Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada’s
24th Annual Pro Bono Awards Luncheon
Friday, December 13, 2024
11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Wynn Las Vegas
Lafite Ballroom
3131 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Doors open at 11:15 a.m. for check-in
RSVP by Monday, December 2, 2024
Click here for tickets and sponsorships
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
–Martin Luther King, Jr.
2023 Award Winners
Pro Bono Attorney of the Year: Meng Zhong
Law Firm of the Year: Lewis Roca
Lied Award for Most Hours by a Law Firm: Brownstein Hyatt
Lied Award for Most Cases by a Law Firm: Lewis Roca
Lied Award for Most Hours by an Attorney: Raelene K. Palmer
Lied Award for Most Cases by an Attorney: Bonnie V. Smith
William S. Boyd Award of Excellence: J. Randall Jones, Bob Dickerson, and Maximiliano D. Couvillier, III
Justice Nancy Becker Pro Bono Award of Judicial Excellence: Magistrate Judge Cam Ferenbach
Vince Consul Memorial Pro Bono Award: Andréa L. Vieira
Louis Wiener Pro Bono Service Award: Africa A. Sanchez
Myrna Williams Children’s Pro Bono Award: Sabrina M. Dolson
Volunteer Education Advocate Award: Dorie Williams
Public Interest Law Student of Distinction: Eva Guevara-Gutierrez
Ask-A-Lawyer Community Commitment Award: Jenica D. Yurcic Westerman
Pro Bono Attorney of the Year
Meng Zhong
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 has made a positive impact in the lives of numerous pro bono clients. He helps whenever asked, encourages others in his firm to take pro bono cases, mentors attorneys, and teaches CLEs for Legal Aid Center. 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 2023 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, Meng Zhong.
Pro Bono Firm of the Year
Lewis Roca, LLP
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. This firm handled the highest number of pro bono cases this past year and 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 2023 Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year, Lewis Roca, LLP.
Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by a Law Firm
Brownstein Hyatt, LLP
The Lied Foundation was an integral early donor to Legal Aid Center, making all of our work possible. 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 the most hours of pro bono legal work, claiming the number one spot. Congratulations to the 2023 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by a Law Firm, Brownstein Hyatt, LLP.
Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Cases by a Law Firm
Lewis Roca, LLP
The Lied Foundation was an integral early donor to Legal Aid Center, making all of our work possible. Our winner accepted the highest number of 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 2023 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Cases by a Law Firm, Lewis Roca, LLP.
Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by an Attorney
Raelene K. Palmer
The Lied Foundation was an integral early donor to Legal Aid Center, making all of our work possible. The 2023 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by an Attorney goes to an attorney who tirelessly worked for her pro bono clients. In the past year alone, she contributed over 800 hours of her time serving some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Congratulations to the 2023 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Hours by an Attorney, Raelene K. Palmer.
Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Cases by an Attorney
Bonnie V. Smith
The Lied Foundation was an integral early donor to Legal Aid Center, making all of our work possible. The 2023 recipient has been a consistent, tremendous supporter of pro bono. Our winner understands the importance of pro bono. She previously worked for Legal Aid Center and when she left, she insisted on keeping some cases for pro bono. Today, she continues to accept pro bono cases and mentor attorneys in immigration matters. Congratulations to the 2023 Lied Award for Most Pro Bono Cases by an Attorney, Bonnie V. Smith.
William S. Boyd Award of Excellence
J. Randall Jones
Bob Dickerson
Maximiliano D. Couvillier, III
William S. Boyd isone of Legal Aid Center’s first Board Members who demonstrated extraordinary leadership and commitment to our organization. Bill, his daughter Marianne Boyd Johnson, Boyd Gaming, and the Boyd Foundation has supported Legal Aid Center significantly, with Bill chairing the campaign to construct our main office building as well as our endowment campaign. He has changed this community for the better. This award is is given annually in his honor to a recipient exemplifying exceptional leadership and commitment. The 2023 recipients are champions and vital partners to Legal Aid Center. They have devoted a collective 62 years of time serving on the Board of Directors.
