Pro Bono Attorney of the Year: Marjorie Guymon
Law Firm of the Year: Ballard Spahr, LLP
Lied Award for Most Hours by a Law Firm: Ballard Spahr, LLP
Lied Award for Most Cases by a Law Firm: Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie
Lied Award for Most Hours by an Attorney: Dawn Hathaway Thoman
Lied Award for Most Cases by an Attorney: Andréa L. Vieira & Keiara A. Stevenson
William S. Boyd Award of Excellence: R&R Partners
Justice Nancy Becker Pro Bono Award of Judicial Excellence: Justice James Hardesty
Vince Consul Memorial Pro Bono Award: Dan R. Waite
Louie Wiener Pro Bono Service Award: Shannon R. Wilson
Myrna Williams Children’s Pro Bono Award: Keiara Stevenson
Volunteer Education Advocate Award: Stephanie Stolz
Public Interest Law Student of Distinction: Priscila Venzor
Ask-A-Lawyer Community Commitment Award: Michelle Darquea
Volunteer Attorney of the Month
Carlos Morales - January 2022
Michelle Darquea - February 2022
Neal Krokosky - March 2022
Retired Judge Cheryl Moss - April 2022
Keiara Stevenson - May 2022
Andréa Vieira - June 2022
Lisa McClane - July 2022
Vanessa Turley - August 2022
Jason Onello - September 2022
Eric Dante - October 2022
John Fortin - November 2022
Dayvid Figler - December 2022
Pro Bono Attorney of the Year
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 serve as a singular inspiration to others to embrace or renew their dedication to pro bono legal service on behalf of our most vulnerable. This year’s recipient is a long-time Nevadan who has devoted her practice to community service and fostered a culture of pro bono in the firm she co-founded. An avid adventurer, she never shies away from a challenge. She accepts every case we send her way, sometimes taking multiple pro bono cases at a time. She maintains a diverse pro bono caseload from bankruptcy to minor guardianship. She takes on many of our urgent cases with upcoming hearings, sometimes set for that week. And she treats all of her clients as if they are her only client. Taking cases is not the only way she gives back. She is also an active participant in our Family Ask-A-Lawyer program, and she mentors law students in our Partners in Pro Bono Program. This year’s pro bono attorney of the year answers the call and provides a voice to protected persons throughout Southern Nevada. Congratulations to our 2022 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, Marjorie Guymon.
Pro Bono Firm of the Year
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 470 pro bono hours. This firm is active in several of our programs, including the Nevada Supreme Court Appellate Program, the Federal Pro Bono program, Family Law, our Children’s Attorneys Project, and our Ask-A-Lawyer program. Congratulations to the 2022 Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year, Ballard Spahr, LLP.
Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by a Law Firm
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 its 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 2022 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by a Law Firm, Ballard Spahr, LLP.
Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Cases by a Law Firm
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie
In 2022, 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 its generosity. Congratulations to the 2022 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Cases by a Law Firm, Lewis Roca Rothergerber Christie.
Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by an Attorney
Dawn Hathaway Thoman
The 2022 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by an Attorney goes to an attorney who makes pro bono a core part of her practice. She 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 her young clients. In the past year alone, she contributed an astonishing 509 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 2022 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by an Attorney, Dawn Hathaway Thoman.
Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Cases by an Attorney
Andréa L. Vieira & Keiara A. Stevenson
The 2022 recipient has been a consistent, tremendous supporter of pro bono. Our first recipient took ten CAP cases providing a voice to children most in need. When called upon, she always said yes and gladly took another case. Our second recipient recently opened her own firm, so that she could dedicate her time to providing justice for her clients. She accepted Afghan asylum cases and Federal 1983 prisoner rights cases. For their work, we are pleased to present the 2022 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Cases by an Attorney to Keiara Stevenson and Andréa Vieira. Congratulations to the 2022 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Cases by an Attorney, Andréa Vieira & Keiara A. Stevenson.
