For Immediate Release
February 04, 2008

Contact:
Rand Ardell
(207) 774-1200
Jason Wolfe
(207) 883-6083
E-mail: rardell@bernsteinshur.com
Web Site: http://www.bernsteinshur.com

PORTLAND, Maine – The Maine State Bar Association has awarded the 2008 Caroline Duby Glassman Award to attorney Patricia A. Peard of Bernstein Shur for her efforts in advancing the position of women in the legal profession.
Peard received the award at the Maine State Bar Association’s annual meeting Feb. 1. The award, named in honor of the first woman appointed to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, is presented each year to a woman attorney in Maine who fits a set of criteria that includes leadership and “demonstrated excellence” in advancing the position of women in the legal profession or the community, and acting as a role model for younger or less experienced woman attorneys.

“Pat Peard embodies what the Caroline Duby Glassman award is all about,” said Superior Court Justice Joyce A. Wheeler, who presented Peard with the award. “Few have given more of themselves to their community. Her accomplishments are extraordinary. Pat is a true leader in Maine, one dedicated to justice, the law and equal rights for all.”

Charlie Miller, the managing shareholder at Bernstein Shur, agreed that the Maine State Bar Association’s recognition is well deserved.

“Pat is one who has never backed down from a challenge worth fighting for, which is an admirable trait,” Miller said. “Her tenacity is matched only by her integrity and her sense of fairness. Pat is someone we all look up to at the firm, and we are proud to see that her accomplishments continue to be recognized.”

Peard is a former president of the Maine Civil Liberties Union and was the 2006 recipient of the L. Kinvin Roth Award at the University of Maine School of Law. She also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from EqualityMaine in 2006 for her role in legislation that protects the rights of gays and lesbians.

A resident of Falmouth, Peard joined Bernstein Shur in 1988. She serves on the firm’s Management Committee and chairs the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. Peard practices in all areas of employment and labor law, and counsels management in compliance issues under state and federal law. Her practice has a special emphasis on the needs of colleges, universities and private secondary schools.

Peard is recognized by both Chambers USA and Best Lawyers in America for her work in employment law. She is a 1988 cum laude graduate of the University of Maine School of Law and received a Master of Arts from the University of Minnesota in 1970. She is a 1968 graduate of Wilson College.

Bernstein Shur is one of northern New England’s largest multi-service law firms, with more than 90 attorneys in offices in Maine and New Hampshire. Founded in 1915, the firm provides practical and innovative counsel in the areas of business law, litigation, and municipal law to clients throughout the region and around the world. Bernstein Shur is Maine's exclusive member of Lex Mundi, the world's leading association of independent law firms. For more information, visit www.bernsteinshur.com.

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