Equal Justice Awards
| Equal Justice Awards | |||||||
NLADA sponsors 13 awards honoring the distinguished men and women whose outstanding service and achievements advance the cause of equal access to justice. They are awarded at three events during the year: the NLADA Exemplar Award Dinner; the Equal Justice Conference; and the NLADA Annual Conference. The awards are:
National Exemplar Awards (annual)Each year at its annual dinner, NLADA honors one or more members of the private bar or corporate community who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in promoting and supporting equal justice. Past recipients include:
Justice John Paul StevensLifetime Achievement Award (annual)The Justice John Paul Stevens Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an attorney from the judiciary, academy or law firm arena, who has committed his or her life to the fair administration of justice for all people regardless of race, color, creed or income, demonstrated an exemplary commitment to equal justice, and whose life and professional accomplishments serve as an inspiration to the entire legal profession. Past recipients include:
Harrison Tweed Award (annual)NLADA and the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid jointly sponsor the annual Harrison Tweed Award, which honors state and local bar associations that develop or significantly expand projects or programs to increase access to civil legal services or indigent defense services. Harrison Tweed served as the president of the New York Legal Aid Society and was a national leader of legal aid during the 1940's and 1950's. Past recipients include:
Kutak-Dodds Prize (annual)Established in 1989 and presented each year at NLADA's Annual Dinner in Washington, DC, the Kutak-Dodds Prize honors an equal justice advocate "who, through the practice of law, has contributed in a significant way to the enhancement of the human dignity and quality of life of those persons unable to afford legal representation." The award is jointly sponsored by NLADA and the Robert J. Kutak Foundation and carries a cash prize of $10,000. Beginning in 2001, two prizes are given each year, one for exceptional work in civil legal aid and the other for outstanding service in public defense. The Kutak-Dodds Prize is named for the late Robert J. Kutak, a member of the first Legal Services Corporation Board, and the late Kenneth R. Dodds, former partners in the Omaha office of Kutak Rock. Bob Kutak dedicated his career to public service and legal education, and Ken Dodds was well known for his life-long interest in providing legal services to the disadvantaged. Past recipients include:
NLADA Innovations in Technology Award (annual)This award is presented at the annual NLADA/ABA Equal Justice Conference and honors an individual who has made outstanding career contributions to creativity and innovation in the delivery of legal service to poor people. Past recipients include:
Reginald Heber Smith Award (annual)The Reginald Heber Smith Award is presented at NLADA's National Conference, and recognizes the dedicated services and outstanding achievements of civil or indigent defense attorneys while employed by organizations supporting such services. The award may be given up to two years after the attorney's termination of employment with the organization. The "Reggie" is named for the author of the first definitive examination of the unfair administration of justice and its effect on the poor, Justice and the Poor, which was published in 1919. Past recipients include:
Robert F. Kennedy AwardThe Robert F. Kennedy award, sponsored by the American Council of Chief Defenders and first awarded in 2000, recognizes a criminal justice system leader other than a defender, whose work acknowledges the critical role the public defense function plays in ensuring fair justice systems. The award is named for former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy in honor of his support for quality public defense systems, including shepherding through to passage the nation's first indigent defense statute, the federal Criminal Justice Act, in 1963, the year that Gideon v. Wainwright was handed down. Recipients:
Mary Ellen Hamilton Award (annual)Honors a client who, on a compensated or volunteer basis, has provided extraordinary service or support to the delivery of legal services to the poor. The award honors one of the founders of the National Clients Council and the Alliance for Legal Rights. Mary Ellen Hamilton served on NLADA's Board of Directors and remained an active member of the Alliance until her death in 1985. Past recipients include:
Charles Dorsey Award (biennial)The Charles Dorsey Award is given biennially to an individual who has provided extraordinary and dedicated service to the equal justice community and to organizations that promote expanding and improving access to justice for low-income people. To be eligible to receive this award, an individual must have demonstrated a commitment to equal justice for all through service as an officer, board or committee member of a national or statewide organization devoted to fulfilling the promise of equal justice. Past recipients include:
Clara Shortridge Foltz Award (biennial)Commends a public defender program or defense delivery system for outstanding achievement in the provision of indigent defense services. The achievement may be the result of an effort by the entire program, a division or branch or a special project. This award is co-sponsored by NLADA and the American Bar Association Standing committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants. Established in 1985, this award was named for the founder of the nation's public defender system. Foltz, California's first woman lawyer introduced the "Foltz Defender Bill" at the Congress of Jurisprudence and Law Reform in Chicago in 1893. Past recipients include:
Pierce-Hickerson AwardHonoring outstanding contributions to the advancement or preservation of Native American rights, the Pierce-Hickerson Award was created in 2003 by advocates in civil legal assistance programs to pay homage to the legacies of Julian Pierce and Robert Hickerson for their outstanding advocacy in pursuit of justice for Native Americans. Pierce was a Lumbee Indian who served as executive director of Lumbee River Legal Services in Pembroke, North Carolina, from 1978 until 1988. Hickerson served as director of Alaska Legal Services Corporation for 20 years, and prior to that was director of the Oklahoma Legal Services Center.