William S. Boyd Award of Excellence
This award signifies exceptional leadership and a commitment to pro bono services by a corporate or business entity. The 2022 recipient is a champion and vital partner to Legal Aid Center. Fourteen years ago, they helped us re-evaluate our branding and change our name so potential clients would know who we are and what we do immediately. They’ve mentored staff attorneys on communication methods and working with the media to reach more vulnerable people in need. Their staff is always available to help us develop strategies to ensure we are not only providing access to justice to our clients but also meeting the needs of our community. When we wanted to secure the long-term future of Legal Aid Center by creating an endowment, they were our first call. And as we focus on assisting the most vulnerable in our community, this year’s winner will help us focus, navigate, and plan sustainable projects that will help individuals and families build a better life. In short, they believe that every day is a chance to make the world a better place and we agree. Congratulations to the 2022 William S. Boyd Award of Excellence, R&R Partners.
Justice Nancy Becker Pro Bono Award of Judicial Excellence
Justice James Hardesty
This award was named after Nevada Supreme Court Justice Nancy Becker, who founded the Pro Bono Project in 1985. For years, she nurtured the project when few believed the concept would work. Her namesake award recognizes members of the judiciary who have given time, energy, and influence to encourage pro bono work and to promote access to justice. We are honored to present this award to an incredible jurist. In 1998 he was elected as a District Court Judge. In 2004, he was elected to the Nevada Supreme Court, where he’s served for the last 18 years. He worked tirelessly in increasing access to justice for all Nevadans. In 2014, he worked to amend the Nevada Constitution to create Nevada’s Court of Appeals. He chaired the Nevada Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission. On the commission, he created innovative ways to expand access to justice. He met with law firms throughout the state encouraging attorneys to take a pro bono case. He worked with banks to improve IOLTA funding for legal aid providers. This work ensured these organizations throughout Nevada could expand to meet the ever-changing needs of our state. He is a true leader in expanding access to justice. Congratulations to our 2022 Nancy Becker Pro Bono Award of Judicial Excellence recipient, Justice James Hardesty.
Vince Consul Memorial Pro Bono Award
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. The recipient of this year’s award volunteered over 300 hours of pro bono time helping his clients. He helped protect a client from threatening behavior after a divorce. He assisted another client defrauded in a mobile home purchase. And he helped another client going against a car repair shop related to its deceptive trade practices. Despite his busy schedule, whenever we sent a complex litigation case to him, he always said yes. He stood by his clients when no one else would. He helps us year after year, modeling for all lawyers how one person can make a difference. Congratulations to our 2022 Vince Consul Memorial Pro Bono Award recipient, Dan R. Waite.
Louie Wiener Pro Bono Service Award
Shannon R. Wilson
Each year we present the Louie Wiener Pro Bono Service Award. 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. For over 15 years, this year’s recipient has embodied these characteristics as a dedicated pro bono attorney, with a particular focus on representing domestic violence survivors. It’s not uncommon for her to report over 50 hours of work on some of her more involved cases. She also encourages others to do pro bono. She currently acts as her firm’s pro bono liaison and is on the Legal Aid Center’s Pro Bono Project Advisory Counsel. In addition to taking numerous family law pro bono matters, she assists vulnerable clients in guardianship cases and Children’s Attorneys Project cases. Even when cases become especially difficult, she stands by her clients and remains committed to the idea that domestic violence survivors deserve a voice. Congratulations to our 2022 Louie Wiener Pro Bono Service Award, Shannon R. Wilson.
Myrna Williams Children’s Pro Bono Award
Keiara Stevenson
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. She helped Legal Aid Center establish the Children’s Attorneys Project. This year’s winner received both her undergraduate degree from UNLV and her LLM from William S. Boyd School of Law. She is active in the community and believes being consistent in a client’s life leads to great results. Despite her busy practice, she made her child clients a priority, building relationships with case workers and zealously advocating for her client’s wishes. Congratulations to the 2022 Myrna Williams Children’s Pro Bono Award, Keiara Stevenson.
