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Chair of the National Center's Board Receives National Award

Williamsburg, VA (Sept. 27, 2004) – The Chair of the National Center for State Courts’ Board of Directors is the recipient of the first Dwight D. Opperman Award for Judicial Excellence, presented by the American Judicature Society. Shirley Abrahamson, Chief Justice of Wisconsin and Chair of the NCSC Board, recently was presented the award during a ceremony in Wisconsin.

The Opperman Award honors a sitting state court judge who has had a distinguished career. Abrahamson was recognized for her leadership role with the nation’s state courts and for her continued work in the areas of increasing public trust in the courts, improving the judicial selection system, and promoting collaboration among the various agencies in the justice system. Chief Justice Abrahamson currently is the president of the Conference of Chief Justices.

Dwight D. Opperman is former chairman and CEO of West Publishing Company. He is a former AJS vice president, director, and executive committee member.

Chief Justice Abrahamson has served on the National Center’s Board since 2002. In addition, she serves as the Conference of Chief Justice’s representative to the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility and American Inns of Court.  She also serves as CCJ’s representative to the ABA’s Central and East European Law Initiatives (CEELI) and has been a leader of justice initiatives internationally. 

The National Center, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., is a non-profit court reform organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. The National Center, founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, provides education, training, and technology, management, and research services to the nation’s state courts. The National Center also is taking the lead on several key issues facing the justice system. For example, it has established a major civil justice initiative, a multi-year project that is examining best practices in civil case management and how complex litigation procedures can be improved. Other national initiatives being driven by the National Center include judicial selection reform and increasing citizen participation in jury service.  

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