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During the largest ever “Spirit of Excellence Awards Luncheon,” sponsored by the ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession, Commission Chair Kay Hodge welcomed guests by outlining the group’s mission and the purpose of the awards before introducing recipients, who entered the hall to a standing ovation.

“To the Stars Through Difficulty” was the theme of the awards luncheon, at which the following lawyers were honored for excelling in their professional settings and personifying excellence on the national, state or local level and who have demonstrated a commitment to racial and ethnic diversity in the legal profession: Paulette Brown, Short Hills, New Jersey; William T. Coleman, Jr., Washington, D.C.; Judge Joseph W. Hatchett, Tallahassee; Arturo L. Jaramillo, Santa Fe; Paul W. Lee, Boston; Thomas A. Mars, Bentonville, Arkansas; and Judge William S. Richardson, Honolulu.

ABA leaders were on hand to thank the recipients for their work, with ABA President Karen J. Mathis stating, “we are all winners to have you in our presence and in our lives.”