dr. Madrid was the U.W. Instructional Center director, where she was responsible for providing educational leadership to and administrative management for the instructional unity of the Office of Minority Affairs.

During her tenure at the University of Washington, Dr. Madrid has served on numerous boards and committees, including the U.W. Alumni Association Multicultural Alumni Partnership, the Financial Aid Advisory Board, the Office of Minority Affairs Advisory Board, the Professional Staff Advisory Board, the U.W. Law School Alumni Association Diversity Enrichment Committee, the U.W. Child Care Advisory Committee, and the Student Counseling Center Advisory Committee.

Over the years, Dr. Madrid has received more than a score of awards, honors, and other recognition, including the following: In 2004 she was profiled in Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education in an article titled "20 Trail-Blazing Mujeres: Elite Cadre in Higher Education"; she received the 2003 King County Bar Foundation Champion of Diversity Award; in 2002 she was profiled in a Latino Northwest magazine article titled "Sandra Madrid, The Seed of Excellence"; she was recognized in 2002 as one of 80 "Elite Hispanic Women" by Hispanic Business magazine; she was profiled in a 2000 article in Washington Law & Politics titled "Coping with Color Blindness"; she was the 1999 recipient of the Nordstrom Community Service Award for outstanding community leadership; she received the 1997 Edward E. Carlson Outstanding Alumni Award, presented by Leadership Tomorrow in recognition of outstanding volunteer leadership; she received the 1997 Spirit of Excellence Award, presented by the Commission for Minorities in the Profession of the American Bar Association; she was awarded the 1993 WSBA Affirmative Action Award; and she was the recipient of the 1992 U.W. Professional Staff Association Award for Excellence. Dr. Madrid is a frequent speaker and seminar presenter on the topic of diversity.

"Her focus on diversity and efforts to improve our community have been unmatched in our view," wrote attorney Cristobal Joshua Alex, who nominated Dr. Madrid for the award on behalf of the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington. "Sandra has been, and continues to be, tireless in her efforts in recruitment and retention of students of color through innovative outreach programs. Her efforts over the years have improved the lives of many people in the State of Washington.

Countless members of the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington and other attorneys of color have benefited from her work and would likely not be in Washington and perhaps not even practicing law if it were not for Sandra."

About the WSBA
The Washington State Bar Association is a private, nonprofit organization authorized by the Washington State Supreme Court to license the state's 28,400 lawyers. The WSBA both regulates lawyers under the authority of the Court and serves its members as a professional association—all without public funding.

As a regulatory agency, it administers the bar exam, provides record-keeping and licensing functions, and administers the lawyer discipline program. As a professional association, the WSBA provides continuing legal education for attorneys, and numerous other educational and member-service activities.

The governance of the WSBA is vested in its 14-person Board of Governors. There are three governors from the seventh congressional district; one from each of the other eight districts; and three at-large members, one of whom represents the Young Lawyers Division. The president is Ronald R. Ward of Seattle. The board meets every six weeks at various locations around the state, and its meetings are open to the public. Much of the work of the WSBA is carried out through its 23 standing committees, 23 sections, and a Young Lawyers Division.

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