Advocating for Women
in the Legal Profession

Texas Women Lawyers annually presents the Pathfinder Award to an individual who has been a champion promoting the advancement of women in the law and who exemplifies professionalism, leadership, and commitment to the public interest. The Honorable Ruby Sondock, the first woman to be appointed to serve as a District Court Judge in Harris County and also the first woman to be appointed to serve as a Justice on the Texas Supreme Court, was the first Pathfinder Award recipient and recently had the award renamed in her honor — the TWL Justice Ruby Kless Sondock Pathfinder Award. Louise Ballerstedt Raggio, a Dallas lawyer who was instrumental in the passage of the Marital Property Bill, which removed certain legal disabilities that prohibited married women from owning property in Texas, was the second Award recipient. Other past recipients have been heavily involved in their communities, giving back through programs helping underserved groups such as immigrants, abuse victims, and teens graduating from foster care.