Ohio Supreme Court Justice Melody Stewart received the prestigious Nettie Cronis Lutes Award from the Ohio State Bar Association.

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Melody Stewart received the prestigious Nettie Cronise Lutes Award from the Ohio State Bar Association.

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Melody Stewart is this year’s recipient of the Nettie Cronise Lutes Award for excellence in the legal profession.

The Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA), in a virtual program, conferred the honor to the first Black woman to be elected to Ohio’s highest court.

“Justice Stewart is such a pioneer and a trailblazer for Black women and for little Black girls from Cleveland who were raised in a single-parent household, just like myself,” said Stephanie Adams, chair of the OSBA Women in the Profession Section.

“She provides an example of every single thing you can become in this world if you put your mind to it. She is such a tenacious woman and a positive spirit, a great influence, a wonderful mentor and a phenomenal woman.”

Justice Stewart told the group: “I am proud to join the decades-long list of women that the bar association has chosen to recognize as those who have helped to improve our profession through their own high level of professionalism, while along the way opening the doors for other females.”

The Nettie Cronise Lutes Award is named for the first woman licensed to practice law in Ohio and recognizes a female attorney who has improved the legal profession.

“This award will serve as a constant reminder to me to continue doing my part to elevate the work we do in the profession and to continue passing the torch to light the way for others,” Justice Stewart said.