Linda A. Klein, senior managing shareholder at Baker Donelson and immediate past president of the American Bar Association (ABA), has earned honors from two prestigious organizations in recognition of her leadership and service in the legal profession.
On October 14, Ms. Klein was recognized by the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) with the Florence K. Murray Award. Instituted by its namesake, the Honorable Florence K. Murray, the award honors a non-judge who, by example or otherwise, has influenced women to pursue legal careers, opened doors for women attorneys, or advanced opportunities for women within the legal profession. Ms. Klein received the award during the NAWJ's 39th Annual Conference in Atlanta.
Ms. Klein was also honored at The Veterans Consortium's 2017 Pro Bono Mission Partner Awards held in Washington, D.C. on October 4. She was recognized, along with the Honorable Judge William H. Webster, former Director of the FBI and the CIA and current chair of the Homeland Security Council, as the honorary co-counsel for The Veterans Consortium's milestone 5,000th appellate case currently before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Ms. Klein was invited to serve as co-counsel because of her recent work as the president of the ABA and her efforts to focus on improving access to justice and providing legal assistance to our nation's veterans.
During her term as president of the ABA, Ms. Klein's key initiative focused on improving access to justice for veterans. Under her leadership, the new ABA Commission on Veterans' Legal Services created comprehensive online resources to address veterans' unique legal needs, working with law schools and bar associations to make affordable legal services available using new and under-employed lawyers, and with VA medical facilities to promote legal check-ups for veterans, their families and caregivers. Her efforts raised awareness of the issue and resulted in lawyers across the country providing pro bono services to veterans in need.
Before being chosen as ABA president-elect in 2015, Ms. Klein served as chair of the ABA's House of Delegates, the second-highest elected office in the organization, from 2010 to 2012. She has also served as chair of the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, chair of the Committee on Rules and Calendar of the House of Delegates, chair of the Coalition for Justice and chair of ABA Day, the Association's Congressional outreach effort.
In June 1997, Ms. Klein became the first woman to serve as president of the State Bar of Georgia. During her term, she devised a proposal and advocated for the state to allocate funding for Georgia Legal Services and Atlanta Legal Aid to hire lawyers to help indigent victims of domestic violence. She organized a statewide group of community organizations and local and minority bar associations that together convinced the General Assembly to appropriate $2 million. Since then, the annual appropriations have helped thousands in Georgia with legal issues related to domestic violence.
Ms. Klein was one of the first women to lead a prominent Georgia law firm. She served as managing partner of Gambrell & Stolz beginning in 2001 and led the firm's 2007 merger with Baker Donelson, becoming a Baker Donelson board member and Georgia managing shareholder.
Ms. Klein is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Who's Who in America and Chambers USA. She is regularly named to the Super Lawyers top 100 lawyers in Georgia and among the top 50 female lawyers in Georgia by Super Lawyers. In 1998, Georgia Trend Magazine named her one of the 100 most powerful and influential Georgians.
Ms. Klein earned her J.D. at Washington & Lee Law School in Virginia and her B.A. at Union College in New York. Her practice includes most types of business dispute resolution, including contract law and professional liability, working extensively with clients in the construction, higher education and pharmaceutical industries.