2013 Seventh Annual Banquet

The Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association of Seattle celebrated its Seventh Annual Banquet on October 16, 2013, at the Olympic Fairmont Hotel in Seattle. MAMA Seattle presented its Betty Binns Fletcher Leadership and Justice Award to the Honorable Marsha Pechman, Chief Justice of the United States District Court, Western District of Washington. MAMA Seattle’s Betty Binns Fletcher Leadership and Justice Award is given to an individual who has paved the way to success for and has served as an inspiration to other women attorneys striving to excel in their legal careers while balancing family demands. Judge Pechman has been a fearless leader for other mother attorneys in both regards, and her heartfelt, insightful and motivating remarks captured the many reasons she was MAMA Seattle’s Honoree this year. Judge Pechman was introduced by her daughters, Colleen Pechman Fitzharris and Ellen Pechman Fitzharris.

In 2013, MAMA Seattle also celebrated a new name for its Leadership and Justice Award. The MAMA Seattle Board unanimously voted to change the name of its annual award to the Betty Binns Fletcher Leadership and Justice Award, honoring the life work of The Honorable Betty Binns Fletcher, who passed away on October 22, 2012. Judge Fletcher was the MAMA Seattle Honoree in 2011, and was a faithful supporter of both MAMA Seattle as a group and mother attorneys individually. Judge Fletcher seemingly never missed an opportunity to help other women attorneys along in their careers as attorneys and as parents, and she touched many, many lives as she forged a road for other women attorneys to follow. MAMA Seattle is proud to re-name its annual award to honor her, and equally proud to present its first Betty Binns Fletcher Leadership and Justice Award to Judge Pechman this year.