Volunteer Education Advocate Award
Stephanie Stolz
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. She is currently working as the Firm Administrator and an Advanced Certified Paralegal for The Abrams & Mayo Law Firm. Since March 2017, over five and a half years, she has made the time to advocate for seven students with high needs who are placed in foster care. Despite her busy schedule, she makes time to help children to ensure they stay in school and achieve success in and outside of the classroom. From offering pizza as a motivation to supporting foster homes and teachers with favorite snacks, toys, and stickers, she always goes above and beyond! Congratulations to our 2022 Volunteer Education Advocate, Stephanie Stolz.
Public Interest Law Student of Distinction
Priscila Venzor
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 2022 recipient is a third-year student who has a long history of serving others. She is a Boyd Public Interest Fellow, active in La Voz, the Latino Bar Association, UNLV’s Immigration Clinic, Partners in Pro Bono Program, and she developed the Spanish Family Law Forms Clinics. As the 2021 Melanie Kushnir Fellow, she spearheaded Legal Aid Center’s Volunteer Interpreter Program, a vital program to ensure access to justice for those whose primary language is not English. Congratulations to our 2022 Public Interest Law Student of Distinction, Priscila Venzor.
Ask-A-Lawyer Community Commitment Award
Michelle Darquea
The recipient of the 2022 Ask-A-Lawyer Community Commitment Award has been a consistent Ask-A-Lawyer volunteer for more than five years and volunteered for over 35 Family Law Ask-A-Lawyer sessions in 2022. What sets this attorney apart has been her dedication to each client, providing advice on divorce, custody, guardianship, and other legal topics. She helped people in their darkest times see a light at the end of the tunnel. Congratulations to the 2022 Ask-A-Lawyer Community Commitment Award winner, Michelle Darquea.
50 Hours Club
Taylor J. Altman
Elliot Anderson
Bradley Austin
Shea A. Backus
Travis N. Barrick
Elizabeth Brickfield
Candace C. Carlyon
Darlene M. Cartier
Joshua D. Cools
Melissa Corral
Stephen A. Davis
Janice M. DeWitt
Michael N. Feder
Richard V. Foster
Peter J. Goatz
Marjorie A. Guymon
Joshua M. Halen
Karen L. Hanks
Robert W. Hernquist
Chelsee C. Jensen
Mona Kaveh
Nicholas J. Klein
Andrew L. Kynaston
Michele T. LoBello
Tabetha Martinez
Jennifer R. McDonald
Royi Moas
Joanna M. Myers
Jonathan Nelson
William D Nobriga
Lisa A. Rasmussen
Patrick J. Reilly
Bridgette Reyna-Meadows
David M. Stern
Kimberly Ann Stutzman
Elody Tignor
Carlia S. Waite
Marshal S. Willick
Shannon R. Wilson
Timothy A Wiseman
Jackson Wong
Jenica D. Yurcic Westerman
100 Hours Club
500+
Dawn Hathaway Thoman
400+ Hours
Raelene K. Palmer
300+ Hours
William P. Curran
Gary W. Sutton
Dan R. Waite
200+ Hours
Justin V. Alper
John A. Fortin
Lynn S. Fulstone
100+ Hours
Jennifer V. Abrams
Alyssa Aklestad
Andrew Clark
Lorien K Cole
Richard L. Crane
Michelle Darquea
Robert P. Dickerson
Athena Christine Eliades
Richard Erlich
Lin Gan
Dustun H. Holmes
Monique Jammer
Neal Krokosky
Alexandria Layton
Racheal H. Mastel
Andrew D. Moore
Cheryl B. Moss
Bethany L. Rabe
R. Christopher Reade
Samuel A. Schwartz
Paige Silva
Kim Sinatra
Alisa Steinhauer
Steven L. Yarmy
