The Warren M. Christopher Award is presented annually by the International Law and Immigration Section of the California Lawyers Association (“ILS”) for distinguished service in the promotion of the rule of law internationally or for significant achievement in the practice of international law.
The nomination deadline was May 2, 2025.
Nominees shall be licensed attorneys with significant ties to the State of California but need not be licensed by the State Bar of California (e.g. in-house counsel, law professors and judges). Self-nominations are not accepted. Nominees do not need to be a member of the ILS. Nominations of current members and officers of the ILS Executive Committee and its Standing Committees may not be considered if nominated. Nominations shall be kept confidential by the Award Committee and the ILS. Campaigning for the selection of the awardee is discouraged and will not be considered.
Nominations are to be directed to the ILS Award Committee, which shall evaluate the nominations and recommend three awardees to the ILS. Factors to be considered in evaluating nominations include, but are not limited to, promoting and achieving diversity.
Congratulations to our 2025 Recipient
Congratulations to Judge M. Margaret McKeown, the 2025 Warren Christopher Award Recipient. Judge McKeown was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 1998. She graduated from Georgetown University Law Center and holds an honorary doctorate from Georgetown University. Before her appointment, Judge McKeown was the first female partner at Perkins Coie in Seattle and was co-founder of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Judge McKeown served as a White House Fellow, where she worked as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of Interior and Special Assistant at the White House. She was also a Japan Society Fellow. Read more.
