2015 Annual Awards Luncheon 

2015 Awards Luncheon Honors CLC Volunteers

The 2015 Awards Luncheon of the Colorado Lawyers Committee on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at the Marriott Denver City Center was a remarkable success.

This year’s keynote speaker, Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, inspired attendees with her poignant and timely comments on policing and Department of Justice efforts to repair the erosion of trust between police and the communities they serve. Ms. Gupta leads the division of the Department of Justice which earlier this year investigated and issued reports on events in Ferguson Missouri. Under Ms. Gupta’s leadership, the Division continues its crucially important work in a number of areas, including advancing constitutional policing and other criminal justice reforms, ensuring that individuals with disabilities are afforded an opportunity to live in integrated community settings, protecting the rights of LGBTI individuals, and combating discrimination in lending and voting. Read a prepared copy of Ms. Gupta’s remarks.

Ms. Gupta was eloquently introduced by John Walsh, United States Attorney for the District of Colorado. Mr. Walsh described the hard work of his department and other law enforcement organizations in Colorado to build community trust in law enforcement while effectively enforcing the law and protecting the community. He charged the Colorado Lawyers Committee and its volunteers to bring programs to the refugee communities in Colorado who are in need of legal support and a welcoming hand. View a prepared copy of Mr. Walsh’s remarks.

Another highlight of the luncheon was the presentation of awards to honor individuals and organizations who have contributed significantly to the Colorado Lawyers Committee in the past year.

Rebecca Anderson Fischer (Sherman & Howard L.L.C.) received the Outstanding Sustained Contribution Award for her longstanding support and extensive involvement with the work of the Colorado Lawyers Committee. Rebecca has served on the Board of Directors for the Lawyers Committee for 24 years as well as the Executive Committee for eight years. Her work on Colorado Lawyers Committee Task Forces in the areas of housing, children’s defense, civil rights, and education has been invaluable. We are thrilled to honor Rebecca for these contributions.

The Board of Directors selected Snell & Wilmer as the recipient of the Law Firm of the Year Award. Other law firms honored for their contribution to the Colorado Lawyers Committee were:

• Bryan Cave LLP
• Holland & Hart LLP
• The Harris Law Firm P.C.

The Team of the Year Award was presented to the:

• Amendment 23 (Dwyer v. State) Litigation Team:

  • Zhonette M. Brown (Bryan Cave LLP)

  • Sean Connelly (Reilly Pozner LLP)

  • Kathleen J. Gebhardt (Kathleen J. Gebhardt, L.L.C.)

  • Nathaniel Hake (Arnold & Porter LLP)

  • Timothy R. Macdonald (Arnold & Porter LLP)

  • Terry R. Miller (Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP)

Other teams honored at the luncheon were:

• Legal Night Coordinators and Most Active 2014 Volunteers:

  • Michelle Berge (Denver Public Schools)

  • Ilene Lin Bloom (Sherman & Howard L.L.C.)

  • Andrew T. Brooks (Brooks Immigration LLC)

  • Patricia Coan (Retired Magistrate Judge- District of Colorado)

  • Susan Cole (Arnold & Porter LLP)

  • John A. Helfrich (Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP)

  • Timothy R. Macdonald (Arnold & Porter LLP)

  • Angela Reyes (Colorado Legal Services, Inc.)

  • John H. Tatlock (The Harris Law Firm P.C.)

  • Linda J. Teater (Arnold & Porter LLP)

  • Christopher M. Unger (Mountain West Business Law, P.C.)

• Nonprofit Working Group Coordinators and Most Active 2014 Volunteers

  • Nicole R. Ament (Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP)

  • Susan Elizabeth Bow (Mountain View Capital Holdings, LLC)

  • Katie A. Feiereisel (Faegre Baker Daniels LLP)

  • Shane M. Fleenor (Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP)

  • Justin M. Hahn (Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP)

  • Michael A. Maciszewski (Faegre Baker Daniels LLP)

  • Alexandra F. Metzl (Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP)

  • Jeffrey Miller (Husch Blackwell LLP)

  • Peter H. Schwartz (Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP)

  • Jean Steward (Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP)

  • Eric M. Vinton (Bryan Cave LLP)

  • Candace S. Whitaker (Faegre Baker Daniels LLP)

• Taylor Ranch Litigation (Lobato v. Taylor) Stars:

  • Aaron A. Boschee (Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP)

  • Rick M. Simmons (Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP)

The  Lawyers Committee was also proud to present two Special Recognition Awards:

• For great success in an Marriage Equality Lawsuit (McDaniel-Miccio v. Colorado):

  • Anthony Giacomini (Reilly Pozner LLP)

  • Amy Gray (Reilly Pozner LLP)

  • Ann Gushurst (Gutterman Griffiths PC)

  • Tess Hand-Bender (Reilly Pozner LLP)

  • Michael Kotlarczyk (Reilly Pozner LLP)

  • Marcus J. Lock (Law of the Rockies)

  • John M. McHugh (Reilly Pozner LLP)

  • Kathleen Porter (Reilly Pozner LLP)

• For advocacy on behalf of individuals needing IDs to access essential services:

  • Linda J. Olson (Colorado Legal Services)

Congratulations to all our amazing honorees and volunteers. Your work to improve the lives children and the underserved in our community is inspiring.

2015 Photos

Photos courtesy of Hartmannphoto, LLC

2015 Videos

See videos from all past annual luncheons.

2015 Sponsors

Thank you to our many sponsors and partners who support our Awards Luncheon and help us further our mission to increase opportunities for children, the poor and other disadvantaged communities through pro bono legal advocacy, negotiation and litigation.

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS

Alyn-Weiss & Associates, Inc. Aponte & Busam, Inc.
Asisan Pacific American Bar Association
Center for Legal Inclusiveness
Colorado GLBT Bar Association
Colorado Hispanic Bar Association

SPECIAL THANKS TO

• Ricoh Legal Services for printing the 2015 Awards Luncheon program and the 2015 Annual Report

• Hartmannphoto, LLC for providing pro bono photography services for the Colorado Lawyers Committee

• Two Hands Films for preparing the special video presentation for the Luncheon

• Composite Marketing LLC for design services for the 2015 Awards Luncheon program and Annual Report