Family Law Attorney Receives Top State Bar Legal Services Award

David Shebby

Betty Nordwind, Executive Director of the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law in Los Angeles, received the State Bar Loren Miller Legal Services Award from the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California on September 12, 2014 at the annual awards conference. This lifetime achievement award recognizes Ms. Nordwind for her long-term commitment to the delivery of legal services to the poor.

For more than half of her legal career, which spans forty-three years, Ms. Nordwind has practiced family law at the Harriett Buhai Center and is the first recipient of this prestigious honor to be recognized for a contribution in this field of practice. Hon. Aviva Bobb (Ret.), former Supervising Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court Family Law Department, said of Ms. Nordwind, "Twenty-seven years ago Ms. Nordwind took the shell of an organization and created the largest and most effective provider of legal services in California for low-income persons with family law and domestic violence problems."

Under the tutelage of Ms. Nordwind, the Center developed its pioneering self-help program, a precursor to the current court-based programs and its family law manual, and several outreach services to vulnerable persons, including victims of domestic violence attending community college and women who are incarcerated. The work of the Center is supported by hundreds of volunteers each year and it receives major support from Los Angeles County family law practitioners. For information about the award please visit www.hbcfl.org/making-a-career-of-comminity-service/ and www.calbarjournal.com/September2014/TopHeadlines/TH1.aspx.