CCE announces its 29th Annual Justice Potter Stewart Award Dinner, to be held Thursday, May 21, 2026

Every spring, the Council for Court Excellence (CCE) hosts its Justice Potter Stewart Award Dinner to honor people and organizations that have demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing justice in the District of Columbia. The 2026 dinner will be held on Thursday, May 21 at the Organization of American States, honoring Sandra Jackson, President and CEO of House of Ruth, and Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs.

Sandra Jackson has more than two decades of experience in social services management in the D.C. area. Her tenure at House of Ruth began in 2013 when she became Director of Operations. Ms. Jackson was promoted to Interim Executive Director in January 2016 and then became Executive Director in November 2016. In September 2020, the House of Ruth board unanimously promoted Ms. Jackson to President and CEO of House of Ruth. Prior employers include the Child and Family Services Agency and Catholic Charities of Washington, D.C.

The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs was born in 1968 out of the Civil Rights Movement following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leading Washington, DC law firms came together to form a network of pro bono lawyers to provide high quality services on civil rights and poverty issues in the Washington, D.C. region. In the 56 years since, they have provided legal assistance to individuals and groups in a variety of civil rights matters, and through strategic litigation, advocacy and communications, have challenged racial oppression in the areas of education, housing, employment, prisoners’ rights, policing, disability, and immigration.

“At its core, CCE is a convener and catalyst for improving justice in the District,” noted Sarah Baczewski, CCE’s Development Director. “We work with diverse stakeholders to tackle complex issues across criminal, civil, and youth justice, while also equipping community members with the knowledge they need to navigate the legal system. Support from our donors makes it possible to sustain this work: from hosting candidate forums, to developing practical legal resources such as our recently and soon-to-be guides to victim services, probate and the juvenile justice system.  We hope more people and firms will join us in celebrating our honorees and supporting CCE’s work.”  Sarah said CCE was especially thankful for the early dinner sponsors that are leading the way: Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis LLP, a President’s Circle donor; and Jay Brozost, Clark Construction Group, LLC, Picard Kentz & Rowe LLP, Ullico and Wiley Rein, LLP, Justice Champion donors.  

To become an event sponsor, contact Sarah at sarah.baczewski@courtexcellence.org or (202) 785-5917, ext. 102.  

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