2023 awards Luncheon

On September 27, 2023, over 350 lawyers and community leaders gathered at The Ritz-Carlton-Denver, to celebrate the accomplishments of Colorado Lawyers Committee volunteer attorneys and law firms, many of which were honored at the CLC annual Awards Luncheon. During 2022, more than 1,200 volunteers donated nearly 10,000 hours through the Colorado Lawyers Committee’s 26 active projects in the areas of Children’s Rights & Education, Civil & Criminal Law, Poverty & Public Benefits, Community Development, and Immigration.

Keynote Speaker Colorado Supreme Court Justice Melissa Hart inspired the audience with her talk on Building Community and Accountability. Justice Hart has served on the Court since 2017. She is the court’s liaison to the Access to Justice Commission and coordinator of the court’s Pro Bono Pledge.

Another highlight of the luncheon was the announcement of this year’s award recipients:

Law Firm of the Year Award. The Board of Directors selected Ballard Spahr LLP as the Colorado Lawyers Committee Law Firm of the Year. Other nominees for 2023 Law Firm of the Year were Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, Holland & Hart LLP, and Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart P.C. The CLC appreciates the strong dedication of all these attorneys.
Legal Legacy Award. David W. Stark (Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP) received the Legal Legacy Award, which honors an attorney whose legacy of dedicated service and leadership has fostered a culture within a firm or the larger legal community that elevates the importance of pro bono legal work.
Team of the Year Award. The Board of Directors selected Denver Legal Night as the CLC 2023 Team of the Year. Since Denver Legal Night began, CLC volunteers have served almost 32,000 individuals in need of pro bono legal assistance at twice monthly legal clinics. In 2022, 403 volunteers assisted 969 clients.
A Special Recognition Award was presented to Polsinelli PC which has provided office space and support to the Colorado Lawyers Committee since 2017.
The Colorado Lawyers Committee Afghan Asylum Project also received a Special Recognition Award. Over a 9-month period, 355 volunteers and 41 interpreters spent almost 5,500 hours volunteering for the Afghan Asylum Project, completing an incredible total of 604 asylum applications.

The Colorado Lawyers Committee is a 45-year-old nonprofit, non-partisan consortium of almost 80 Colorado law firms dedicated to providing and increasing opportunities for children, the poor and other disadvantaged communities through high impact pro bono legal advocacy, negotiation, and litigation.

To see information on previous Awards Luncheons, click here.

2023 Annual Luncheon (photos courtesy of Hartmannphoto, LLC)

2023 Annual Luncheon Videos

2023 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.

Silver Sponsors

Anderson Hemmat, LLC
Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Hogan Lovells US LLP
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP
Richards Carrington, LLC

Other Contributors

FirstBank
Hill & Robbins, P.C.
Robin Gates
Seigneur Gustafson LLP
University of Colorado Law School

Alyn-Weiss & Associates, Inc.
Aponte & Busam, Inc.
Colorado Hispanic Bar Association
Colorado Judicial Institute
Colorado Women’s Bar Association Foundation
Firehouse Subs

A Special Thanks To

Hartmann Photo, LLC for providing pro bono photography service for the Colorado Lawyers Committee
Sunny Side Up Solutions for preparing the special video presentation for today’s event
Cuttlefish Arts for layout and design of the 2023 Awards Luncheon program and Annual Report
Xerox Business Solutions Southwest for donating the printing of the 2023 Awards Luncheon program and 2023 Annual Report

CLC’s Annual Awards Luncheon

See Videos From All Past Annual Luncheons

See Photos From All Past Annual Luncheons