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The Arizona Foundation
for Legal Services and Education is proud to honor the state’s Top
50 Pro Bono Attorneys for
2007. Through their hard work, dedication, courage,
and
unselfish gifts of time
and talent, these attorneys have made real the ideals of justice for
citizens of Arizona who
otherwise may have found them
beyond their grasp.
Building upon the proud
work of the past Top 50 Pro
Bono
Attorneys, first named in 2001, the 2007 honorees
have been chosen for
giving tirelessly to provide legal
services to low-income
clients. All are active volunteers
of programs supported by
the Arizona Foundation for
Legal Services and
Education: Community Legal Services,
DNA People’s Legal
Services, Southern Arizona Legal Aid,
and the Florence
Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project.
Their selection was based
on such factors as the number
of pro bono cases
accepted and hours donated, indicators
of overall commitment to
pro bono work.
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Ron Allen
Sole Practitioner
| Pima County
An active
volunteer with Southern Arizona Legal Aid's Volunteer
Lawyers Program
(VLP), Ron Allen provides assistance to clients in
need of help with
domestic relations and domestic violence issues.
He also provides
direct representation to clients in need of help with
Chapter 7 and 13
bankruptcy matters. A frequent program participant since 1999, Ron
not only assists clients
in need, but also helps VLP staff with questions and evaluation
of cases. The staff of
the VLP joins with the Foundation in congratulating Ron on this
well deserved honor.
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Don
Awerkamp
Raven Awerkamp &
Clancy, PC | Pima County
Don Awerkamp has
been a dedicated member of Southern Arizona
Legal Aid’s
Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP) for eighteen years.
Through the VLP,
Don assists clients with employment law matters.
In addition to his
direct representation of clients, Don has long been
willing to talk with VLP
staff about cases, answer questions and share his knowledge and
expertise. Recently, Don
agreed to serve as faculty for a VLP sponsored CLE program to
help recruit and train
volunteer attorneys. The VLP joins the Foundation in recognizing and
celebrating Don’s
commitment to the provision of legal services to those most in need.
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Thomas Bayham
Sole Practitioner | Pima County
Tom Bayham began his pro bono work with Southern Arizona Legal
Aid's Volunteer
Lawyers Program (VLP) in 2003. Over the last several
years, Tom has
assisted many clients with tort defense and debt
collection
matters. Tom never declines to accept a call or a case from
the VLP staff. He
approaches all of his dealings with staff with a much appreciated
sense
of humor. But more
important, Tom is kind and gracious when working with VLP clients
and is always grateful
for the opportunity to assist someone in need.
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Morgan
Brown
Brown & Brown Law
Offices, PC | Navajo County
F. Morgan Brown
joined Southern Arizona Legal Aid's Volunteer
Lawyers Program
(VLP) in October of 2003. Since that time, he has
taken three of our
most difficult consumer cases in Navajo County for
direct
representation . In addition, when his brother became a judge on
the Arizona Court of
Appeals, Mr. Brown willingly took over representation of the clients
his brother had
volunteered to represent. TheVLP is truly indebted to Mr. Brown for
his
selfless commitment to
the clients of the VLP.
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Bryan Daum
Sole Practitioner | Pima County
Bryan Daum has
been a member of Southern Arizona Legal Aid's
Volunteer Lawyer
Program (VLP) since 2000. During that time he
has prepared
Qualified Domestic Relations Orders for clients of the
VLP. Mr. Daum
willingly assists the VLP with one of the most
specialized areas of
referrals. His assistance enables clients to receive the benefits
that they are due. He is
recognized as an expert in his area of practice, and the VLP
is fortunate to count him
among our volunteers.
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Rob Ferrier
Martin & Ferrier
| Pima County
Rob Ferrier joined
the VLP in November of 2005. Rob assists clients
with matters that
involve debt collection, Indian law, contracts, and
unfair sales
practices. Recently Rob completed a real property/
contract matter
for a VLP client. He dedicated eleven months and 161
hours to the case and
achieved a wonderful result for the client. In addition to the
clients
he has assisted in Pima
County, Rob has volunteered to help clients in Santa Cruz County
and Pinal County as well.
Rob has also been known to call and request that the VLP send
him a new case. The VLP
is honored that Rob has chosen to work with the VLP and is
grateful to the
Foundation for acknowledging his efforts with this much deserved
statewide
award.
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 Les Gilbertson
Sole Practitioner
| Pima County
For twenty-three
years, Les has been an active member of Southern
Arizona Legal
Aid's Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP). Providing direct
representation to
thirty-nine clients in supplemental security income,
tort defense, and
workers compensation matters, Les is always eager
to take on a new VLP
case. Les is supported by a wonderful staff who are equally
committed to helping
ensure access to justice for low-income clients across Arizona.
The VLP is honored to
work with Les and is excited that the Foundation has chosen to
recognize him for his
outstanding commitment.
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Johnny
Helenbolt
Duffield Young
Adamson, PC | Pima County
Johnny Helenbolt
has been a member of Southern Arizona Legal Aid's
Volunteer Lawyers
Program (VLP) since 1998. In that time, he has
accepted VLP cases
for direct representation in the area of wills and
small estates. He
consistently accepts cases from the program and is
always working on at
least one VLP case. VLP clients seen by Mr. Helenbolt and his staff
are always very
appreciative of his efforts and offer positive feedback regarding
his
assistance. The VLP and
its clients are fortunate to count Mr. Helenbolt as a volunteer
and friend of the
program.
