Five court professionals become Burger Society award recipients

Williamsburg, Va., Nov. 16, 2017 – The National Center for State Courts has inducted five individuals into the Warren E. Burger Society, which honors individuals who have volunteered their time, talent and support to the National Center in exceptional ways.

They are:

• Daniel Becker, the newly retired Utah state court administrator, a position he held since 1995.
• Michael H. Lanza, executive vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer of Selective Insurance Company of America.
• William T. “Bill” Robinson III, former president of the American Bar Association who passed away this year.
• Jean Hoefer Toal, the first woman to serve on the South Carolina Supreme Court and that court’s first woman chief justice.
• Brenda Williams, a long-time manager in NCSC’s Association Services Division.

The Burger Society is named for the former Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court who helped found NCSC in 1971. The induction ceremony took place Nov. 16, in Washington, D.C.

The National Center for State Courts, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., is a nonprofit court reform organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. Founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, NCSC provides education, training, technology, management, and research services to the nation’s state courts.