2021 Pro Bono Awards

Pro Bono Attorney of the Year: Jason Onello
Law Firm of the Year: Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Lied Award for Most Hours by a Law Firm: Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Lied Award for Most Cases by a Law Firm: Lewis Roca
Lied Award for Most Hours by an Attorney: Robert “Bob” P. Dickerson
Lied Award for Most Cases by an Attorney: Ret. Judge Cheryl Moss
Vince Consul Memorial Pro Bono Award: Maggie McLetchie & Adam Hosmer-Henner
Louie Wiener Pro Bono Service Award: Alyssa Aklestad
Myrna Williams Children’s Pro Bono Award: Atif Sheikh
Volunteer Education Advocate Award: Jordan Schuck
Public Interest Law Student of Distinction: Greer Sullivan
Ask-A-Lawyer Community Commitment Award: Sagar Raich

50 Hours Club                           100 Hours Club

Pro Bono Attorney of the Year

Jason Onello

Since we first began presenting the Pro Bono Awards, our most prestigious individual award has been our Pro Bono Attorney of the Year. This award recognizes an attorney whose life and practice over the past year serves as a singular inspiration to others to embrace or renew a dedication to pro bono legal service on behalf of our most vulnerable. This recipient understands the importance of providing Access to Justice to those most in need. This winner began his legal journey as a law clerk here at Legal Aid Center. He is a litigator with a focus on family law, estate planning, and personal injury. Despite a full caseload, he is currently working on 8 active pro bono matters and routinely volunteers for our Family Law Ask-a-Lawyer program and our partners in pro bono program; providing mentorship to law students on an active case. Congratulations to our 2021 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, Jason Onello.

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Pro Bono Firm of the Year

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

This year’s recipient of the Law Firm of the Year Award goes to a firm with a true commitment to Pro Bono and access to justice. The firm’s Las Vegas team contributed over 1240 hours this year. This firm is active in several of our programs, including the Nevada Supreme Court Appellate Program, the Federal Pro Bono program, Immigration, Name Change, landlord-tenant, Consumer, Foreclosure, and our ask a lawyer program. Congratulations to the 2021 Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.

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Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by a Law Firm

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

The Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by a Law Firm goes to a law firm that has successfully institutionalized a culture of giving back, embodying the highest ideals of the attorney’s professional responsibility of pro bono service. This firm consistently makes pro bono an integral part of their culture and identity. Over the past year, this firm donated 1,242 hours of pro bono legal work, claiming the number one spot. At a time when COVID-19 made it hard to volunteer, this firm not only took cases but volunteered for our landlord-tenant Ask-a-Lawyer program, ensuring tenants could receive timely answers, keeping them in their homes. Congratulations to the 2021 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by a Law Firm, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.

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Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Cases by a Law Firm

Lewis Roca

In 2021, our winner accepted 16 new pro bono cases this past year in a variety of areas of law, including Appeals, CAP, consumer, and landlord-tenant. This firm also volunteered for numerous ask-a-lawyer events. This firm wins again and again due to their generosity. Congratulations to the 2021 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Cases by a Law Firm, Lewis Roca.

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Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by an Attorney

Robert P. Dickerson

The 2021 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by an Attorney goes to an attorney who makes pro bono a core part of his practice. He has completely embraced the work of helping children in the CAP program, and as a result, has made a huge difference in the lives of his young clients. In fact, his dedication to pro bono work has spanned decades as he was named Pro Bono Attorney of the Year in 2001! In the past year alone, he contributed an astonishing 650 hours of time serving children in the foster care system, to ensure their wishes are represented in the process of finding safe, loving, and permanent homes. Congratulations to the 2021 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by an Attorney, Robert (“Bob”) P. Dickerson.

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Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Cases by an Attorney

Retired Judge Cheryl Moss

The 2021 recipient has been a consistent, tremendous supporter of pro bono. Our winner accepted 14 new pro bono cases this past year in a variety of areas of law, including divorce, name changes, and our newest program, Minor Guardianship. Congratulations to the 2021 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Cases by an Attorney, Retired Judge Cheryl Moss.

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Vince Consul Memorial Pro Bono Award

Maggie McLetchie & Adam Hosmer-Henner

This award is given in memory of Vince Consul, an attorney who was a champion for access to justice and pro bono, who passed away in 2010. We honor his memory by giving this award to an attorney who embodies what is best in our profession and who has gone above and beyond to assist a client with a civil matter. Through Legal Aid Center and the Federal Pro Bono program, the 2021 recipients accepted the representation of eight inmates who were being denied treatment for Hepatitis C, along with hundreds of other Nevada inmates. Our recipients, members of different firms, joined together and filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court. They struck a settlement that provided for treatment of all affected Nevada inmates. The monetary value of their work was some $30 million dollars. More importantly, their work literally saved the lives of some of our society’s most helpless members. Interestingly, they accomplished all of this without even meeting in person until the Pro Bono Awards Luncheon! Congratulations to our 2021 Vince Consul Memorial Pro Bono Award recipients, Maggie McLetchie and Adam Hosmer-Henner.

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Louie Wiener Pro Bono Service Award

Alyssa Aklestad

Each year we present an award in memory of Louie Wiener. Louie was a prominent local attorney who cared deeply about our community and one of the first lawyers in our community who dedicated himself to helping victims of domestic violence on a pro bono basis. He was an avid pro bono supporter throughout his entire life. The 2021 recipient of the Louie Wiener Pro Bono Service Award stepped up to the plate in a huge way, zealously advocating for survivors of domestic violence. She took several cases and volunteered for 17 family law Ask-a-Lawyer sessions. Congratulations to the 2021 Louie Wiener Pro Bono Service Award, Alyssa Aklestad.

