UNM Law Professor Barbara Bergman, who serves on various boards and committees, practices criminal defense, teaches law classes and writes books, was recently recognized by her peers with a prestigious award.
Bergman was presented with the Robert C. Heeney Award from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers at its annual board meeting.
"I was flabbergasted," she said. "It is an award that they've given for 15, 16 years and it is the highest award that organization gives."
Bergman is treasurer of the association's executive committee and is on the boards of the New Mexico Council on Crime and Delinquency and the national Peanut Butter and Jelly Board, which deals with childrens' issues. She formerly was the co-chairwoman of the lawyer's association's Amicus Committee for five years as chairwoman of the New Mexico Uniform Jury Instructions Criminal Committee and on the Federal Grand Jury Reform Report Commission.
Bergman said she has gotten to the point where she can choose the boards that are important and have an impact on people.
Bergman took time off from teaching in 2000-2001 to help in the Terry Nichols defense case in Oklahoma. While she said she couldn't give her thoughts on the case because of a gag order, she did say she is opposed to the death penalty. She said she still works part time for free on Nichols' defense team.
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Bergman has taught at the UNM School of Law for 14 years. She said she is glad to be in New Mexico and appreciates the lightheartedness of its residents.
"I spent ten years in Washington, D.C., where everyone took themselves very seriously," Bergman said.
In Washington, D.C., Bergman was an associate counsel to President Jimmy Carter.
"It was a chance to work on fascinating issues that were almost always in the news that day, or the day before, or would be," she said.
At the UNM School of Law, Bergman said she enjoys teaching criminal procedure, childrens' law and a trial practice class.
"I like the interaction with students in the classroom," she said. "I like the opportunity to talk about interesting issues and policy issues."
She explained that another reason she began teaching was that as a public defender, she worked on individual cases that didn't impact the justice system.
"I wasn't really making any systemic changes or policy changes because you were just so focused on your individual cases," she said. "I thought by going into teaching I could have a broader impact on what happens and that's proven to be true."
Bergman has written numerous books on law and edited several others. She co-wrote many volumes of law books with Nancy Hollander, who received the Robert C. Heeney Award in 1987. Hollander is known for representing Wen Ho Lee, the Los Alamos nuclear scientist charged with espionage last year.
