The Honorable Anne Lamkin Durward Access to Justice Grant
Anne Lamkin Durward was a Fellow of the AAML, and President of the AAML Foundation, when she passed away unexpectedly and prematurely on May 27, 2023, at the age of 54. Committed to the field of matrimonial law, Judge Durward served as a Judicial Fellow of both the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). She served on multiple committees of the AAML and as President of the Alabama Chapter. Since 2021, she served as President of the AAML Foundation. Anne and her husband John were known for traveling the globe with these organizations with dear friends and colleagues from across the country. She was a Fellow of the Alabama Law Foundation; a Life Fellow and past President of the Board of Directors of the Birmingham Bar Foundation; an active member in the Birmingham Bar Association and its Family Law and Women Lawyers Sections; and a member of the Magic City Bar Association. Anne also served as President of the Legal Aid Society of Birmingham and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Birmingham Bar Volunteer Lawyers Program. She was recognized by the Birmingham Bar Foundation with the 2018 Excellence Award. She served as a speaker for multiple continuing legal education seminars for the Alabama State Bar, the American Bar Association, and other national and international organizations. Prior to serving as a judge, Judge Durward practiced family law for 25 years in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Honorable Anne Lamkin Durward Access to Justice Grant is awarded to a grantee committed to overcoming language barriers for low-income domestic relations and family court litigants through direct, pro bono representation, interpretation services for court proceedings, informational/educational sessions and/or counseling services to indigent family law clients.
Grant Recipients
2023-2024: Haven Hills, Inc., Canoga Park, CA, for Safe Access to Shelter, Legal and Supportive Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence and their Children
2024-2025: CASA Board Volunteer Association, Akron, OH, for Juvenile Court Canine Companion