Retired D.C. Chief Judge receives NCSC’s 2017 Harry L. Carrico Award

Williamsburg, VA (Aug. 24, 2017) – Retired Chief Judge Eric T. Washington of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals is the recipient of the 2017 Harry L. Carrico Award, one of the highest awards presented by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC).

NCSC established the award to honor the late Chief Justice Carrico, who served as a justice on the Supreme Court of Virginia for 42 years and as Chief Justice for 22 years until his retirement in 2003. Chief Justice Carrico was instrumental in founding NCSC in 1971. Chief Justice Carrico served on the National Center's Board of Directors from 1987 to 1990, serving as chair from 1989-1990. The award, created in 2003 when Chief Justice Carrico retired, was established to honor a sitting state court chief justice or justice who has inspired, sponsored, promoted, or led an innovation of national significance in the field of judicial administration.

Chief Judge Washington received the Carrico Award earlier this month at the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators annual meeting in Philadelphia. Kentucky Chief Justice John Minton, chair of the NCSC Board of Directors, described Chief Judge Washington as “a national leader on access-to-justice issues. He has worked to raise awareness of the importance of the rule of law and to promote pretrial justice reform nationwide.” 

“He has been as a national voice on such critical issues as expanding civil legal aid, enhancing the availability of high-quality language access services, improving services for self-represented litigants, and encouraging state court leaders to address both explicit and implicit bias within the court system,” Minton said.

Chief Judge Washington was appointed Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in 2005 and served until his retirement in March 2017.  He is the longest serving Chief Judge in the history of the D.C. courts and served as a judge of the D.C. Superior Court for four years. Chief Judge Washington served as president of the Conference of Chief Justices and chair of the NCSC Board of Directors from 2011 -2012. Chief Judge Washington earned a national reputation for his long-standing work to improve access to the justice system for all. Chief Judge Washington served as chair of CCJ’s Access, Fairness and Public Trust Committee and has worked tirelessly to engage marginalized and disenfranchised communities with the justice system.

The National Center for State Courts, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., is a nonprofit court 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.