KCBA’s Annual Dinner will be held June 26 at the Seattle Grand Hyatt Hotel to recognize the personal and professional achievements of this year’s award recipients.
Among the evening’s highlights will be the presentation of the President’s Award, which will be received by Alene Moris, a leading activist, feminist and social justice advocate in Seattle. Since the 1960s, Moris has been an internationally recognized speaker, corporate consultant, counselor, supporter of peaceful resolutions and feminist. Few women in our state are as well known or as well respected as this extraordinary woman.
This year’s other award recipients are:
Outstanding Lawyer: William Marler of Marler Clark LLP. Marler Clark is a national leader in representing victims of food poisoning. Marler is the founder of Outbreak, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that provides resources to health workers and companies that want to train their employees on how to avoid E. coli and other food-borne illnesses.
Outstanding Judge: Hon. Charles Delaurenti II, King County District Court. Judge Delaurenti was elected to the bench in 1982 and since then has been assigned to the Renton, Burien and now Bellevue district courts. He has chaired the Judicial Assistance Committee for five of the eight years the committee has been in existence.
William L. Dwyer Outstanding Jurist: Hon. H. Joseph Coleman, Washington Court of Appeals, Division One. Judge Coleman began his career as an attorney in 1965 and was elected in 1986 as a King County Superior Court judge, a post he held for eight years before joining Division One of the Court of Appeals. He retired in 2007 after 23 years on the Court of Appeals. Judge Coleman is being honored for his career achievements as a judge.
Friend of the Legal Profession: Kellye Y. Testy, Dean, Seattle University School of Law. Testy, who was named dean in February 2006 after 13 years at the law school, will receive this singular award for her distinguished and meritorious service to the legal profession and justice system. Dean Testy is known for her devotion to Seattle University School of Law’s twin goals of academic excellence and social justice.
Helen M. Geisness Award: Charles S. Burdell, Jr., Judicial Dispute Resolution. Burdell, a former King County Superior Court judge and KCBF president, is being recognized for his exemplary service on behalf of the King County Bar Association. His efforts have helped raise the profile of the King County Bar Foundation’s annual fundraiser — the Breakfast with Champions. During Burdell’s time as the Breakfast chair, the Breakfast has nearly doubled in the number of attendees.
Outstanding Young Lawyer: Karolyn A. Hicks, Stokes Lawrence P.S. Hicks, who has been active in the KCBA and the Young Lawyers Division, is passionate about improving social justice through her involvement in numerous legal and public organizations. She is being recognized for substantial contributions by a new lawyer to the legal profession, the bar and the community.
Individual Pro Bono Award: Carl Palmer, McCune, Godfrey & Emerick. Palmer is being recognized for his consistent and diligent representation of pro bono clients. He has volunteered his time on 113 pro bono cases since 1998, mostly through KCBA’s Housing Justice Project and Volunteer Legal Services.
Firm Pro Bono Award: Curran Law Firm P.S., Kent. Curran Law Firm is being honored for its generous contribution of leadership, energy and dedication to pro bono efforts. The firm has been a mainstay and backbone of the KCBA’s Neighborhood Legal Clinics in South King County with the majority of the firm’s employees volunteering at either the Kent clinic or in other KCBA programs.
The evening will begin with a reception at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30. The event will again feature a multi-media tribute to honor each distinguished winner and a fundraising auction for the King County Bar Foundation.
Please see the ad on the back page of this issue for complete information.
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