Honorable Randy J. Holland

Randy J. Holland grew up and continues to reside in Milford, Delaware. He majored in economics at Swarthmore College and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, cum laude, where he received the Henry C. Loughlin prize for legal ethics. He earned a Master of Laws degree in the judicial process from the University of Virginia and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by Widener University.

Justice Holland was admitted to the Delaware bar on December 12, 1972. He practiced law in Georgetown. For six years, he was a named partner in his own law firm. In 1981, he became a partner in Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell. His practice was divided between litigation and transactions.

Justice Holland was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor Michael N. Castle. When he took his oath of office on December 12, 1986, at age 39, he became the youngest person to serve on the separate Delaware Supreme Court. He was reappointed to a second twelve-year term by Governor Thomas R. Carper. In 2009, he became the longest serving justice in the history of Delaware and was recently appointed to an unprecedented third term by Governor Jack A. Markell. Justice Holland has written more than 600 reported opinions and several times that many case dispositive orders.

Honorable Randall T. Shepard
Sixth Annual Award Recipient (2009)

Chief Justice Shepard, a seventh-generation Hoosier, started his judicial career in 1980 as a judge of the Vanderburgh Superior Court in his hometown of Evansville, Indiana.  He was appointed to the Indiana Supreme Court in 1985 and was named Chief Justice eighteen months later at the age of 38, then the youngest chief justice in the nation.  He is a graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School and earned an LL.M. from the University of Virginia School of Law.  

Chief Justice Shepard has authored more than 850 majority opinions and has taught and lectured at Yale Law School, New York University School of Law, and Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis.  He is recognized as a national authority on judicial ethics and legal professionalism.  Among his leadership roles at the national level, he has served as President of the Conference of Chief Justices and the National Center for State Courts, Chair of the Appellate Judges Conference of the American Bar Association, and Chair of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.  In addition to leading the state courts of Indiana for more than two decades, he has been an active force in historic preservation, state and local government reform, and improvement of children and family services.  He has received numerous national awards for his work to promote professionalism and diversity in the legal profession and to educate the public about the role of the courts.

Honorable Judith S. Kaye
Fifth Annual Award (2008)

Throughout her career, the Honorable Judith S. Kaye has dedicated herself to promoting judicial effectiveness and public awareness of the judiciary, as well as encouraging the independence of the judiciary and maintaining the highest standards of efficiency for the State of New York’s justice system.

Chief Judge Kaye has rendered extraordinary service to the people of New York during her 25 years of service as a member of the New York Court of Appeals, both through her devotion to the rule of law, and in preserving access to justice for all people in her state of New York.

Chief Judge Kaye implemented numerous programs and projects to make the administration of justice for the citizens of New York more efficient, and was an advocate who dedicated herself to improving conditions for the judiciary both within in her state and nationally.

Honorable Pascal F. Calogero, Jr.
Fourth Annual Award Recipient (2007)

Throughout his career, the Honorable Pascal F. Calogero, Jr. has dedicated himself to promoting judicial effectiveness and public awareness of the judiciary, as well as encouraging the independence of the judiciary and maintaining the highest standards of efficiency for the State of Louisiana’s justice system.

Chief Justice Calogero has rendered extraordinary service to the people of Louisiana during his 34 years of service as a member of the Louisiana Supreme Court, both through his decisions demonstrating commitment to the rule of law, and his leadership in bringing about numerous advances in the administration of justice.

Chief Justice Calogero was able to successfully urge the Conference of Chief Justices to adopt a resolution system highlighting the issue of wrongful convictions and the impact upon public confidence in the criminal justice system. He also provided vital leadership to the recovery of the judicial system after Hurricane Katrina devastated the state.

Honorable Ronald M. George
Third Annual Award Recipient (2006)

Throughout his career, the Honorable Ronald M. George has dedicated himself to promoting judicial education and public awareness of the judiciary, as well as encouraging the independence of the judiciary and maintaining the highest standards of efficiency for the State of California’s court system.

As has Chief Justice George, few judges have served at every level of a state’s justice system. Even fewer have been elected as well as appointed numerous times to the bench, and fewer still have had the bipartisan support to be appointed by both Democratic and Republican governors.

Chief Justice George has worked tirelessly to maintain and improve the quality of the largest state judicial system in the nation and to preserve a fully functioning judiciary for the State of California during times of financial crisis. Chief Justice George’s leadership service has also extended past the borders of the state, most notably serving as president of the Conference of Chief Justices. 

Honorable Ruth V. McGregor
Second Annual Award Recipient (2005)

Throughout her career, the Honorable Ruth V. McGregor has dedicated herself to improving conditions for the judiciary, promoting legal and judicial education, and preserving access to justice for all people in her state of Arizona and nationally.

Chief Justice McGregor’s many accomplishments in Arizona include: efforts to streamline the criminal justice system, create mediation programs for appellate courts, implement a statewide data network for the courts, and reform new judge education for limited jurisdiction judges. 

Chief Justice McGregor has served as board member and officer of the National Association of Women Judges and is currently vice-chair of the Council of the American Bar Association’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.  Not only does she strive for improvement in her own state and country, she travels tirelessly around the world to aid developing nations create strong and independent court systems.

Honorable Shirley S. Abrahamson
First Annual Award Recipient (2004)

Throughout her career, the Honorable Shirley S. Abrahamson has dedicated herself to improving conditions for the judiciary, providing scholarly opinions, and preserving access to justice for all people in her state of Wisconsin and nationally.

Chief Justice Abrahamson’s many accomplishments in Wisconsin include: efforts to improve safety of the state courthouses, training and certification for court interpreters, expedited responses for child-related cases so children can be placed in permanent homes quicker, numerous public outreach programs, and a more understandable court system for self-representation. 

Chief Justice Abrahamson has chaired the National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence and is the incoming chair of the National Conference of Chief Justices. Not only does she strive for improvement in her own state and country, she travels tirelessly around the world to aid developing nations create strong and independent court systems.

For her service to the cause of improving the administration of justice, the American Judicature Society is proud to present the Honorable Shirley S. Abrahamson with the first Dwight D. Opperman Award for Judicial Excellence.