Webster to be honored with 2026 Becker award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Minneapolis, Minn.) — Known for her ardent advocacy at the Capitol on behalf of Minnesota’s most vulnerable neighbors and constituents, Jessica Webster, an attorney with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, has been named the 2026 honoree of the Bernard P. Becker Legacy of Excellence Award.

Bestowed by the Minnesota State Bar Association, this award, which recognizes a demonstrated, career-long commitment to excellence in the legal services field, will be presented at the MSBA Assembly meeting, Thursday, April 16, 9 a.m. Additional Becker awards in categories of leadership, support and volunteering will also be presented to standout colleagues in the community.

Webster, a staff attorney with the Legal Services Advocacy Project of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid — for 20 years, currently working her 21st legislative session — has earned gubernatorial recognition for her decades-long efforts to see an end to lunch-shaming in schools and successfully spearheading efforts to enact legislation funding universal free school meals. She has also championed legislative efforts to fund SNAP benefits, the Minnesota Family Investment Program and the Child Tax Credit.

Before joining Legal Aid in 2005, Webster worked in public interest law in Chicago and in print journalism. She is a graduate of Purdue University, holds an MA in policy from the University of Minnesota, and earned her J.D. at William Mitchell Law School.

Contenders for the Becker awards come annually from a field of nominations, submitted by organizations providing legal services to low-income and vulnerable clients. The awards are named for prominent Legal Advocate and Educator, Bernard P. Becker (1939-91), known for his work in Indian Law and child welfare and for his scholarly efforts, teaching at the University of Minnesota Law School and the William Mitchell College of Law.

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Media Contact:
Lisa Ramirez
Communications Director
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid
lramirez@mylegalaid.org
612.746-3641