Our first honoree, J. Randall Jones, served on the Board of Directors of Legal Aid Center for 36 years, the longest serving Board member in the history of Nevada. He oversaw the split between Nevada Legal Services and Legal Aid Center to ensure that our organization had the freedom and ability to serve individuals prohibited from being served by the federal government. He and his firm donated thousands of pro bono hours on class action cases, including one which went to the U.S. Supreme Court. He has donated significantly to our organization to help it grow, including being the largest match donor to our Endowment Campaign.
Our second honoree is Bob Dickerson. Bob served on the Board for more than 23 years. Bob joined the Board when the original free standing Pro Bono Project merged into Legal Aid Center. He has represented more than 100 pro bono clients, many of whom are abused and neglected foster care children.
Our third honoree is Maximiliano D. Couvillier, III. Max has been an integral part of our Board, serving as Legal Counsel and President for over 13 years. He has been part of making every important decision for Legal Aid Center, including the decision to expand to meet the changing needs of the community.
Congratulations to the 2023 William S. Boyd Award of Excellence, J. Randall Jones, Bob Dickerson and Maximiliano D. Couvillier, III.
Justice Nancy Becker Pro Bono Award of Judicial Excellence
Magistrate Judge Cam Ferenbach
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. This year’s winner of the Nancy Becker award is a pillar in our community. Prior to ascending to the bench, this jurist was the President of the Board of Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada. He accepted numerous pro bono cases and encouraged others to do so as well. When he was appointed as a federal Magistrate Judge, he was a perfect fit to spearhead development of the Federal Court Pro Bono Program. Congratulations to our 2023 Nancy Becker Pro Bono Award of Judicial Excellence recipient, Magistrate Judge Cam Ferenbach.
Vince Consul Memorial Pro Bono Award
Andréa L. Vieira
Vince Consul, who passed away in 2010, was an attorney and a champion for access to justice and pro bono. 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 500 hours of time representing her clients. Last year, she accepted more pro bono cases than anyone else in our community; and this year, she continued her commitment to provide the vulnerable and disenfranchised with legal services. Congratulations to our 2023 Vince Consul Memorial Pro Bono Award recipient, Andréa L. Vieira.
Louie Wiener Pro Bono Service Award
Africa A. Sanchez
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. Representing clients in domestic violence situations takes an attorney who not only strives for justice, but is compassionate and understanding. This year’s recipient has embodied these characteristics as a dedicated pro bono attorney, with a particular focus on representing domestic violence survivors. In addition to her pro bono clients, she participates in our Partners in Pro Bono program mentoring students and teaching them the importance of pro bono. Congratulations to our 2023 Louie Wiener Pro Bono Service Award, Africa A. Sanchez.
Myrna Williams Children’s Pro Bono Award
Sabrina M. Dolson
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 is a pro bono hero, who provides a voice for change to kids in our community. Since taking her first CAP case with Legal Aid Center, she has provided a voice to twenty-seven children. These children not only had a lawyer by their side, but a lawyer who listened to them and let them know they would never be alone in court again. This year alone, she took an additional seven CAP cases. Congratulations to the 2023 Myrna Williams Children’s Pro Bono Award, Sabrina M. Dolson.
Volunteer Education Advocate Award
Dorie Williams
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. This year’s recipient has taken on several challenging cases in the short time since she started volunteering in July 2022. She’s been a champion for more than eight children with extremely high needs. Every time one case closes she is eager to take on the next challenge. Congratulations to our 2023 Volunteer Education Advocate, Dorie Williams.
Public Interest Law Student of Distinction
Eva Guevara-Gutierrez
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 2023 recipient is a third-year student who believes everyone in the community needs a voice. She is a past Melanie Kushnir Fellow and a Boyd Public Interest Fellow, active in LaVOZ, the Latino Bar Association, the Immigrant Rights Coalition – a student organization at Boyd – and UNLV’s Immigration Clinic. Congratulations to our 2023 Public Interest Law Student of Distinction, Eva Guevara-Gutierrez.
