11 Mar 2024
Assistant Dean Molly Brummond has been named a recipient of the Ms. JD Limitless Leadership Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to empowering and advancing women in the legal profession. Brummond exemplifies the three nomination criteria of Professional Excellence and Leadership, Advocacy for Gender Equity, and Community Engagement and Mentorship.
“Molly has spearheaded countless efforts to help women form connections with each other irrespective of whether we are competitors in the legal field,” said Tara Paulson, CEO of Rembolt Ludtke. “Her work has opened up a sweet spot where we can gather, feel heard, be supported, and rise by lifting each other up.”
Using her own experiences as a former practicing woman lawyer, Brummond created and now continues to expand the College’s Women’s Leadership Initiative to help women lawyers develop skills to navigate the practice of law using established leadership techniques. This Initiative includes one-on-one development and coaching sessions, special programming opportunities and regular women’s leadership conferences. Since 2017, more than 1,000 of Nebraska’s female attorneys and business professionals have attended one of the five women’s leadership conferences planned and organized by Brummond.
“Molly is relentless in her pursuit of gender equality in the law – from day one with women law students to being a source of support and encouragement for women equity partners like me,” said Marnie Jensen, partner at Husch Blackwell. “She has worked to study and determine what makes women thrive in our profession and then has presented that research so that we may all take advantage of her work.”
Brummond joined a group of researchers in 2020 to begin examining what it means for women lawyers to thrive in Nebraska, more specifically what it means for them to thrive and succeed in Nebraska’s legal community. The team interviewed lawyers from across Nebraska to hear their stories of thriving. The results have also been used to further develop programming for the Women’s Initiative, general professional development programming for the Nebraska College of Law and the greater Nebraska legal community.
Brummond is a former member of the editorial board for the National Association of Women Lawyer’s Women’s Law Journal. Locally, Brummond currently serves on the boards of directors for ACLU of Nebraska and CEDARS Youth Services, serving both since 2020. She is a former member of the executive committee (past president) and the board of directors for the Food Bank of Lincoln, a past member of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Women, past chair of the Lincoln Young Professionals Group and a past member of the City of Lincoln’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Board. Molly also serves her hometown community by leading leadership development programming for the Boone County Emerging Leaders Academy.
Additional recipients of this year’s awards are:
- Noorain Khan, Senior Advisor at the Ford Foundation and National Board President of the Girl Scouts of the USA
- Heather Anderson, Vice President of Original Content and Business Affairs at ESPN and UCLA Law Women LEAD Board Member
- Lannette Richardson, Law Student at Southern University Law Center and ABA Law Student Division Chair
- Microsoft, for their deep commitment to advancing gender equity and leadership in DEI initiatives.
Brummond and the other distinguished recipients will be honored at the upcoming Ms. JD Limitless Gala and Awards on April 11, 2024, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California.