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Tom Hippert
Sole Practitioner
| Pima County
Tom Hippert
volunteers to assist clients of Southern Arizona Legal
Aid's (SALA)
Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP). An active volunteer
for nearly twenty
years, Tom helps clients with tort defense matters.
Tom is a
compassionate volunteer and always puts VLP clients at ease. He also
serves as a distinguished member of SALA's Board of Directors. The
VLP
is grateful to Tom for
his willingness to share his time and skill, as well as for his
dedication to the
community.
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Kurt Kroese
Chandler & Udall,
LLP | Pima County
Kurt Kroese has been an
active member of Southern Arizona Legal
Aid's Volunteer
Lawyers Program (VLP) since 1995. Kurt volunteers
his time to assist
VLP clients with tort defense cases. Kurt is
bilingual and is
always willing to assist Spanish speaking clients with
their legal needs. He
never hesitates to step up and take on a challenging case. The VLP
appreciates all of the
work that Kurt does to improve the lives of clients living in
southern
Arizona and joins with
the Foundation in honoring him for his commitment and generosity.
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Lisa
Schriner Lewis
DeConcini McDonald
Yetwin & Lacy, PC | Pima County
Lisa initially
volunteered with Southern Arizona Legal Aid's Volunteer
Lawyers Program
(VLP) while in law school, and was named the VLP
Student of the
Month in April 2005. Since her admission to the Bar
nearly two years
ago, Lisa has become one of the VLP's most active
volunteers. She provides
legal assistance to VLP clients in the area of domestic relations
and domestic violence. As
a volunteer attorney, Lisa has also been a frequent participant
in the Child Support
Project, where she supervises law students as they calculate support
for pro pers at default
hearings. Although a member of the VLP for just a short time, Lisa
is
among the program's most
active, reliable and talented volunteers.
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 Ed
Matchett
Sole Practitioner
| Cochise County
Since joining the
Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP) of Southern
Arizona Legal Aid,
Inc. in August of 2001, Edward Matchett has
donated more than
48 hours to VLP clients with real property matters.
Despite his busy
private practice in Cochise County, Mr. Matchett has
never refused to assist a
VLP client, even when there was a deadline. Please join us in
thanking Mr. Matchett for
his continued support of the VLP and his commitment to its
clients.
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 Jim
Penny
The Rabb Penny Law
Firm, PLLC | Pima County
Jim has been a
member of Southern Arizona Legal Aid's Volunteer
Lawyers Program
(VLP) for nine years. During that time, he has
accepted VLP cases
for direct representation in the areas of
contracts, debt
collection, and wills. In addition, Jim volunteers on a
regular basis for the
Advice-Only Clinic where he offers clients advice and information in
regard to bankruptcy,
debt collection, employment, and tort defense matters. The VLP
appreciates Jim's work
with our clients and joins the Foundation in thanking him for his
dedication to helping
those in our community who have nowhere else to turn.
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Denneen
Peterson
Sole Practitioner
| Pima County
Denneen Peterson
began her work with Southern Arizona Legal Aid's
Volunteer Lawyers
Program (VLP) in 1988. In her time with the
program, Denneen
has provided direct representation to twenty-seven
clients with tort
defense, debt collection, and contract matters.
Denneen is an
extraordinary resource for VLP. She is bilingual and is always
willing to
accept Spanish speaking
clients. In addition to helping clients in Pima County, Denneen
also travels to assist
VLP clients in rural areas of the state. Both the clients and staff
of
the VLP are privileged to
work with Denneen and grateful for her willingness to share her
expertise with those most
in need in our communities.
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Bill Porten
Snell & Wilmer,
LLP | Pima County
Bill Poorten began
his work with Southern Arizona Legal Aid's
Volunteer Lawyers
Program (VLP) in 1986. During his more than
twenty years with
the program, he has assisted clients with
guardianship, real
property, tort defense, landlord/tenant, and debt
collection matters.
Bill's wide range of expertise has served as an extraordinary asset
for
the program. When called
upon by VLP staff, Bill is always willing to accept a case to help
someone in need. The VLP
joins the Foundation in saluting Bill on a job well done.
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 Steve
Portell
Quarles & Brady,
LLP | Pima County
Steve became
involved with pro bono work while in law school in
Detroit. After his
move to Tucson, Steve comments that he was
fortunate to find
himself working for lawyers who valued pro bono
service and
encouraged him to become involved. Shortly thereafter,
Steve joined Southern
Arizona Legal Aid's Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP), where he's
been an active member
since 2001. In his time with the VLP, Steve has had an enormous
impact on clients by
providing assistance with debt collection, mental health and trust
matters. Steve says, "The
pro bono work I have done for VLP is, by far, the most satisfying
work I have done." The
VLP is fortunate to count Steve as a volunteer and friend of the
program.
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Heather Strickland
Karp Heurlin Weiss
| Pima County
Heather began her work
with Southern Arizona Legal Aid's Volunteer
Lawyers Program
(VLP) as a law student, participating in all of the
VLP clinics and
dedicating the summer and fall of 2003 to assisting
clients in need of
Chapter 7 bankruptcy. As an attorney, Heather's
involvement in the VLP
has included direct representation of clients in domestic
relations/domestic
violence cases and participation in the VLP's Domestic Relations
Clinics and Child Support
Project. Through the Child Support Project, Heather supervises
law students as they meet
with unrepresented litigants prior to their final divorce hearings.
The VLP is excited that
Heather has decided to continue the volunteer work that she
began as a student. She
not only serves as a wonderful example to the students that
follow in her path, but
also as a remarkable leader for the entire legal community.
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