Ask-A-Lawyer Community Commitment Award
Jenica D. Yuric Westerman
The recipient of the 2023 Ask-A-Lawyer Community Commitment Award has been a consistent Ask-A-Lawyer volunteer. In the last year, this attorney volunteered nearly every week for the landlord-tenant Ask-A-Lawyer session. She is a positive, patient, empathetic attorney who assists people facing impending evictions. She provides help to those in their darkest time, empowering them and giving them a brighter future. Congratulations to the 2023 Ask-A-Lawyer Community Commitment Award winner, Jenica D. Yuric Westerman.
50 Hours Club
W. West Allen
Bradley Austin
Carmen Avello
Kristine Bernhardt
Elizabeth Brickfield
Ogonna M. Brown
Russell J. Burke
Luke Busby
Gina Cervone
Andrew S. Clark
Richard L. Crane
Joseph Dalia
Stephen A. Davis
Aleem A. Dhalla
Kevin R. Diamond
Robert P. Dickerson
Dean Jason Ferris
Richard V. Foster
Lin Gan
Jordan M. Garcia
Dirk W. Gaspar
Ruthann Gonzalez
Kara B. Hendricks
Adam D. Hosmer-
Henner
Jennifer K. Hostetler
Zaniah A. Jordan
J. Christopher
Jorgensen
Michael S. Kelley
Brandon P. Kemble
Eric N. Kohli
James T. Leavitt
Bryce C. Loveland
Cuthbert E.A. Mack
Gia N. Marina
John McCormick-Huhn
Jennifer R. McDonald
Lesley B. Miller
Michael R. Mushkin
Joanna M. Myers
Darcy L. Plambeck
Caitlin Morgan Pyatt
Bethany L. Rabe
R. Christopher Reade
Carolina Rondon
Sophia M. Salas
Bethany R. Sanchez
Samuel A. Schwartz
Miriam Shumway
Kim Sinatra
Bonnie Smith
Jason P. Stoffel
Marissa R. Temple
Elody Tignor
Mark G. Tratos
Reagan A. Weber
Paul C. Williams
Brent A. Woody
Waleed Zaman
500+ Hours Club
Raelene K. Palmer
Dawn Hathaway Thoman
Andréa Vieira
300+ Hours Club
Jennifer V. Abrams
John A. Fortin
Ellie Roohani
200+ Hours Club
William P. Curran
Angela H. Dows
Athena Christine Eliades
Emily A. Ellis
Lynn S. Fulstone
Marshal S. Willick
Meng Zhong
100+ Hours Club
Alyssa Aklestad
Justin V. Alper
Elliot Anderson
Paola M. Armeni
Mary E. Bacon
Travis N. Barrick
Tayler D. Bingham
Daniel Ross Brady
Jonathan Chung
Shelby A. Dahl
Marina Dalia-Hunt
Eric M. Dante
Michelle Darquea
Sabrina M. Dolson
Emily Dyer
Richard Erlich
Thomas L. Gilchrist
Marjorie A. Guymon
Monique Jammer
Chelsee C. Jensen
Maliq I. Kendricks
Timothy D. Kuhls
Jenapher Lin
Marian L. Massey
Colleen E. McCarty
Carlos Morales
William D. Nobriga
Jason Onello
Sarah I. Perez
John J. Pictum
Marisa Rodriguez
Africa A. Sanchez
Bradley S. Schrager
James P.C. Silvestri
Tiffany Solari
Alisa Steinhauer
Gary W. Sutton
Brittni Tanenbaum
Carlia S. Waite
Dan R. Waite
Eric D. Walther
Jenica Yurcic Westerman
Shannon R. Wilson
Timothy A Wiseman
Leo S. Wolpert