This May, the Atlanta Bar Association did something they’d never done before: they gave their Professionalism Award to someone who was unable to receive it. The Atlanta Bar awarded Elizabeth Ann Whipple the accolade due to her abundant service to the Atlanta legal community and her commitment to survivors of domestic violence. This is the first time the Bar has given the award posthumously.

The award was given at the Atlanta Bar Association Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon on May 23, 2017, at the Piedmont Driving Club. AVLF staff members were joined by five members of Liz’s family. Her father, Steve Whipple, accepted the award on her behalf.

Liz was the Director of AVLF’s Domestic Violence Program from 2011 to 2015. She died this past April.

Below is an excerpt from Executive Director Marty Ellin’s remarks.

Using a term we have heard often about Liz’s power of pro bono persuasion, Cheryl Naja described Liz’s ability to bring in volunteers as “miraculous.”

The choice to give the Professionalism Award to a social justice warrior at first blush seems slightly outside the usual lane, but it is an excellent choice, revealing the best of the definitions of “professionalism.”   

Many of you knew Liz to be wonderfully irreverent and creatively playful in a way few are. But occasionally lost in the pleasure of thinking about her quirky, life-affirming insistence on making every day an adventure was the fact that she was an outstanding and fierce advocate for abused women. She was simply unwilling to allow domestic violence victims to stand alone, and with her help our clients could know freedom from the fear of further abuse, and real dignity in their lives.

Georgia has one courthouse-based, lawyer-staffed walk-in clinic for victims of intimate partner violence. It is in the Fulton County Courthouse, and it is known as the Safe Families Office. In 2010, the chair of the ABA Commission on Domestic Violence visited the SFO and deemed it the nation’s Best Practices model: Liz became the Director of that Office in February of 2011, sustained the office through difficult financial times, and made it even better.

She did that by being three things:

1. She was an excellent model for how to offer legal services to women facing stalking and abuse. She knew the law, she advocated with passion, she gained the full trust of her clients, and she made people who had never experienced the legal system believe that justice was possible. She created strong bonds with the clerks and judges and sheriffs in the Fulton County Courthouse, and the police throughout the city, and was a leader of the community of those who work to curb violence.
2. She was an exceptional teacher of her craft. There has been a stunning of outpouring of love for Liz, much of it in the form of e-mails and texts and cards we received at AVLF from all over the country, and by far the largest single theme was “Liz taught me.” Judge Jane Barwick told us that Liz taught her everything she knows about the law and psychology of domestic violence; in fact, she says that Liz taught her how to be a judge. Dozens of lawyers have told me that Liz pushed them out of the nest, or that Liz was by their side when they tried their first case, or that the work that they did with and for Liz informed their decisions about where and how they wanted to practice law.
3. Liz made professionalism contagious by inspiring others to provide pro bono service. So many people have told us that they, or lawyers that they worked with, first started taking on pro bono matters because of Liz.  They attended one of her training sessions that, despite covering a very serious topic, were somehow fun and entertaining. Liz not only dedicated her whole career to providing legal services to those who would have otherwise gone without representation, she also drew in scores of lawyers from the private bar to work with her. Using a term we have heard often about Liz’s power of pro bono persuasion, Cheryl Naja described Liz’s ability to bring in volunteers as “miraculous.”  

Research shows us that the single most important factor in whether a woman will return to her abuser is whether the first time she seeks legal help she gets effective, quality assistance: Liz Whipple made damn sure that everyone who came to the Safe Families Office received that level of attention the first time and every time they came.

Liz left AVLF for a 2-year fellowship, teaching a class on domestic violence and running a clinic at the University of Alabama Law School. Jamie Perez, who succeeded Liz as the Director of the AVLF DV Program, and her Safe Families Office colleagues, carry on the fundamental traditions and core values that Liz lived: civility, professionalism, integrity, and personal dignity, which are indispensable to building respect for the rule of law. Liz believed, and we will always believe, that there is no real justice unless everyone has access to it.

We were lucky to work with Liz: the entire legal community was as fortunate to have her lead our fight against domestic abuse. We all miss Liz, and cherish her memory, which is made brighter by this lovely, meaningful award.