The National Legal Aid and Defender Association has announced an extension to the deadline for Annual Conference Awards nominations. You now have until Friday, September 5 to submit your nomination form and tell NLADA who deserves to be recognized this year. 

The NLADA Annual Conference Awards recognize and celebrate outstanding work within the legal community serving persons who cannot afford to pay for legal representation in either civil or criminal matters. NLADA members are invited to nominate their exceptional colleagues. Nominations are now being accepted for the following awards:

• The New Leaders in Advocacy Award honors the accomplishments of rising attorneys who exhibit extraordinary leadership early in their careers as civil legal aid or indigent defense advocates.
   
• The Reginald Heber Smith Award recognizes the dedicated services and outstanding achievements of a civil legal aid attorney or an indigent defense attorney while employed by an organization supporting such services.
   
• The Denison Ray Award, awarded biennially, honors an individual who has provided exceptional service to the legal aid community as a staff member, client board member or volunteer of a provider program.
   
• The Arthur von Briesen Award, given biennially, honors a private attorney who has made substantial volunteer contributions in support of the delivery of civil legal aid or indigent defense representation.
   
• The Mary Ellen Hamilton Award honors a legal services client or low-income community leader who, on a compensated or volunteer basis, has provided extraordinary service or support to the delivery of legal assistance to low-income people.
   
• The Emery A. Brownell Award gives national recognition to newspapers, magazines, online/digital publications, filmmakers, and television and radio stations that have informed the public about the crucial role played by civil legal aid or defender organizations in ensuring equal justice.

All completed awards nominations and submission materials must be received by  Friday, September 5, 2014 via email (PDF format is preferable) to  b.peterkin-vertanesian@nlada.org or  regular mail to:

Brian Peterkin-Vertansian
National Legal Aid & Defender Association
1901 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 500
Washington, DC  20006

Download the Awards Criteria and Nominations Packet