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Stacy
Rupprecht Butler
February 2005
Stacy Rupprecht Butler, an associate
with
DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & Lacy, P.C.,
has been selected as the
Outstanding Pro
Bono Attorney of the Month for
February.
Stacy was chosen to receive this honor by
the Volunteer
Lawyers Program (VLP). The
Pro Bono Awards are announced monthly
and
highlight an attorney who has made
an extraordinary contribution
toward making
legal services available to persons who
otherwise
could not afford them.
Although Stacy was
admitted to the practice of law just a few short years ago, in
2002,
her impact on the VLP has been tremendous. In fact, she began her
involvement in the program during the summer of 1998, before her
senior year of
college. During that time Stacy assisted the
Volunteer Lawyers Program with
pro bono attorney recruitment and
client placement. Stacy also wrote press
releases. Her exceptional
communication skills resulted in numerous articles
being published
about the VLP, including a feature in the Arizona Daily Star.
For her tireless efforts and commitment to the program Stacy was
named the
Outstanding Student Volunteer for 1998.
After graduation Stacy
returned to Tucson to attend the James E. Rogers
College of Law.
During her first semester of law school she joined the
Community
Service Board and began talking to the VLP and the law school
about
a joint project. As a result of her efforts, the Volunteer Lawyers
Program
and the James E. Rogers College of Law formed a partnership,
VLP Advocates,
to help provide legal services to those Pima County
residents most in need of
civil legal help. To date, more than 300
law students have volunteered with the
VLP.
Upon graduation from law
school Stacy clerked for the Honorable William C.
Canby, Jr., in the 9th
Circuit Court of Appeals. Once her clerkship was
complete, Stacy
joined the law firm of DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & Lacy,
P.C.
Immediately upon joining the firm, Stacy signed up to participate in
the
VLP, this time as an attorney. Her current involvement has
included direct
representation in domestic relations cases,
participation in law student training,
and providing support and
assistance to VLP staff. As the Director of the VLP,
I have the
opportunity to work with hundreds of attorneys who generously donate
their time and skill to the VLP. Butler is among those that the
Program simply
could not do without.
When asked why she
volunteers with the Program, Stacy said, “I participate in
the VLP
for a number of reasons. I believe that attorneys have a
responsibility
to help those who otherwise might not have access to
our judicial system. My
VLP cases provide me with great learning
opportunities and allow me to practice
in new areas of the law. My
firm has made providing pro bono legal services
through VLP a
priority, and I am proud to be a part of that firm culture. Also,
volunteering with VLP helps me feel connected to my community, which
is
something that I value.”
The award will be
presented to Stacy Rupprecht Butler at the Annual VLP
Awards
Luncheon in November. The luncheon will be held at the Marriott
University Park Hotel.
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Past Pima
County Monthly Award Winners
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