THE BERYL LEVINE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The Beryl Levine Achievement Award was established in 2024 by SBAND’ s Women Lawyers Section. The award recognizes and honors individuals for their exceptional dedication and contributions to promoting gender diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession. The award is presented during the SBAND Annual Meeting but need not be given every year. The 2026 recipient of the Beryl Levine Achievement Award is Chief Justice Lisa K. Fair McEvers.
The award was presented by Victoria Vold, past president of the Women Lawyers Section, and below are her remarks:
The Beryl Levine Achievement Award celebrates individuals who champion gender diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession. It is named after Justice Beryl J. Levine, the first woman to serve on the North Dakota Supreme Court. Justice Beryl Levine expressed hope that her“ mere presence” on the Court made a difference. Justice Levine graced us with far more than“ mere presence” and demonstrated throughout her career that gender should not be an obstacle to setting and pursuing goals. Her legacy of working tirelessly to increase equality in the state of North Dakota and the world around her continues to inspire members of this profession.
Today, we celebrate and honor another deserving leader in the profession – Chief Justice Lisa K. Fair McEvers.
Chief Justice McEvers is the fourth woman to serve on the North Dakota Supreme Court, and like Justice Levine, she brought not only her intellect and integrity to the bench, but also her courage, compassion, and vision. Although it is true that North Dakota history was made when Chief Justice McEvers became the first woman to serve as Chief Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court, she was selected for this position based on the quality of her work, her accomplishments within the profession, her character, and like Justice Levine, her ability to work with and be civil with all those around her.
Chief Justice McEvers has given back to the practice of law in this state, not only by having worked as a private practice attorney, serving as a state’ s attorney, Commissioner of Labor, district judge, justice, and Chief Justice, but also by serving on countless boards and committees. Chief Justice McEvers also cares about the future of the practice of law in North Dakota. She gladly jumped at the opportunity to give the commencement address at this year’ s UND School of Law Graduation.
Chief Justice Lisa K. Fair McEvers
“ Justice Lisa K. Fair McEvers has significantly influenced women to pursue legal careers and leadership roles by speaking directly to women law students and attorneys and being a role model for young attorneys. Justice McEvers has meaningfully influenced women attorneys to consider and pursue careers in the judiciary and broader leadership roles.”
“ She shares how judicial selection, elections, and leadership roles function, helping women understand how to navigate systems that historically excluded them. Her willingness to speak candidly about her own career progression reduces barriers created by lack of access to information and role models.”
With deep gratitude, I present the Beryl Levine Achievement Award to Chief Justice McEvers.
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Chief Justice McEvers was instrumental in making the Beryl Levine Achievement Award a reality.
I would like to end my presentation of this award by reading some of the anonymous survey comments made by those who nominated Chief Justice McEvers.
“ Justice Lisa K. Fair McEvers has significantly impacted the legal community on issues affecting women primarily through leadership, mentorship, and education. As the first woman to serve as Chief Justice of the [ North Dakota Supreme Court.]”
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