The ABA is celebrating six distinguished professionals for their leadership and dedication to full and equal participation in the legal profession. Paula E. Boggs ’84, whose trailblazing efforts to increase diversity extend from the White House to Dell Computer to the University of Washington School of Law, was named a 2006 ABA Spirit of Excellence Award winner.
Boggs began her legal career in public service, first in the Office of the Army General Counsel and then in 1997, while still an Army officer, serving as staff attorney in the White House during Iran-Contra. She has taught at the University of Washington School of Law; was vice president, legal for products, operations, and information technology for Dell Computer Corporation; and, is currently the executive vice president, general counsel and secretary at Starbucks Coffee Company. In each of these settings, Boggs has honed her skills as a leader and mentor, paving the way for increased diversity, launching initiatives to nurture minority lawyers, and conducting outreach to raise diversity awareness. She is known for her commitment to performance, not rhetoric. The ABA award is a tribute to her contributions to the profession as a lawyer and as a champion of diversity.
Read more about the Spirit of Excellence award.