Oklahoman Wins 2009 Sandra Day O'Connor Award

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL –Justice Antonin Scalia will present the Sandra Day O’Connor Award for Professional Service to Catina R. Drywater, Esquire, of Tulsa on Oct. 17, 2009, during the Celebration of Excellence at the U.S. Supreme Court.
The American Inns of Court established the Sandra Day O'Connor Award for Professional Service honoring an American Inn member in practice 10 or fewer years for excellence in public interest or pro bono activities. Drywater's peers nominated her for her efforts to expand access to justice. 

“I am convinced that her efforts to simplify the law helped to empower many low income citizens with the information they needed to make intelligent decisions and protect their rights within our justice system,” wrote Gary W. Dart, Oklahoma Child Support Services Director, in Drywater's nomination.

Drywater graduated in 1998 from the University of Tulsa College of Law and received Oklahoma’s first fellowship from the National Association for Public Interest Law (NAPIL) in 1999. Employed by OCSS, Drywater leads a Pro Se work project, developing procedures and instructions that help people file their own requests to modify child support orders.

“I am very honored to win this award and grateful for the support from the people who nominated me,” stated Drywater.

OCSS is a division of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. OCSS enhances the well-being of children through its mission to establish, monitor and enforce a reliable source of support for the families it serves. The division is responsible for more than 189,000 active child support cases.

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