STATE COLLEGE (March 13, 2000) -- The Pennsylvania Bar Association honored Chambersburg lawyer Martha Baum Walker for her long history of service and dedication to the Franklin County and Pennsylvania bar associations by presenting her with the 2000 Gilbert Nurick Award Feb. 25 during the 34th annual Conference of County Bar Leaders in State College, PA.

The Gilbert Nurick Award, which is named for the late Harrisburg lawyer who served as PBA president, is presented to a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association who exhibits dedication and service to the leadership and promotion of the organized bar and its activities. Although the award is not intended to be an annual accolade, it has been presented every year since it was given to Gilbert Nurick in 1991.

In nominating Walker for the award, Franklin County Bar Association President William F. Kaminski said, �Under her direction, the FCBA became a truly �modern� bar association . . . one that moved from being an organization focused on social events to a proactive association emphasizing members� professional development and community involvement.� Kaminski also noted that Walker was not only the association�s first female president, but also its first female member, joining the bar in 1974.

Walker led the bar association in developing many of its cornerstone programs and committees. From initiating the Bench/Bar Conference to coordinating Law Day efforts to instituting a formal leadership executive committee, Walker�s work has �had a lasting impact upon the FCBA.�

A partner in the law firm of Walker, Van Horn & MacBride, Walker has been a long-time champion of pro bono work and has encouraged members of her firm to become active pro bono leaders. From 1982 to 1992, Walker served a director of Legal Services Inc. and was recognized for her efforts in 1994 with the Pennsylvania Bar Association Pro Bono Award.

A former Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) House of Delegates member, Walker is a past president and executive committee member of the Conference of County Bar Leaders. She also served as chair of the 39th Judicial District Domestic Relations Committee. Walker currently is a member of the PBA Family Law Section and co-chairs the association�s Council on Judicial Independence. She is a graduate of Wilson College and the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University.