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Myrna Williams Children’s Pro Bono Award

Atif Sheikh

Each year we present the Myrna Williams Children’s Pro Bono Award to a volunteer who has done an outstanding job in representing our many child clients. The award is given in honor of Myrna who advocated for the rights of women and children in the legislature and at the county level for years and who helped us establish our Children’s Attorneys Project. The 2021 winner, raised in Las Vegas, runs a personal injury firm. He is an active member of the Clark County Bar Association and involves himself in numerous outreach events, yet he still makes time to help his clients. This year he volunteered over 300 hours representing abused and neglected children. Congratulations to the 2021 Myrna Williams Children’s Pro Bono Award, Atif Sheikh.

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Volunteer Education Advocate Award

Jordan Schuck

The Volunteer Education Advocate Award goes to a non-attorney volunteer who goes above and beyond to fiercely advocate for educational rights and opportunities for at-risk foster youth. The 2021 award winner stood out for his dedication and advocacy in this area. He is currently working at a criminal defense firm and starts his law school journey next fall at the University of Texas at Austin. He always wants our most challenging foster care cases, medically fragile students or those with the highest level of needs, and students in locked facilities. He treats these students with respect as he passionately fights for their educational needs. Congratulations to our 2021 Volunteer Education Advocate, Jordan Schuck.

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Public Interest Law Student of Distinction

Greer Sullivan

The Public Interest Law Student of Distinction Award recognizes a law student who has made a substantial commitment to the community by doing public interest work and promoting access to justice. Our 2021 recipient is a distinguished third-year student at Boyd. She is a Public Interest Fellow, a Senior Staff Member of the Nevada Law Journal, the prior President and current Vice President of Finance for the Public Interest Law Association, served as the Events Director for the Organization of Women Law Students, is a member of the Just and Inclusive Law School Committee, served on the Nevada Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission, and is the current Student Bar Association President. Congratulations to our 2021 Public interest Law Student of Distinction, Greer Sullivan.

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Ask-A-Lawyer Community Commitment Award

Sagar Raich

The recipient of the 2021 Ask-A-Lawyer Community Commitment Award volunteered at 25 Ask-A-Lawyer sessions, including small claims and landlord-tenant. What set this attorney apart was his willingness to jump in on a moment’s notice and his fortitude to do everything in his power to keep tenants housed. He provided advice to those striving to avoid eviction, guided tenants on how to file an answer, and explained how to apply for rental assistance, ensuring they would not be locked out during the pandemic. Congratulations to the 2021 Ask-A-Lawyer Community Commitment Award, Sagar Raich.

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50 Hours Club

Nadia Ahmed
John R. Blackmon
Elizabeth Brickfield
Amanda J. Brookhyser
Ogonna M. Brown
Travis Chance
Lorien K. Cole
Maximiliano D. Couvillier
Richard L. Crane
Michelle Darquea-Kaplan
Stephen A. Davis
James M. Davis
Miguel Delgado
James M. DeVoy
Damon K. Dias
Troy P. Domina
Angela H. Dows
Christi T. Dupont
Emily L. Dyer
Michael N. Feder
Brittney Glover
Dara J. Goldsmith
Marjorie A. Guymon
Marckia L. Hayes
Cindie D Hernandez
Chelsee C. Jensen
Laura L. Johns-Bolhouse
James P. Kemp
Maliq I. Kendricks
Michael Kind
David H. Krieger
Linda Lay
Patricia Lee
Thomas Leeds
Landon D. Littlefield
Michele T. LoBello
Dawn M. Lozano
Jason C. Makris
Margaret A. McLetchie
Christopher Mixson
Andrew D. Moore
Ret. Judge Cheryl B. Moss
Jonathan K Nelson
N. Pieter O’Leary
Jason Onello
Lawrence R. Phillips
Corinne M. Price
R. Christopher Reade
Michael Paul Rhodes
Mark F. Roach
Molly S. Rosenblum
John F. Schaller
Therese M. Shanks
Kim Sinatra
David A. Stephens
Daniel H. Stewart
Elody Tignor
Dana R. Walsh
Shannon M. Wilson
Stephen Yarmy

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100 Hours Club

Alyssa Aklestad
Mary E. Bacon
Amardeep Bhatti
Michael P. Carman
Jonathan Chung
Bill Curran
Robert P. Dickerson
Tracy A. DiFillippo
Emily A. Ellis
Dean Jason Ferris
Dayvid J. Figler
John A. Fortin
Frances-Ann Fine
Richard V. Foster
Lynn S. Fulstone
Jennifer Golanics
A. Jill Guingcangco
Doreen Spears Hartwell
Rikki J. Hevrin
Adam D. Hosmer-Henner
Amanda L. Ireland
Gabrielle D. Jones
Gil Khan
Neal Krokosky
Carl A. Lindstrom
Bryce C. Loveland
Racheal H. Mastel
Lisa A. McClane
Matthew McKissick
Carlos A. Morales
Raelene K. Palmer
Bethany L. Rabe
Lisa A. Rasmussen
Marisa Rodriguez
Yasnai C. Rodriguez-Zaman
Ava M. Schaefer
Atif Sheikh
Alisa Steinhauer
Dawn Hathaway Thoman
Dan R. Waite
Paul C. Williams
Shannon Wilson
Timothy A. Wiseman
Meng Zhong