New Leaders in Advocacy Award
Denison Ray Award (biennial)The "Denny" award honors persons who have provided at least five years of service to the legal services community in staff, client or volunteer capacities. Dennison Ray, who dedicated his professional life to equal justice for the poor, is the former director of the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, Legal Services of North Carolina, and other programs. Past recipients include:
Arthur von Briesen Award (biennial)The Author von Briesen award honors an attorney not employed by a legal services or defender program, who has made substantial volunteer contributions in support of the delivery of legal services and/or indigent defense representation. The award celebrates the achievements of the first president of NLADA. Past recipients include:
Emery A. Brownell Media Award (annual)Affords national recognition to newspapers, films, radio, and television stations that have informed the public of the crucial role played by civil or defender organizations in ensuring equal justice for poor people. This award commemorates Emery Brownell, who began his legal career with the Legal Aid Society of Rochester, N.Y. in 1925 and served as NLADA's Executive Director from 1940 to 1961. Past recipients include:
Beacon of Justice AwardAcknowledges law firms that have provided an exemplary pro bono commitment to a designated area of representation. The 2015 Beacon of Justice Award honors law firms for exceptional pro bono leadership and have met the high expectations and criteria for selection by expanding opportunities for the underserved in areas such as education, health care, housing, and legal services. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC; Covington & Burling LLP; Dechert LLP; DLA Piper; Hunton & Williams; Jones Day; Lavelle Law, Ltd.; Morrison & Foerster; O'Melveny & Myers LLP; Perkins Coie LLP; Phillips Lytle LLP; Stinson Leonard Street LLP The 2011 Beacon of Justice Award proudly honors Law Firms that have Innovative Public-Private Partnerships that Protect Equal Justice for All through Appellate Litigation Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Covington & Burling; Dechert LLP; Jones Day; Kean Miller; Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP; Liskow & Lewis; Morrison & Foerster; O'Melveny & Myers; Paul Hastings; Perkins Coie; Reed Smith LLP; Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP; and WilmerHale The 2010 Beacon of Justice Award proudly honors Law Firms That Have Made a Significant Impact in the Area of Immigration. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Arnold & Porter; Cozen O'Connor; Crowell & Moring LLP; Dickstein Shapiro; Dorsey & Whitney; Dykema Gossett, PLLC; Foster Quan, LLP; Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy LLP; Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP; Goldman & Goldman, P.C.; Goodwin Procter; Holland & Knight; Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP; Hunton & Williams; Jenner & Block; King & Spalding; Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP; Latham & Watkins; Law Office of Marisa DeFranco; Leonard, Street and Deinard; Morrison & Foerster LLP; Parker, Butte and Lane Law Firm; Parrilli Renison; Perkins Coie LLP; Quarles & Brady; Reed Smith; Richard Toscano; Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P.; The Sparks Law Corporation; Steptoe & Johnson; Troutman Sanders; Williams, Kastner & Gibbs PLLC 2009 - Law Firms Providing Significant Pro Bono Representation Law Firms Who, In Partnership with a Legal Aid Program, Have Represented Disadvantaged Families in Foreclosure Proceedings Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin; Joseph, Greenwald & Laake and Snell and Wilmer L.L.P. 2008 - Law Firms Providing Significant Pro Bono Representation to People on Death Row Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Allen & Overy LLP; Baker & McKenzie LLP; Bingham McCutchen LLP; Burke McPheeters Bordner & Estes; Burns & Levinson LLP; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP; Clifford Chance LLP; Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, PLLC; Covington & Burling; Cowan Liebowitz & Latman PC; Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP; Davis Wright Tremaine LLP; Debevoise & Plimpton LLP; Dechert LLP; Dickstein Shapiro LLP; Dorsey & Whitney LLP; Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC; Esdaile, Barrett & Esdaile; Foley Hoag LLP; Fredrikson & Byron PA; Fulbright & Jaworski; Hangley, Aronchick, Segal & Pudlin; Harris Wiltshire & Grannis; Heller Ehrman; Holland & Hart LLP; Hunton & Williams; Jenner & Block LLP; Jones Day; Keller & Heckman LLP; Kilpatrick Stockton LLP; Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP; Lesnevich and Marzano-Lesnevich; Lesser, Newman, Souweine & Nasser; Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP; McCarter & English, LLP; Morrison & Foerster LLP; Murphy & Shaffer;Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP; Pepper Hamilton LLP; Perkins Coie LLP; Reed Smith LLP; Rodgers, Powers & Schwartz LLP; Schiff Hardin LLP; Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP; Shearman & Sterling LLP; Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP; Spriggs & Hollingworth; Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan LLP; Tennant Lubell LLC; Trainor, Billman, Bennett, Milko & McCabe LLP; Venable LLP; Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP; Weinberg & Garber, PC; WilmerHale 2007 - Law Firms Providing Significant Pro Bono Representation to Detainees at Guantanamo Bay Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Alston & Bird LLP; Arnold & Porter LLP; Covington & Burling LLP; Dechert LLP; Dorsey & Whitney LLP; Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP; Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.; Gibbons P.C.; Jenner & Block LLP; Jones Day; Kaye Scholer LLP; Morrison & Foerster LLP; Perkins Coie LLP; Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP; Sidley Austin LLP; Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP; Zuckerman Spaeder LLP |
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