Assistant Attorney General Penny Allen Receives 2006 WSBA Angelo Petruss Award

OLYMPIA - Assistant Attorney General and Senior Counsel Penny L. Allen will receive the 2006 Washington State Bar Association’s Angelo Petruss Award for Lawyers in Public Service.

The award was named in honor of the late Angelo R. Petruss, a senior assistant attorney general who passed away during his term of service on the WSBA Board of Governors. It is given each year to a lawyer in government service who has made a significant contribution to the legal profession, the justice system, and the public.

Allen is being recognized by the WSBA for her leadership in public service and her dedication to providing pro bono legal services to low-income Thurston County residents.

She has served as an assistant attorney general for the state of Washington for 16 years. In 2005, she was appointed Senior Counsel by Attorney General Rob McKenna in recognition of her leadership and extraordinary service to the office and to the citizens of Washington, as well as her long-time service as a pro bono attorney.

"Penny is an extraordinary public lawyer, a terrific role model, and highly respected throughout the legal community.” McKenna said. “Through her outstanding professional achievements and her tireless work on behalf of low-income children and families, she has truly touched the lives of countless citizens of this state. She’s an inspiration to all of us at the Attorney General’s Office, and we’re very proud that she is being honored by the WSBA for her dedication to public service.”

Allen is a 1989 cum laude graduate of the University of Puget Sound School of Law. She began her career with the Attorney General’s Office in 1989, and currently serves as chief of the Lacey Section of the Labor and Industries Division of the office.

WSBA President S. Brooke Taylor will present the award to Allen at the WSBA Annual Awards Dinner, to be held on September 14, 2006, at the Madison Renaissance Hotel in Seattle.

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Media Contacts: Kristin Alexander, Public Information Officer, (206) 464-6432
                                   Janelle Guthrie, AG Media Relations Director, (360) 586-0725