Champions of Equal Justice Honored at 11th Annual Access to Justice Fundraiser

LAFLA ’s 2009 Access to Justice Dinner held on November 18 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel was a resounding success, thanks to the generosity of more than 450 donors and supporters who contributed to the event. The fundraiser, now in its 11th year, has raised more than $5 million to help sustain LAFLA’s programs and services that provide access to justice in disadvantaged and underserved communities across Los Angeles. See photo slide show below.

Robert K. Ross, M.D. Receives Access to Justice Award

Robert K. Ross, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of The California Endowment received LAFLA’s 2009 Access to Justice Award. During his tenure at The California Endowment, the foundation has focused on the health needs of underserved Californians by championing the cause of health coverage for all children, strengthening the capacity of community health centers, improving health services for farm worker and ex-offender populations, and strengthening the pipeline for bringing racial and ethnic diversity to the health professions. In 2006, Capitol Weekly named Dr. Ross as one of California’s most influential civic leaders in health policy.

Howard B. Miller Honored with Maynard Toll Award

The 2009 Maynard Toll Award for Distinguished Public Service was presented to Girardi & Keese partner Howard B. Miller, who recently became the 85th president of the State Bar of California. His specialties are patent and other intellectual property litigation, antitrust and general complex commercial litigation but as head of the country’s largest bar association, his number one priority this year will be legal services because "the need is enormous." Earlier in his career, he taught at USC Law School and appeared as a moderator on "The Advocates," an acclaimed PBS public affairs television show that ran from 1969-1973. Howard also served as a board member and Chief Operating Officer of the Los Angeles Unified School District and spent some years as Executive Editor of the Los Angeles Daily Journal. He also helped start a low-income housing corporation, the Rural Development Corp., in the late 1960s, funded by the Office of Economic Opportunity.

Latham & Watkins LLP Receives Pro Bono Services Award

Latham & Watkins LLP received the 2009 Pro Bono Service Award for their exemplary pro bono partnership with LAFLA, helping battered immigrant women and other victims of certain crimes to secure protective U visas under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act of 2000.

All Photos on this page by Peter Wintersteller © Berliner Studio/BEImages.

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