The Dallas Bar Association has named Chief Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, as the inaugural recipient of the DBA’s Jurist of the Year Award. Lynn will receive her award at the DBA’s Bench Bar Conference in Horseshoe Bay, which is scheduled for November.

Lynn was nominated by President Bill Clinton to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in March 1999. She was confirmed in November 1999. Lynn became chief judge of the court in May 2016, being the first woman to hold the position.

The award was established to honor judges who make significant contributions to the legal community in North Texas and demonstrate high ideals, exemplary personal character, and judicial competence. The award will henceforth be known as the Barbara M.G. Lynn Jurist of the Year Award.

Lynn was recognized for her dedication to the betterment of the legal profession—ecouraging litigants to be mindful of times when young lawyers can conduct hearings before the court.

“I have thought for a long time there is more we can do to honor our judiciary,” said DBA President Aaron Tobin in a press release. “For those of us who practice in our Dallas courts, we know how fortunate we are to have—at both state and federal level—one of the strongest benches in the country. Our judges not only work tirelessly in the courtroom but also spend considerable time giving back to the profession and to our community. To create an award that honors and recognizes the great work of our outstanding judges is a natural thing for the Dallas Bar Association to do.”

For more information about the Dallas Bar Association, go to dallasbar.org.