Nominations open for State
Bar awards
Many
lawyers devote their entire legal careers to delivering services to California’s
poor, and many do so without compensation or even recognition.
But
once a year, the State Bar of California honors these dedicated attorneys with
the President’s Pro Bono Service Awards and the Loren Miller Legal Services Award. It’s
not too early to submit nominations for the awards before the March 15 deadline. If a
past nominee did not win in a previous year, their name can also be submitted
again.
President’s
Pro Bono Service Awards
Nine
bar members and law students who performed extraordinary pro bono service
during 2012 are eligible to receive the President’s Pro Bono
Service Awards.
Diversity and
Education Pipeline Awards
Attorneys,
law firms, bar associations and others who promote diversity and exemplary legal
training can also be nominated for the Diversity and Education
Pipeline Awards. Nomination forms and information about past winners are available
on the State Bar website. For more information, contact Patricia Lee at
415-538-2240 or patricia.lee@calbar.ca.gov. Email or send
completed forms by the March 31 deadline to:
Patricia Lee
State Bar of
California
180 Howard St. 10th
Floor
San Francisco CA
94105
Eligible
nominees include individual California attorneys (solo, recently admitted,
limited active practice, government, law firm, corporate and law school
faculty), California law firms or the California offices of national and
international law firms, associations of California lawyers, law schools
accredited by the American Bar Association or the State Bar and law students
(provided the student did not receive compensation or academic credit for the
work).
The
work must be legal work, not civic or public service. Building houses or
serving meals in a soup kitchen would not qualify.
If
a previous nominee did not win and if their pro bono service in 2012 was
significant, consider nominating that individual, firm, team, association or
law school again. You can also nominate yourself if you believe your
contributions are noteworthy.
Nominations
for outstanding pro bono contributions made by individuals based in rural and
nonurban areas are highly encouraged.
Loren
Miller Legal Services Award
Each
year, only one person is recognized for the Loren Miller Legal Services Award,
which honors a lifetime of commitment to justice and extending legal services
to the poor. Past recipients of this prestigious award include senior staff
attorneys, executive directors and directors of litigation of legal services
programs, as well as private bar attorneys. It also honors long-standing dedication
to legal services and breadth of service.
If
you have questions about resubmitting a previous nomination for either award,
contact the State
Bar Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services (SCDLS) representatives named
below. You can also visit the State Bar website to view past winners.
Guidelines
and instructions for the Loren Miller Award and Pro Bono Awards are on the State
Bar’s website and on the nomination forms for each award. Nominations will only
be accepted electronically.
The
2013 awards will be presented at a reception during the State Bar Annual
Meeting in San Jose in October. If you have any questions about the awards,
please contact Rachel Kronick Rothbart, awards outreach chairwoman for the SCDLS,
at rrothbart@law.usc.edu, or Sharon Ngim, the
SCDLS staff liaison, at sharon.ngim@calbar.ca.gov or 415-538-2267.