KIM C. CLARK AWARD

This award is to honor the life and legacy of Kim C. Clark.

The daughter of a teacher and a public servant, Kim Clark grew up in a household that recognized an individual’s ability to contribute positively to their community and embraced that idea throughout her lifetime. She had a knack for dreaming big and drawing people together. As a young girl, Kim acted as the ringleader in organizing a full production of the musical Annie starring all the kids on her street. As she grew older, her vision shifted from the stage to the legal profession. She grew up with ideas of becoming a spy, inspiring her to master all the skills she might need in that line of work along the way (horseback riding and the Russian language among them). Instead of becoming a spy, though, she realized her true passion lay in advocating for the rights of others, so she ended up at Harvard Law School, where her passion for constitutional law in particular grew.  It was there that she met her husband Ben Clark, who fell in love with her for her deep and enduring sense of justice. She saw instances of inequity and knew she had to do what she could to solve them and to help those affected. She worked in several areas throughout the legal field, helping immigrants with asylum cases, supporting fair treatment for laborers, and, most prominently, serving as an attorney defending reproductive rights throughout the Pacific Northwest.

As a lifelong advocate for gender equality and reproductive freedoms, she recognized the deep value of individual autonomy and was the sort of person who found a way to do it all. Outside of her work, she was a fitness junkie, a scuba aficionado, an amateur author, and a one-time craft store owner. She gave her all to everything she set her mind to and helped others recognize that they could do the same. She empowered the people whose lives she touched to find their own voices and capabilities. As a mother to daughters Charlotte and Anna, she often gave the guidance “You’re the CEO of [Charlotte/Anna] Inc.,” allowing them to find their own power while letting them know they were always supported along the way. Among her other classic pieces of advice to her daughters was the instruction to “ask good questions,” a reminder she gave every day before school drop-offs, and a reflection of her own intelligence and readiness to learn from others. Kim led a life devoted to helping others and left the indelible impression on those around her that they could lean into everything in their power to do the same. An empowered and empowering woman, she is remembered for her strength and loving spirit.