By Neal Broverman

Originally published on Advocate.com June 25 2012 1:54 PM ET

Amelia Craig Cramer, an accomplished attorney and civil rights advocate, was named president of Arizona's 16,900-member state bar on Friday.

Cramer now lives in Arizona with her wife and daughter but previously lived in Los Angeles, where she was a managing attorney for the LGBT advocacy group Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund; she was also the executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Allies & Defenders when she resided in Massachusetts.

Cramer is a much-respected figure in Pima County, Ariz., where she currently serves as chief deputy attorney. She's fought hard for LGBT rights, by previously pushing for a repeal on the state's sodomy law and protections for Arizona's LGBT citizens.

Lambda Legal's head attorney in Los Angeles, Jonathan Davidson, praised Cramer and said her appointment was a very good sign.

“This is an important development,” he told the Washington Blade. “Arizona remains a conservative state. It’s a sign of progress.”

The Arizona state bar provided educational opportunies for attorneys and investigates ethic charges among lawyers. Read more here.