Sarah Crooks Selected as Recipient of the OWLS Justice Betty Roberts Award

PORTLAND, ORE. (December 16, 2009) Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Partner Sarah Crooks has been chosen as a 2010 recipient of the Oregon Women Lawyers (OWLS) Justice Betty Roberts Award.

Crooks, former president and board member of OWLS, was selected for this award to honor her tireless efforts in the advancement of women in the legal profession. She has been a role model and mentor to women attorneys on a state, local and national level, and she has founded, chaired and served on numerous committees focused on the promotion of women and minorities both in her firm and in the legal community.

Crooks is a volunteer attorney for the Domestic Violence Project at Legal Aid Services of Oregon and has provided pro bono representation to more than 20 domestic violence victims since 2002. She led Perkins Coie's domestic violence pro bono partnership with Intel and has trained and mentored other attorneys within her firm and Intel to represent domestic violence victims.

Crooks is passionate about the promotion of women and women's rights and has the strength of conviction to act on that passion. One of her colleagues stated that "[i]t is not a question of 'if' women attorneys can succeed to Sarah, but a question of 'how.'" Crooks is a true leader for women lawyers new to the profession as well as those who have been practicing for many years.

Perkins Coie supports and shares Crooks' passion. In 2009 the firm was named, for the second consecutive year, one of the "Best Law Firms for Women" by Working Mother magazine and national consulting firm Flex-Time Lawyers LLC. Working Mother magazine's "Best Law Firms for Women" list recognizes a select group of U.S. law firms that are proactively developing and implementing women-friendly policies, including flex-time, child care and women-focused mentoring, leadership and networking programs. Flex-Time Lawyers is a national consulting firm advising the legal profession on work/life balance, law firm restructuring, and the retention and promotion of women.

An awards dinner will be held on March 12, 2010 at the Governor Hotel in Portland to honor Crooks and the Judge Mercedes Deiz Award recipient, Oregon's First Lady, Mary Oberst.