Kim Dougherty ’03 Selected to Receive WBA’s 2025 Lelia J. Robinson Award

07.11.25 — Kim Dougherty '03, co-founder of the Justice Law Collaborative (JLC), has been named one of two recipients of the Massachusetts Women's Bar Association's prestigious Lelia J. Robinson Award for 2025. The award represents the WBA's highest honor, recognizing women pioneers in the legal profession who have made transformative contributions to their communities.

The Massachusetts Women's Bar Association selected Dougherty for her exceptional work as a nationally recognized champion for advancing women's rights and protecting the most vulnerable members of society, particularly women and children who have experienced trauma.

Since founding the JLC in 2021, Dougherty has built the largest women-owned and led plaintiffs firm dedicated to trauma-informed legal advocacy. Dougherty holds a master’s degree in social work in addition to her JD and combines expertise from both fields to passionately advocate on behalf of people who have been harmed by sexual and physical assault, personal injury, human trafficking, wrongful death and institutional neglect.

“I am truly honored to be recognized by the WBA and do not take lightly the significance of this award,” said Dougherty in a statement. “I will strive, each day, to continue to live up to its meaning while pursuing greater protections for the most vulnerable among us both in the courtroom and at state houses nationwide, and through my efforts to lecture and mentor other women seeking to develop skills to become leaders in this profession and make a difference in the lives of others.”

Dougherty will be honored at the WBA’s annual Gala on Wednesday, October 22, at the Boston Marriott Copley Place.

Northeastern Law Community Past Recipients of Lelia J. Robinson Award
Professor Margaret Burnham (1995)
Professor Clare Dalton (1997)
Elaine Epstein ’76 (1999)
Mary Bonauto ’87 (2000)
Stephanie Page ’78 (2004)
Sarah McClean ’78 (2009)
Ann Morse Hartner ’88 (2009)
Professor Judith Olans Brown (2013)
Monica Halas ’78 (2014)
Susan Sard Tierney ’85 (2015)
Professor Hon. Fernande Duffly (2016)
Hon. Margo Botsford ’73 (2017)
Professor Hon. Geraldine Hines (2017)
Late Hon. Nonnie Burnes ’77-’78 (2021)
Patricia Garin ’84 (2022)
Tamarattie Doucette ’88 (2023)
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey ’98 (2024)

About Northeastern University School of Law

The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,100 employers worldwide in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.

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