Mary Ann Jorgenson
Cuyahoga County (1941 – )
2007 Women's Hall of Fame Inductee -- Law

A distinguished Cleveland, Ohio lawyer, Ms. Jorgenson is setting an example for today's young women and men through promotion of her peers and her efforts to develop and retain Ohio's best young talent.

Nominated by Alex Shumate
Squire, Sanders and Dempsey, LLP

Mary Ann Jorgenson has had a distinguished career as an outstanding Cleveland lawyer of international repute, and has shown exemplary leadership and tireless commitment to her community of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.

Mary Ann (Lusk) Jorgenson was born in Gallipolis, Ohio. She was a National Merit Scholar and Valedictorian of her high school class. In 1963 she graduated from Agnes Scott College in Georgia with high honors and a B.A. in English. In 1964, Jorgenson received her M.A.T. from Harvard.

In 1975, Ms. Jorgenson completed her J.D. at the Law School at Case Western Reserve University. She earned the distinction of admission to the Order of the Coif and graduated third in her class. After graduation, she joined the Cleveland-based law firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey and immersed herself in the corporate practice sector.

During her tenure at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, Ms. Jorgenson experienced many successes and many firsts. In 1988, she was the first woman elected to the firm’s five person Management Committee, the first such female election or appointment by a Top 50 law firm in the country. In 1990, she was appointed as firm-wide chair of the corporate practice, again the first woman appointed to such a leadership position from among the largest U.S. law firms.

Currently, Ms. Jorgenson chairs the DirectWomen Board Institute sponsored by the American Bar Association and Catalyst, Inc. One of the many positions she has held is chair of the ABA’s Committee on Corporate Laws; she continues to serve as Senior Advisor.

Ms. Jorgenson served as counsel to the Czech government, oversaw the opening of Squire Sanders’ office in Prague, and advised Russia’s Yukos Oil Company on international corporate governance issues. She is a well-known speaker on corporate governance and serves as a Trustee of Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Leadership Center. She was a Trustee of the Great Lakes Theater Festival for 13 years and Chair of its board for 3 years.

By setting an example for today’s young women and men and supporting the promotion of her peers to higher levels of achievement, as well as through her efforts to develop and retain Ohio’s best young leadership talent, Mary Ann Jorgenson is making valuable contributions that may well change the course of history.