Mary Vasaly Honored as the First Recipient of the Steven A. Pihlaja Justice Partner Award by Minnesota's Fourth Judicial District
Partner Mary Vasaly was honored by Minnesota's Fourth Judicial District as the first recipient of the Steven A. Pihlaja Justice Partner Award. Under the leadership of Chief Judge James T. Swenson, the Fourth Judicial District created the award to recognize the effort of justice partners to improve the justice system or provide assistance to the Fourth District. Mary Vasaly was unanimously selected and received the award at a ceremony held at the Maslon Law Firm on September 24, 2009.
"During her term as HCBA President, Mary Vasaly vigorously pursued necessary funding for the courts, the public defender, and the delivery of civil legal services to the disadvantaged in Hennepin County," explained Chief Judge Swenson. "Equal access to justice was a hallmark of Mary's term. The citizens of Hennepin County are indebted to her and we, the members of the Hennepin County bench, are proud to call her our justice partner."
Upon receiving the award, Vasaly spoke about the importance of funding for the courts and equal access to justice. She stated, "I'm honored to receive this wonderful award and grateful that I had the opportunity to contribute to the successful effort of so many to secure adequate funding for our courts, public defenders and legal services providers."
The Steven A. Pihlaja Justice Partner award is named after a judge known for his selfless and effective volunteer work in the community. His focus centered on making life better for others—as a judge, colleague friend and neighbor. Judge Pihlaja was appointed to the bench on May 31, 2002, and continued to work while battling cancer. The first award will be presented to Vasaly near the date of his one-year memorial, September 17, 2008.
"The Hennepin County Bench's recognition of Mary sets an excellent example for the legal community. Throughout her legal career, Mary has exemplified the highest standards of professionalism and public service. We congratulate Mary and thank her for her contributions." stated Cooper Ashley, chair of Maslon's Governance Committee.
Mary Vasaly practices in the areas of appeals, probate/trust litigation and commercial litigation. She has appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court, and has tried cases and argued appeals in state and federal courts in Minnesota and other states. Mary is active in a number of bar organizations, having served as the President of the Hennepin County Bar Association, President of Minnesota Women Lawyers, and the Council of Appellate Lawyers. She received the 2006 President's Award from the Minnesota State Bar Association, and is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, an honor limited to no more than the top one third of one percent of attorneys in each state.
The State of Minnesota's Fourth Judicial District serves only Hennepin County and is the state's largest trial court with more than 750,000 cases received annually. For more information, visit the website at www.mncourts.gov/district/4/.
