White and Williams LLP is Proud to Host the 20th Anniversary Virginia Barton Wallace Award and Reception

White and Williams LLP is proud to host the 20^th Anniversary Virginia Barton Wallace (VBW) Award and Reception, which will celebrate this year’s honoree, The Rendell Center for Civics & Civic Engagement. This award was created to celebrate the remarkable career of Virginia “Ginny” Barton Wallace, the first woman to be elected to partnership not only at White and Williams but also at any law firm in Philadelphia. The VBW Award is presented to a woman or organization that embodies the same qualities that Ginny possessed: leadership, drive, exemplary work ethic, overall excellence in her field, or an ability to inspire other women to succeed.

The Rendell Center for Civics & Civic Engagement is a non-profit, Philadelphia-based organization whose mission is to promote civic education and engagement through the delivery of innovative experiential learning programs for students and professional development opportunities for educators. The Rendell Center was launched in 2014 by the Honorable Edward G. Rendell and the Honorable Marjorie Rendell. They actively work with local K-12 teachers and administrators to promote non-partisan civic education so that the next generation has the knowledge, skills, and disposition of effective citizens. White and Williams is honored to present this award to The Rendell Center to acknowledge the important work they do to improve the communities they support by promoting the importance of civics and civic education.

This year’s 20^th Anniversary VBW Award and Reception will bring together leaders, professionals, and community members for an inspiring event focused on civics education and will include opening remarks from Renee Chenault-Fattah, the first Virginia Barton Wallace Award honoree, and a presentation by students from the Julia R. Masterman Laboratory & Demonstration School. 

Previous honorees also include late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Nancy Brinker, former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary and founder of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne “Cokie” Roberts, a pioneer in American political journalism and “Founding Mother” of NPR, as well as Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize winning historian, biographer, public speaker, has appeared as a #1 author on The New York Times Best-Seller list.

White and Williams is proud to honor the incredible legacy of Virginia Barton Wallace through this award, and we are honored to present it to The Rendell Center to celebrate the influential work they have done to aid their local community. The 20^th Anniversary VBW Award and Reception will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Thursday, April 30, 2026, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM.

For more information, visit the 20th Anniversary Virginia Barton Wallace Award and Reception page.