Last October, Bartlett was honored with Equal Justice Works’ Dean John R. Kramer Award for her dedication to nurturing an outstanding spirit of public service at Duke. Associate Dean for Public Interest and Pro Bono Carol Spruill nominated her for the award, praising Bartlett’s enhancement and support of the Law School’s clinical programs, tireless promotion of public interest and pro bono work, support of the Law School’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP), and leadership through example; Bartlett served on the Durham County Board of Social Services from 1999-2005, serving as its chair in 2004-05. Duke Law students “stand in awe of Dean Bartlett’s impressive dedication to the good of society,” wrote 2006-07 DBA President Brettny Hardy ’07 in seconding the nomination, also noting Bartlett’s encouragement for students to make community service an active part of their lives.

Students have responded to the call, annually turning out in droves to help low-income taxpayers fill out their tax returns, making long-term commitments to be court-appointed representatives for allegedly abused and neglected children, spending their spring breaks doing public interest legal work in underserved communities throughout the South, and taking on pro bono or minimally paid legal internships during their summer breaks, among scores of other endeavors. They have had unflagging support from their dean.

Having co-chaired the Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) Auction and Gala as a 2L and PILF itself as a 3L, Teresa Sakash ‘06 credits Bartlett with helping students break fundraising records to help finance public interest internships. “She was willing to call on all the resources she had access to, always connecting PILF with people she thought could be helpful. Whether reaching out to alumni or working with PILF and the DBA to bring together the first Duke Law Family Weekend in 2006, she looked for the potential synergies that were out there and brought them together. She clearly saw the potential for mutual benefit to the School, students, alumni, and the whole Law School culture; it helped turn the Auction and Gala into the flagship community event that it is.” And Bartlett’s example went beyond fundraising success, Sakash adds: “She helped me to see that you really can make things happen if you ask and if you put energy into them. She also showed me that there doesn’t need to be a distance between students and the administration; it can be a very collaborative process.”

Bartlett, along with husband Christopher Schroeder, Charles S. Murphy Professor of Law and Public Policy Studies, demonstrated her deep personal commitment to public interest work with the commitment of $100,000 of personal funds to establish a sustainable endowment for LRAP for law students interested in pursuing public interest careers. The endowment “deeply touched” the entire student body, DBA President Hardy said at the time, and sparked other efforts, including a substantial gift from the Class of 2006 – doubled through Duke’s Financial Aid Initiative – and a December marathon run by a group of students, faculty, and staff, which raised $45,000.

The Honorable Allyson Duncan ’75 of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, recalls Bartlett’s steadfast support of LRAP before the BOV, of which Duncan is a member. “This is of considerable interest to me because I am in the public sector and have a keen sense of the salary disparities between public and private sector work, and the extent to which significant accumulation of debt circumscribes one’s employment options,” Duncan says. “Most members of the Board are in the private sector, and were less enthusiastic. They expressed a fair amount of skepticism. Yet, at the end of the exchange, Kate said, ‘I’ll take that as a strong positive,’ and moved right on. It endeared her to me because of the strength of her vision of what the School should be about, and her willingness to forge ahead with it, even if she has to bring us along after her.”

2006 graduates Zachary McNish and Garrett Levin were 2Ls when they approached Bartlett, on behalf of fellow students, about their concerns regarding restrictions in the Law School’s former loan forgiveness program. McNish notes how impressed he was by Bartlett’s dedication to fostering a sense of community and commitment to public interest at the Law School and by her willingness to take their input seriously. Levin also commends her honesty, openness, and generosity with her time and, later, with her money to establish the LRAP endowment.

“But her dedication to Duke goes beyond committees and financial commitments,” says Levin, who mentions her “hilarious” turns as judge of “Duke Law Idol” karaoke competitions and her turns at the microphone, most notably in a rendition of “Stand by Me” which she sang with him at the 2005 PILF auction. “When I originally approached her with the idea, she told me she would do it as long as it helped raise money for PILF. It’s yet another example of her complete dedication to Duke Law and to the people in this community.

“When I applied to law school I didn’t expect that the person running the place would work so relentlessly to improve its overall quality, commit large sums of her own money to see that improvements occur, sing karaoke in front of students and alums, all the while never seeking credit even when it was justly deserved and taking the criticism even when it wasn’t. In other words, I didn’t expect to find Dean Bartlett.”